12:30:00 12/05/2017
Extra Australian troops could soon be headed for Afghanistan, with the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull indicating today he's 'open' to boosting the Australian Defence Forces commitment to the troubled country. The NATO commander in Afghanistan made a personal plea to Mr Turnbull for more resources during the Prime Minister's visit to the country two weeks ago.
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12:27:00 12/05/2017
Budget week is drawing to a close with the Federal Government and Opposition trading blows over the question of fairness. The Government says it's at the heart of its budget; but Labor's announced it won't back the full plan to increase the Medicare levy to help pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Bill Shorten says Labor would support a higher levy for those earning over $87,000 and it would also re-impose a two per cent levy on the highest tax bracket. More
12:24:00 12/05/2017
Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ian Narev has accused the Government of 'concocting policy on the run' and managing the economy based on opinion polls. Mr Narev has described the decision to impose a levy on bank liabilities as grabbing tax from a profitable sector to prop up the budget. But so far the five major banks targeted with the levy, are yet to announce a fightback plan similar to the resource industry back lash against Labor's mining tax.
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12:21:00 12/05/2017
Leaders in Turkey have expressed anger at the United States, over its decision to arm Kurdish fighters in Syria. The US argues the move is necessary if it's to drive Islamic State fighters out of their stronghold of Raqqa. However, Turkey considers the Kurdish fighters to be an extension of an outlawed Turkish terror group. Leaders from both countries are due to meet for the first time soon, and the issue is expected to dominate those talks. More
12:18:00 12/05/2017
Steven A. Cook is the author of the upcoming book 'False Dawn: Protest, Democracy and Violence in the New Middle East.' He spoke to The World Today from Washington DC. More
12:15:00 12/05/2017
An international law expert is warning the extradition of alleged Islamic State terrorist Neil Prakash may take longer than the twelve months or less, that some media outlets are reporting.
The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants the alleged IS recruiter extradited from Turkey to face court in Melbourne as soon as possible. More
12:12:00 12/05/2017
President Donald Trump is facing mounting questions over his motives for sacking the FBI Director James Comey. Originally the White House circulated a memo suggesting the President had acted on the advice of the deputy Attorney General to sack Mr Comey, citing his conduct over an investigation into Hillary Clinton. Now, the President has told NBC television the decision was his alone. US media reports suggest he may have made his decision after a dinner with the FBI boss in January. More
12:09:00 12/05/2017
Child protection advocates have welcomed new laws in Queensland, aimed at giving police more powers to track known child sex offenders. State Parliament passed the bill overnight, which also gives courts more say in determining who's a known offender. But some advocates say there needs to be a co-ordinated national response, instead of a state-by-state approach. More
12:06:00 12/05/2017
Child health experts are urging parents to give their kids the flu jab, in the face of a new study which reveals most mums and dads have reservations about the vaccine. The latest Australian Child Health Poll also found parents have misconceptions about the flu not being a serious disease. More
12:03:00 12/05/2017
Chronic kidney disease is a problem that disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders at 10 times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians, but the experts still don't exactly know why that is. Those at the coalface are calling for further community-based treatment.
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12:02:00 12/05/2017
Queensland schools are making use of an unusual approach to education about substance abuse. High school students are taking part in a virtual reality trial exploring their attitudes to drinking and drugs. Twenty independent schools across the state are included in the trial that kicked off at a school in Cairns this week, and saw its year 10 students virtually attending a Friday night party. More