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On Thursday's program: South-east Queensland feels the impact of ex-tropical Cyclone Debbie, with the wild weather flooding roads, and closing schools and businesses; Federal parliament's final Question Time before the budget dominated by a furious debate over conditions and wages for low paid workers; And after years of tireless campaigning, 'Carly's Law' is introduced to federal parliament, to help protect young people from online predators.
Topics: australia
Britain keen to get on with free trade deal but EU leaders want to talk 'disentanglement' first Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Britain has become the first country to formally begin the process of leaving the European Union. A six-page letter signed by Britain's prime minister was sent to Brussels, triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty and kickstarting a two-year negotiation over the terms of leaving the EU. Prime Minister Theresa May described it as 'a historic moment' and the point at which Britain took back control, and began making its own decisions and own laws. But already, there's disagreement between Britain and some of Europe's most powerful leaders over how the talks should proceed.
Topics: world-politics, history, government-and-politics, referendums, australia
NT corrections boss warned about 'major' Don Dale incident a year before tear-gassing Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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In the Northern Territory, the youth detention royal commission has heard there were clear warnings issued about a major incident at Don Dale, a year before the tear-gassing of several detainees. The former head of NT corrections has given evidence at public hearings today. The inquiry was told her concerns were pushed aside by the former corrections commissioner.
Topics: prisons-and-punishment, youth, law-crime-and-justice, crime, australia
Child abuse victims' health worse if abuse reports aren't believed royal commission hears Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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An American child abuse expert has told the royal commission that memories of their assaults stay with victims for the rest of their lives and can be easily triggered unless the survivor gets therapy. Dr Bruce Perry gave evidence that if a victim's report of their abuse isn't believed the effects on their physical and mental health are likely to be more severe than if they're helped.
Topics: royal-commissions, community-and-society, child-abuse, law-crime-and-justice, sexual-offences, australia
Former Labor minister found guilty over mining deal Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The former New South Wales Labor minister Ian MacDonald has been found guilty of misconduct in a public office, over a mining license issued in 2008. He could join fellow disgraced former Labor minister Eddie Obeid behind bars.
Topics: crime, mining-industry, law-crime-and-justice, courts-and-trials, prisons-and-punishment, corruption, nsw, australia
Tasmanian Treasurer facing possible contempt of parliament Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Tasmanian Treasurer Peter Gutwein is refusing to hand over confidential cabinet documents to a parliamentary committee. The committee has responded by referring the matter to both houses of the state parliament to see if the Treasurer is in contempt.
Topics: government-and-politics, electricity-energy-and-utilities, tas, australia
New laws introduced to protect young people online Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Young Australians will have greater protection from online predators, with new laws introduced to federal parliament. Dubbed 'Carly's Law', the changes will give police powers to intervene before online predators have the chance to harm a child, and targets those who misrepresent their age. It follows years of campaigning by Sonya Ryan, whose teenage daughter was murdered a decade ago by an online predator. And while cyber safety experts have welcomed the laws, they say only education will stop young people becoming victims and at the moment that's severely lacking.
Topics: crime-prevention, law-crime-and-justice, crime, laws, police, computers-and-technology, australia
Wages and penalty rates dominate final fractious Question Time before the budget Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Government's submission to the Fair Work Commission's minimum case has dominated another raucous Question Time. The Opposition challenged the Government on its submission that minimum wage recipients often live in high income households, but the Government has pointed out that Labor made similar submissions when it was in Government. Labor has also had a symbolic victory with the Senate passing a bill to protect the take home pay of penalty rate recipients, but the bill is unlikely to survive in the lower house, where the Government holds a majority.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, work, australia
Farmers fear entire crops lost in Cyclone Debbie Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Farmers along the Whitsunday coast say their crops and properties have been devastated by Cyclone Debbie. This region's known for its sugar farming, but it's also considered one of north Australia's food bowls. And farmers say it could be weeks to months before they're able to grow again.
Topics: agricultural-crops, disasters-and-accidents, rural, weather, cyclone, australia
'It's not over': Debbie lashes out on Queensland's south-east corner Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Queensland's south-east corner is now enduring the latest blows from ex-tropical cyclone Debbie as it makes its way south. The Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has ordered that all south-east Queensland schools will remain closed tomorrow, as buffeting winds and flash flooding continue to lash the area. Up to 500 millimetres is predicted to fall in the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast hinterland before midnight tonight. Emergency services are rescuing people trapped in floodwaters from Bundaberg south to Brisbane. It's hoped the system will move out to sea tonight, leaving full dams and flash flooding in its wake.
Topics: cyclones, disasters-and-accidents, weather, qld, australia
Young veterans found to have higher rate of suicide than average Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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It's been found that young defence veterans have a higher rate of suicide than the community average. The findings are contained in a major review into suicide and self-harm for veterans and members of the Defence Forces, released today by the Federal Government. The report shows that while members are serving, they have a much lower rate of suicide than the average, but that changes dramatically once they leave the services.
