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Guilty in Bali: Sara Connor's deathly assault Audio
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It's rare for an ABC Indonesia Correspondent to escape reporting on Australians behaving badly in Bali. And it seems that every three years or so there's a big case that keeps them pretty busy. In Samantha Hawley's case it's been Sara Connor who last Monday was found guilty of group assault leading to the death of a Bali police officer.
Topics: international-law, law-crime-and-justice, crime, courts-and-trials, laws, police, prisons-and-punishment, bali, australia, indonesia
Unconscious bias: how we judge people by their dialect Audio
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How much do you judge people by the way they speak? Variants of English span the globe, from its namesake in the UK, here in Australia, the United States and in India, where it's one of more than 20 officially recognised languages. There as elsewhere, certain unique sayings and expressions have evolved. South Asia Correspondent James Bennett wanted to file a report on that, but it didn't quite go as expected.
Topics: multiculturalism, community-and-society, languages, india, australia, united-kingdom, united-states
Volcanic holiday: living in the shadow of an expected eruption Audio
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When our correspondents get some down time, they usually try to switch off. Southern Iceland, with its patchy mobile reception, is arguably one of the best places in the world to get away from it all. But on a recent holiday, our Europe Correspondent James Glenday found himself near the base of one of the country's most dangerous volcanoes, that's slowly stirring to life.
Topics: volcanic-eruption, disasters-and-accidents, iceland, australia
Deep divisions: US seeks China's help in containing North Korea Audio
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The US secretary of State, Rex Tillerson is spending the weekend in China. He's had a busy agenda on this, his first official trip to Asia. He's been tasked in seeking China's help in containing North Korea. The ABC's Chief Foreign Correspondent Phil Williams has had a fascination for the place ever since visiting Pyongyang in 2000. He says the deep divisions over North Korea appear to be entering a new and dangerous phase.
Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, foreign-affairs, united-states, china, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of
A tourist's bucket list: reporting in Venezuela Audio
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It's been a long time since Venezuela was on anyone's tourist bucket list. The once wealthy, oil-rich State is suffering a crippling economic depression and an explosion in crime, with daily kidnappings, robberies and murders. But the socialist government is working hard to keep out one of the only groups still desperate to go there, foreign journalists.
Topics: world-politics, information-and-communication, journalism, travel-and-tourism, venezuela
Safety of Queensland combat sports to be investigated Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Queensland government will start a new investigation into combat sports in the state, after the deaths of two young boxers in Queensland in recent years. Queensland's Sports Minister Mick de Brenni says he was so disappointed with a recent state government committee inquiry into the safety of high risk combat sports contestants, that he has personally pushed for a new review that will consult with all interest groups.
Topics: boxing, government-and-politics, law-crime-and-justice, sport, qld, australia
Warnings that a property price 'adjustment' is looming in Australian real estate Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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There are warnings this weekend that a property price 'adjustment' is looming in Australian real estate. It comes after The National Australia Bank and then Westpac, increased interest rates yesterday, without direction from the Reserve Bank.
Topics: housing-industry, business-economics-and-finance, banking, australia
Housing affordability crisis: Grattan Institute Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison has flagged he's looking for ways to address Australia's housing affordability crisis in his upcoming budget. One idea before the Treasurer would involve reform to the way state governments take their tax slice from property sales. The independent think-tank the Grattan Institute has released economic modelling showing how stamp duty can be scrapped altogether without robbing state governments of revenue.
Topics: housing-industry, business-economics-and-finance, industry, australia
Queensland's Premier and group of mayors hope to convince Adani to go ahead with coal mine Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Queensland's Premier and a group of regional mayors hope their visit to India will help convince Adani to go ahead with the Carmichael coal mine. The group says the jobs and economic benefits which the mine will deliver will outweigh environmental concerns.
Topics: mining-industry, business-economics-and-finance, industry, coal, qld, australia
How to unlock the nation's gas supplies? Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Energy analysts say Australia isn't suffering a shortage of gas, in fact Australia is already 'swimming in gas'. But the abundance of gas hasn't translated to the domestic market, and consumers have become the unwitting victims of a gigantic game of risk-shifting by the multinationals. How did this happen and how can it be fixed?
Topics: oil-and-gas, business-economics-and-finance, australia
Farmers not convinced about plan from Nationals to give gas royalties to landowners Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Farmers are sceptical about a plan from the federal Nationals Party to give landowners some of the royalties from gas extracted from their property. Yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce announced his support for the South Australian Labor Government's plan to give farmers 10 per cent of the royalties, and said he'd like it extended to other parts of the country. The Nationals say it would encourage farmers to open up land to gas exploration. But the farmers say money won't mitigate the risk, while the Opposition says that the Government isn't capable of making the idea a reality.
Topics: oil-and-gas, business-economics-and-finance, industry, farm-labour, australia
Tillerson touches down in China for talks on North Korea and South China Sea Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The US secretary of State, Rex Tillerson has arrived in China where he is expected to appeal to Beijing for in containing North Korea, and push China on its disputed claims over the South China Sea. China will want a clarification on US threats of a possible trade war.
Topics: world-politics, business-economics-and-finance, trade, foreign-affairs, china, united-states
Trump and Merkel hold talks on trade and espionage, amid more controversy on wiretapping allegations Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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In the United States, President Donald Trump has held his first meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a leader he's accused in the past of ruining Germany. The two leaders talked of the importance of trade as well as international espionage. But in a joint news conference Trump doubled down on his wiretapping allegation with a reference to 2013 reports that the US listened in on Merkel's phone calls.
