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| UpdatedUS President Donald Trump is still yet to talk about the first sacking of his administration. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn quit 24 days into the job after admitting he had not given his colleagues at the White House a complete version of his dealings with Russia.
Topics: world-politics, united-states
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| UpdatedAs the Federal Government has raised the prospect of new, higher taxes or spending cuts to help pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says corporate taxes should be cut instead. Mr Shorten says the NDIS was fully-funded when introduced by the Labor Government and family payments should not need to be cut.
Topics: federal-government, australia
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| UpdatedAn Australian woman accused of killing a Bali policeman has denied wanting to destroy evidence in the last day of her trial. Sara Connor, of Byron Bay, and her British boyfriend David Taylor are facing a trial in Bali over the murder of policeman Wayan Taylor.
Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, bali
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| UpdatedHundreds of cuts to jobs at the Government organisation responsible for air traffic control could put the travelling public at 'significant risk', workers have warned. In an email to senior managers, obtained by the ABC, one worker claims the organisation has wilfully disregarded public safety with the decision.
Topics: air-transport, australia
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The RSL's National leadership and its NSW branch are negotiating terms for the entire state council to stand down. RSL NSW is currently being investigated by police, the charities watchdog, and an independent auditor over several alleged financial scandals. Among them, that former President Don Rowe claimed expenses of $475,000 between 2009 and 2014. The RSL NSW state council has agreed to step down, but only on the condition it can name the caretaker who'll replace them.
Topics: veterans, defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, army, australia
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| UpdatedThe Victorian government has rejected recommendations to set up a facility that would force vulnerable children into treatment for drug addiction and mental health problems. The recommendations are contained in a report by KPMG and the Australian Childhood Foundation which has been obtained by the ABC under freedom of information laws. It concludes that while there's limited evidence that compulsory therapeutic treatment is effective, there is a place for it in Victoria as child protection agencies grapple with how to deal with increasingly troubled and traumatised young people. It comes as the Victorian government faces mounting anger over its recently announced plan to build a $250 million youth detention centre in Melbourne's west.
Topics: drugs-and-substance-abuse, drug-education, health, child-health-and-behaviour, drug-use, vic, australia
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| UpdatedAmong the Closing the Gap targets that remain well off-track is Indigenous employment. The unemployment rate for Indigenous people across the country last year was almost four times the non-Indigenous rate.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, unemployment, torres-strait-islander, australia
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| UpdatedThe price of Australia's biggest export, iron ore, has now broken through $US90 a tonne. It's the first time the price of the commodity used to make steel has topped that price since August 2014. It's already provided the Australian economy with a big cash injection, but there's also evidence it's being driven by Chinese mums and dads speculating in the market for iron ore. Experts are worried it's fuelling a bubble in the market for what is Australia's most important export.
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, consumer-finance, economic-trends, community-and-society, gambling, australia
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| UpdatedA Franciscan monk has told the Royal Commission that the Catholic Church should focus on the ability of an aspiring priest to show compassion not his sexuality. The Commission has heard seminary applicants are subject to psychological testing and if they are found to have 'deep-seated' homosexual tendencies they are refused admission.
Topics: royal-commissions, community-and-society, child-abuse, religion-and-beliefs, catholic, sydney-2000, australia, nsw
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| UpdatedRelations between the federal nationals and their WA colleagues are under further strain this evening. This time it's over the WA Nationals decision to preference the Greens ahead of the Liberals in some seats for the upcoming state election. The Nationals Leader Barnaby Joyce says it's a bad move and is clearly in retaliation to the Liberals preference deal with One Nation.
Topics: political-parties, government-and-politics, australia, wa
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| UpdatedPresident Trump's embattled national security adviser Michael Flynn resigns after reports he discussed lifting the US sanctions with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The departure comes less than one month into the Trump administration's term presenting an early shake-up in President Trump's senior team of advisers.
