Audio
Radical new vaccine proves completely effective against malaria Audio Transcript and Verbatim
Posted
Scientists may be a step closer to eradicating malaria following the stunning success of a new vaccine in a small human trial. The radical approach involves injecting patients with the cells of live malaria parasites. Thirty-five test subjects were injected with different amounts of the vaccine and those who received the highest doses enjoyed 100 per cent protection against infection.
Topics: malaria, health, vaccines-and-immunity, australia
CEO focus switching from China to US, but business leaders worried about Donald Trump and protection Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A global survey of around 1,300 chief executives by the consulting firm PWC shows money is starting to move out of China's slowing economy for the first time in seven years, despite the political uncertainty in the US. PWC chief economist, Jeremy Thorpe, says while business is optimistic about Donald Trump's economic policies, many are worried about protectionism.
Topics: corporate-governance, international-aid-and-trade, united-states, australia, china
Sweeping changes announced to Queensland's parole system Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The most sweeping changes to Queensland's parole laws in 80 years were handed down in a report into Queensland's parole system today. The state's former Solicitor General Walter Sofronoff made 91 recommendations, including more rehabilitation programs in prisons, the expanded use of GPS to track parolees and establishing a new parole board. The review into the state's parole system began after the murder of Townsville grandmother Elizabeth Kippen in July last year allegedly by a man on parole.
Topics: prisons-and-punishment, law-crime-and-justice, murder-and-manslaughter, australia
NSW Government mulls greyhound industry reforms Audio Transcript and Verbatim
Posted
The New South Wales Government is considering major changes to greyhound racing in the state, after announcing and then lifting a ban on the industry last year. A reform panel has unveiled 122 recommendations, designed to improve the industry's practices and reduce the number of dogs killed. Its key recommendation is for a new and independent Commission for Integrity and Welfare, to oversee the sport.
Topics: animal-welfare, australia
Calls to create an au pair visa and regulate the industry Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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There are calls to formalise the so called 'backpacker au pair' and create a specific visa to ensure safeguards are in place for workers and families. Experts say there's a rising demand for foreign live-in carers, but the industry remains unregulated and open to exploitation. It comes as childcare reforms hit the headlines again, and more families look for affordable and flexible alternatives for their children.
Topics: child-care, immigration, australia
Catholic school linked to child sex abuse wants to be a leader in child protection Audio Transcript and Verbatim
Posted
The highest number of abuse claims paid for by the Catholic Church relate to its education system. At St Patrick's College, in Ballarat, several Catholic priests and Christian Brothers were eventually convicted of sexually abusing children in their care. Now, the school says it wants to change its reputation to one that makes it a leader in child protection.
Topics: child-abuse, catholic, sexual-offences, ballarat-3350, australia
Report warns of fear and discrimination in Australian rental market Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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While housing affordability remains a hot political issue, a national survey has uncovered a culture of fear amongst Australian renters. The consumer group Choice is warning of a power imbalance between landlords and tenants, but the real estate industry has questioned whether the report is an accurate snapshot.
Schools subject of most abuse claims in Catholic system Audio Transcript and Verbatim
Posted
New data commissioned for the child sexual abuse Royal Commission shows the highest percentage of claims relate to abuse in Catholic schools followed by orphanages. The Church has paid out $278 million in response to claims of abuse made between 1980 and 2015.
Topics: sexual-offences, child-abuse, catholic, royal-commissions, australia
NT economy: business owners say last 12 months worst in history Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Despite a strong employment figures, the Northern Territory economy is in the midst of a slowdown. The NT Chamber of Commerce says the slowing began last year, and conditions are especially tough for the retail sector. At the same time, Darwin's Inpex Ichthys gas project has been shedding workers, as the end of its construction phase approaches.
Topics: economic-trends, oil-and-gas, retail, nt
Employment figures underline 'disturbing' trend of new jobs being mostly part time or casual: expert Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Although there has been a 'very modest' tick down in unemployment, the standout figure of today's employment figures are the 40,000 people not in full time work, according to Professor John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Flinders University. He said the result reflects a wider problem in the country of the composition of employment growth, with most jobs being generated in the casual and part time sector.
Topics: economic-trends, unemployment, government-and-politics, federal-government, australia
Younger Australians express frustration at not getting ahead financially in life Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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One aspect of the jobs market that's causing frustration is wages growth. The latest official figures show wages continue to grow at their slowest pace since records began. Younger working Australians have told The World Today slow wages growth is having an enormous impact of their lives, and they want the Government to do something about it.
Topics: economic-trends, community-and-society, youth, housing, australia
Telstra shares dive after surprise profit fall Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Telstra has seen its first-half profit tumble to $1.8 billion hit by the effects of tougher competition and a fall in fixed line revenue. The net profit was down 14.4 per cent on last year's first-half result, well below the market expectations. Also the official jobless rate fell slightly in January to 5.7 per cent with a surge in part time jobs offsetting a slump in full time work.
Topics: telecommunications, business-economics-and-finance, australia
Govt has 'no desire' to increase taxes as Senate standoff continues Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Federal Government is continuing to try to persuade the Senate to support its package of social services changes by releasing new figures on the number of families who have already hit the child care rebate cap. The Government is still warning it may have to increase taxes if the welfare savings in the bill aren't passed, but the Finance Minister has rejected a newspaper report that it's considering changes to the discount on the capital gains tax paid on investment properties.