Topics: world-politics, defence-and-national-security, security-intelligence, government-and-politics, united-states, germany
PM: Full Program Audio
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On Friday's program: New South Wales Nationals party MP John 'Wacka' Williams goes public with Parkinson's diagnosis. Lawyers representing residents in a Queensland Darling Downs town say they have the final clearance to commence a class action against the Department of Defence. And calls for a review of the guidelines that recommend IVF treatment not be offered to obese women.
Topics: australia
Heyfield Mill is likely to close without a formal Victorian offer to secure 250 jobs Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A national wood company and the Victorian Government are at odds over the future of a sawmill facing closure. Australian Sustainable Hardwoods has confirmed the Heyfield Timber Mill is closing, and it may shift some equipment to Tasmania. Workers have described the closure of the country's biggest hardwood sawmill as disgraceful and avoidable.
Irrigators reliant on Snowy scheme worried upgrade might affect water supply Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Irrigators reliant on the Snowy scheme, are worried the new $2 billion plan to increase power generation means they won't get access to the water when they need it. The Prime Minister's announcement to increase the Hydro scheme's power generation has had a mixed response from rural communities who are also worried about land acquisitions as a result of the project. They are questions that will now be considered through a feasibility study.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, environment, government-and-politics, rural, agribusiness, water, water-management, nsw, australia
Former NT corrections minister takes 'some responsibility' for systemic failings Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A former Northern Territory corrections minister says he bears some responsibility for systemic failings in the youth justice system. Labor's Gerry McCarthy faced the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT in Alice Springs today. He was the corrections minister during several incidents involving former Don Dale detainee Dylan Voller, who featured in the Four Corners program which prompted the royal commission.
Topics: prisons-and-punishment, youth, law-crime-and-justice, royal-commissions, nt, australia
Ringside at SA's first election debate Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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It's exactly one year until South Australians go to the polls. Voters are faced with the choice of returning Labor for a fifth term in power, or to usher in a Liberal government for the first time in 16 years. But the state of the state, particularly on the issue of energy, has become something of a national fascination. And today, both leaders got in the 'ring' for the first political debate, of what's likely to be, a very long 12 months.
Topics: elections, government-and-politics, sa, australia
NSW Government gives paid parental leave to surrogacy parents Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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For the first time in New South Wales, parents who use a surrogate to have a baby can claim paid parental leave from the State Government. Until now, couples have had to solely rely on the Federal Government's paid parental leave. But the decision could be overshadowed by a clamp down on 'double dipping' that aims to put an end to parents claiming both their employer's and the government's parental schemes.
Topics: surrogacy, government-and-politics, health, reproduction-and-contraception, australia
Experts call to revise IVF guidelines to improve access for obese women Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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If you're trying to have a baby, sometimes assisted fertility treatments, such as IVF, are necessary in order to conceive. But while IVF treatments are available to women aged over 40, doctors are advised not to offer them to obese women. A new paper is calling for a review of the guidelines, labelling them unjust.
Topics: reproductive-technology, family-and-children, health, obesity, reproduction-and-contraception, fertility-and-infertility, babies, australia
Does it makes sense to dip into your superannuation to help fund a home deposit? Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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There's been mounting speculation this week that we may be about to see a significant change to superannuation policy. Coalition backbenchers have been calling for the Government to allow first home buyers to access their superannuation to help fund a deposit for a house. So does the idea stack up?
Topics: housing-industry, business-economics-and-finance, superannuation, australia
Senator John 'Wacka' Williams goes public with Parkinson's diagnosis Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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His friends and parliamentary colleagues know him as 'Wacka', a salt of the earth shearer turned Senator for New South Wales. But bank bosses know Nationals party MP John Williams as the tenacious and wily politician, who's made a name for himself pursuing them for bad bank behaviour. The Senator will need to muster all that tenacity and even more to deal with a personal health condition that tonight, he's going public with. He says he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but he has the support of his colleagues and is confident he can see out the next few years in Parliament.
Topics: government-and-politics, health, nsw, australia
Anglican Church admits it has no national child protection plan Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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At the child sexual abuse Royal Commission, the Anglican Church has admitted its dioceses have failed to unite behind national child protection standards. The Bishop of Newcastle Greg Thompson blames tribalism in the church. The Archbishop of Brisbane, Phillip Aspinall, gave evidence the church is committed to national child protection standards, but there's been disagreement over their scope. New data commissioned by the inquiry shows that between 1980-2015, the church received 1082 allegations of abuse.
Topics: royal-commissions, community-and-society, anglicans, law-crime-and-justice, newcastle-2300, australia, nsw
Final clearance for Oakey class action against Department of Defence Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Lawyers representing residents in a Queensland Darling Downs town say they have the final clearance to commence a class action against the Department of Defence. About 450 Oakey residents are demanding financial compensation for their dwindling property prices, because of contaminated groundwater emanating from the defence base next to the town. But some residents are steering clear of the action, and they say repeated publicity about the contamination is causing reputational damage to the town.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, defence-forces, environment, land-pollution, qld, australia
The World Today: Full Program Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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On Friday's edition of The World Today: A controversial rescue plan as the Victorian Government vows to buy a struggling timber mill and Cystic Fibrosis Australia pushes for a new agreement with drug manufacturers.