Topics: defence-and-national-security, world-politics, united-states, australia, russian-federation
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| UpdatedWhile the Closing the Gap report card shows a disappointing lack of progress in literacy and numeracy skills, many Aboriginal communities are driving educational change in their own backyards. The Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council on the New South Wales Central Coast is doing just that, and succeeding beyond its own expectations.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, education, access-to-education, community-education, primary, nsw, australia
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The ABC'S Indigenous Affairs Editor Stan Grant says the closing the gap report tells only part of the story and overlooks the green shoots of success and progress in the lives of thousands of individuals in the indigenous community.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, government-and-politics, indigenous-policy, australia
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Despite a decade of concerted effort, the gap between Indigenous and other Australians remains stubbornly wide. A report measuring the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders shows that little progress has been made on six out of seven factors measured by Close the Gap. It's the ninth consecutive year that targets haven't been met. And the Prime Minister wants some targets to be redesigned and community driven.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, government-and-politics, parliament, federal-parliament, australia
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Two of the most remote places on earth have been found to be harbouring man-made pollution, used during industrialisation. Most of the pollutants are now regulated or have been banned, but their lasting impact serves as a lesson about the impact of human development. Their remnants have been discovered in two of the world's deepest under-water trenches in the Pacific Ocean. It's next to impossible to clean up the mess, but researchers say it's vital to learn from the past, to ensure the same mistakes aren't made again.
Topics: oceans-and-reefs, pacific
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Energy experts say detailed study needed of ALP's Albany wave power plan
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, alternative-energy, wa
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| UpdatedThe race is on to save the critically endangered native Australian orange-bellied parrot. Researchers say there are just 14 of the small migratory birds left in the wild, with the population at the lowest levels ever seen. Breeding programs around the country are working to bolster numbers, while experts on the ground are trying something innovative to boost breeding in the wild.
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The US President and the Canadian Prime Minister have held their first meeting at the White House. Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau were effusive in their praise of each other, and both spoke of their optimism over their economic relationship.
Topics: world-politics, united-states, canada
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| UpdatedOne of Australia's top scientists is today calling her fellow scientists onto the streets to join colleagues in a world-wide rally in April protesting against Donald Trump. Professor Emma Johnston is the Pro-vice Chancellor of Research at the University of New south Wales and President Elect of Science and Technology Australia. She says 'there must be something very important at stake' to bring scientists out of their labs.
Topics: world-politics, science-and-technology, women, united-states
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| UpdatedAn inquiry into the future of the gaming industry for casinos and poker machines in Tasmania has heard some people are selling their houses to fund their addiction. The state government has called the inquiry as it considers ending a gaming monopoly in the state that is held by the Federal Group.
Topics: gambling, states-and-territories, tas
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| UpdatedA psychologist involved in screening young men wanting to enter the Good Shepherd Seminary in Sydney has told the Royal Commission a committed homosexual would not be accepted. Sister Lydia Allen gave evidence that is a stated requirement of the Vatican. But a ban on men with a sexual interest in children is implicit only.
Topics: royal-commissions, child-abuse, australia
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At least 30 homes have been destroyed in the New South Wales bushfires but the full extent of the damage won't be known until later this week. Catastrophic conditions over the weekend forced many residents to flee several fire fronts, including from one ongoing fire which has so far burned through at least 52,000 hectares. Insurance assessors have also begun to count the cost. They say the bill is expected to exceed $20 million dollars.
Topics: fires, disasters-and-accidents, nsw, australia
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| UpdatedOne of Australia's longest serving chief executives - Richard Goyder from Wesfarmers - has announced his retirement after more than twelve years in the role. He'll be replaced by insider Rob Scott later this year. Mr Goyder's decision to step down is significant given his national profile and commentary in major business issues such as the productivity debate and tax reform.
Topics: company-news, australia
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| UpdatedThe Federal Government is facing a tough period of negotiations with several cross bench Senators to try to secure passage of its package of welfare cuts, child care spending and paid parental leave changes. The Nick Xenophon team, the Greens and Labor have all declared they won't support the bill in its current form.
Topics: federal-government, welfare, australia
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| UpdatedSNAICC is the national non government peak body representing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Its CEO is Gerry Moore.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, indigenous-policy, australia