Ian Narev denies pressure to hike investor rates to cool real estate Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Pressure to toe regulatory speed limits to prevent the housing market from overheating prompted an out of cycle rate rise on investor loans, Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ian Narev has conceded. While denying there was a direct order from the banking regulator to put a brake on investor loans, Mr Narev said Australia's biggest home lender was complying with requirements to cap investor growth at ten per cent a year.
Topics: banking, economic-trends, housing, australia
Architect of NDIS lashes Federal Government over funding for the scheme Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The man sometimes called the father of the National Disability Insurance Scheme has criticised the Federal Government over debate this week on how the scheme is to be paid for. The Government wants the Senate cross-bench to support cuts to family payments, in order to fund the NDIS. Bruce Bonyhady, the inaugural chair of the National Disability Insurance Agency says linking the two is deeply unfair, and cruel to disabled Australians.
Topics: disabilities, insurance, discrimination, scott-morrison, australia
Rural businesses accuse Government of treason over gas price hikes Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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There's doubt about the future the Jemena gas pipeline proposed for the Northern Territory that had been scheduled to go ahead next month. Some Aboriginal people from the region say they're worried the company could start fracking if a temporary ban on unconventional gas exploration is lifted. It comes as the Federal Government urges states and territories to lift moratoriums on fracking, as power price hikes cripple rural businesses.
Topics: oil-and-gas, electricity-energy-and-utilities, nt
Fallout from AEMO report riles SA Audio Transcript and Verbatim
Posted
The fallout from South Australia's rolling blackouts last week has intensified, following a new report into the debacle. The Australian Energy Market Operator says it had no option but to load shed, after energy demand and wind generation forecasts were wrong. It's also been revealed that a software glitch caused 60,000 customers to lose power, who shouldn't have.
Topics: alternative-energy, electricity-energy-and-utilities, sa
Australia relying on 'ambitious' State Govt emissions targets to meet Paris commitments: Expert Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The ongoing debate about what the Government is calling 'unrealistic' State emissions reductions targets was reignited after another blackout in South Australia last week. The Prime Minister has accused Labor of putting ideology ahead of energy security. But figures show that in the absence of a national policy, State targets are the only thing putting Australia on track to achieving its 2020 and 2030 Paris commitments. Danny Price from Frontier Economics says it's essential that technological solutions are found to overcome the instability resulting from the transition to renewable energy sources.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, alternative-energy, sa, australia
Trump Govt warns NATO members to pay their fair share for defence Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Trump administration is also shaking up the status quo in Europe with a warning to NATO members in Brussels to pay their fair share and stop relying on American tax payers to defend their children. The United States has told its trans-Atlantic allies they need to increase defence spending or Washington will 'moderate' its commitment to the alliance.
Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, european-union, united-states
Palestinians react angrily to Trump's proposal of a one-state solution Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Donald Trump's apparent rejection of decades of negotiation to find a two state solution for the Middle East prompted an angry response from Palestinians even before it was officially released. After leak from the White House, the chief Palestinian negotiator called on the international community to protect the two state solution for fear of an unequal 'one state, two systems' alternative.
Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, israel, palestinian-territory-occupied, united-states
Donald Trump laying the ground for Middle East peace deal Audio Transcript and Verbatim
Posted
Donald Trump has sought to distract from the media storm surrounding his administration's dealings with Russia, hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Whitehouse with the view of negotiating a Middle-East peace deal. His solution could involve ditching years of foreign policy to pursue a 'two state solution'.
Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, israel, palestinian-territory-occupied, united-states
Salmon farmer Tassal destocking Macquarie Harbour lease after EPA report Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A community meeting has been held in Strahan in Tasmania as part of salmon producer Tassal's recertification process for it's embattled fish farming practice. The meeting heard Tassal will lose Aquaculture Stewardship Council sustainability certification for one of its leases in Macquarie Harbour, which is currently being destocked. The EPA ordered Tassal to move all the fish from lease after studies showed the area under the pens is almost completely devoid of life.Featured:
Topics: fishing-aquaculture, water-pollution, environmentally-sustainable-business, strahan-7468
New figures show massive shortfall in student disability funding Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The latest figures from the Productivity Commission and the Education Council appear to confirm what many disability and education advocates have long believed: students with a disability face an enormous funding gap in Australian schools. According to latest data, more than 268,000 students with disability are in school without funding support to pay for adjustments to assist in their education.
Topics: disabilities, schools, primary-schools, secondary-schools, australia
PM Full Program Audio
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On Wednesday's program: The South Korea spy agency believes that North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un directly ordered the assassination of his half brother. Kim Jong-nam died in Kuala Lumpur, after reportedly being poisoned by North Korean agents at an airport; And it hasn't been as cheap as it is now to own or run a car since the 1970s. But analysts warn higher fuel prices and interest rates could turn that on its head; And today marks the 75th anniversary that Singapore fell to the Japanese, around 2000 people gathered at Australia's only prisoner of war memorial, in the regional Victorian city of Ballarat.
Topics: australia
Judge rejects request to block drilling of the Dakota Access pipeline Audio Transcript and Verbatim
Posted
A judge in the United States rejected a request from Indigenous tribes to block drilling of the Dakota Access pipeline. It was another blow for the tribes that have collectively formed the Sacred Stone Camp. President Donald Trump also signed executive orders to fast-track final permits for the last phase of construction. The protestors have been fighting the oil companies since April last year.
Topics: pipelines, business-economics-and-finance, industry, oil-and-gas, indigenous-other-peoples, united-states, australia