Topics: veterans, community-and-society, suicide, defence-and-national-security, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
'Debbie's got a sting in the tail': emergency services rescue residents from flash-floods Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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In Queensland, flash-flooding is now the greatest concern as ex-tropical Cyclone Debbie continues to lash the coast from north Queensland to the New South Wales border. Emergency services have now confirmed that 40 people stuck on the roof tops in Eton, near Mackay, are safe. Further south, all schools and many businesses are closed in Queensland's south-east, with some areas expecting up to 400 millimetres of rain this afternoon.
The World Today: Full Program Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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On Thursday's edition of The World Today: Emergency services workers rescue dozens of people from floodwaters in north Queensland as the state's south-east braces for a deluge from ex cyclone Debbie; Britain is now officially on its way out of the European Union that it has been part of for 40 years; Commissioner Mick Fuller will replace Andrew Scipione as the new Police Commissioner for New South Wales.
Retta Dixon abuse survivors compensation claim won Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Dozens of Aboriginal child abuse survivors are about to be compensated for the horrific abuse they suffered. In what lawyers are calling a significant development, former residents of the Retta Dixon home Darwin settled their case out of court with the Federal Government, a convicted paedophile and a religious organisation.
Topics: child-abuse, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, courts-and-trials, royal-commissions, darwin-0800
US Congress announces second investigation into Trump's Russian ties Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Republicans and Democrats in the US Senate have put aside their differences to investigate the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. It comes as a similar House investigation descends into partisan squabbling.
Topics: world-politics, international-law, corruption, united-states, russian-federation
UK has a slight advantage over EU in Brexit negotiations: British-EU observer Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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As the process for separating the United Kingdom from the European Union gets underway, both the Stay and Go camps can only guess what the anticipated two years of negotiations will bring. Monash University's Dr Ben Wellings is a close observer of British EU relations says the UK has a slight advantage over the EU, which must be more risk-averse and must bring 27 different governments into agreement.
Topics: world-politics, united-kingdom
Quiet jubilation in the Brexit heartland as May submits separation papers Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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After the 'Go' referendum result that sent shockwaves around the world last June, Britain is now officially on its way out of the European Union. Prime Minister Theresa May's letter to Brussels has started the timer on the two years of negotiations to unwind the 40-year relationship. Europe correspondent Lisa Millar headed to one of the most pro-Brexit towns in the UK, Leigh-on-Sea on England's east coast, to see how the Brexiteers are feeling now.
Topics: world-politics, united-kingdom
Labor accuses Govt of turning off foreign investors with sugar code Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Labor says the decision last night to introduce a code of conduct for the sugar industry could chill foreign investors and damage the sugar industry's reputation. But the Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce is dismissing such concerns, saying the Government's been in discussions with Singapore and that any challenge to the code of conduct under a free trade agreements would likely fail.
Topics: sugar, international-aid-and-trade, australia
Childhood sex abuse affects brain development Royal Commission told Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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An American psychiatrist has told the child sex abuse royal commission that childhood abuse affects brain development and abuse survivors are more susceptible to a range of mental and physical disorders including heart disease, schizophrenia, and depression. The Commission heard if a child isn't believed when they report their abuse the health consequences are likely to be worse.
Topics: child-abuse, community-and-society, religion-and-beliefs, mental-health, law-crime-and-justice, sexual-offences, royal-commissions, australia
NSW Govt appoints Mick Fuller as Police Commissioner to lead transformation of the force Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The decision has finally been made about who will lead Australia's largest and oldest police force. The New South Wales Premier has announced that Assistant Commissioner Mick Fuller will replace Andrew Scipione as the new Police Commissioner. It's been a hotly contested selection process and the new Police chief is likely to face a tough job uniting - or as he put it 're-engineering' the force.
Cyclone Debbie wreaks havoc for sugar cane growers Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Amongst the swathe of carnage wrought by Cyclone Debbie, farmers have been some of the worst affected. Queensland's sugar cane growers are estimating the damage to their businesses to be upwards of tens of millions of dollars.
Weather conditions leave many stranded on Hamilton Island Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Melanie Langley went to Hamilton Island last weekend for a work conference and has been stranded there ever since. She's told Barney Porter that all the guests at her hotel have now been told to go to the island's airport. Authorities are not informing the public of the reasons for departure.
Topics: cyclones, hamilton-4007, qld
Cyclone Debbie brings out the best and worst of Queenslanders Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Disasters like Cyclone Debbie often bring out the best in people, but there are now reports coming in of looting and thefts during some of the worst of this week's weather. Police are urging residents to stay vigilant, and to report any suspicious behaviour.
Turnbull and Shorten survey cyclone damage in Bowen Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten have been inspecting cyclone damage in Bowen. The World Today reporter Annie Guest is there said the leaders were able to observe damage to crops and roads as they flew in, and were welcomed by an upturned light aircraft on the tarmac of Bowen airport. The Prime Minister highlighted the hit to the local agricultural sector and the resilience of the community before flying out to Proserpine. He said assistance would be available immediately.
Charities watchdog investigating every RSL State and Territory branch Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The national charities regulator is now examining every state and territory branch. AM understands the New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia branches are all under specific scrutiny from the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, while other branches are understood to be the target of a more general review. It's being seen by some within the RSL as fall out from the multiple allegations of financial misconduct at the New South Wales branch, which first surfaced six months ago.
Topics: corruption, australia
