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There are pretty strong and dire predictions about how many humans will lose their jobs to robots over the next 50 years. This has prompted Australian researchers to assess 25 national cities and assess which are best prepared for the rapidly changing global economy. Sydney came out on top, but the mayors of smaller cities say they won't be left behind.
Topics: work, science-and-technology, robots-and-artificial-intelligence, australia
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The Queensland Government says it's not at all surprised by national data which shows regional parts of the state have some of the highest rates of methamphetamine use. It comes as ministers talk up a crackdown on parents who use the illegal substance saying it's one of the biggest contributors to child protection issues. But the state opposition and drug experts are not convinced by the strategy.
Topics: drugs-and-substance-abuse, community-and-society, qld, australia
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New figures show more than half of South Australia's 250 patched bikie gang members are behind bars. The State Government says a combination of new anti-gang laws and police operations are behind the surge. But one criminal expert questions whether laws to crack down on organised crime across the nation, are actually fulfilling their purpose.
Topics: crime-prevention, law-crime-and-justice, crime, police, prisons-and-punishment, sa, australia
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Australia's beef industry has been buoyed today by news that Japan is likely to announce a dramatic increase in tariffs on US beef. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is set to invoke what's known as 'a snapback', a measure designed to protect Japan's domestic cattle producers from rapid rises in imports. It's welcome news at a time when the industry is reeling from China's decision to suspend some Australian beef imports.
Topics: trade, business-economics-and-finance, industry, food-and-beverage, international-aid-and-trade, australia, china, japan
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Victorian Upper House Labor MP Khalil Eideh has been refused entry to the US. He was travelling as part of a joint parliamentary study group looking at drug laws. Mr Eideh is a Lebanon-born Muslim and reportedly has strong links to Syria.
Topics: world-politics, community-and-society, immigration, government-and-politics, vic, australia, united-states
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There's a question mark tonight over Victorian Liberal MP Julia Banks' citizenship status and by extension the Turnbull Government's slim hold on power. Julia Banks is an Australian citizen, but her father was born in Greece. If she's found to be Greek and therefore ineligible to sit in parliament, a by-election would be called. Given her seat is ultra-marginal, that could trigger disastrous consequences for the Government.
Topics: government-and-politics, constitution, australia
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Britain says it's discussed the possibility of conducting joint 'freedom of navigation' operations with Australia in the hotly-contested South China Sea. The decision to test Beijing's claims is likely to stoke regional tensions, but the Turnbull government won't be drawn on its precise plans.
Topics: world-politics, defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, treaties-and-alliances, australia, china, united-kingdom, england
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The US tech company Amazon is advertising for a linguist proficient in Australian English. The successful applicant will likely work on voice recognition software, helping it understand the quirks of the Aussie language. It's not the first tech company to tackle the Australian vernacular.
Topics: information-technology, internet-culture, australia, united-states
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The last few years have seen Australia's gold industry undergo a renaissance. Exploration is booming, and mines are being brought into production in record time across Victoria, New South Wales and WA.
Topics: gold, mining-industry, wa, nsw, vic
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The Commonwealth Bank is coming under fire for a new EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale) machine that blind people say they cannot use. Around 75,000 Albert touchscreen terminals are now in use around Australia, as point of sale electronic transaction devices. But unlike other EFTPOS machines, the Albert touchscreen tablets do not have a tactile keypad. Blind Citizens Australia is now calling on the bank to stop rolling out the machines until the technology is able to be used by all people, with or without a disability.
Topics: discrimination, banking, retail, disabilities, internet-technology, information-technology, australia
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Australia's long-running cricket pay dispute looks no closer to resolution, following the governing body's sudden proposal to go into arbitration. While not outright rejecting the offer, the Cricketers' Association says its members would rather go into mediation, rather than adversarial arbitration, to find an outcome to the bitter dispute.
Topics: cricket, industrial-relations, australia
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Tension remains high in Jerusalem a day after Palestinians claimed victory over the Israeli Government, which was forced to back down and remove all new security measures installed at entrances to Al Aqsa mosque. The measures were set up two weeks ago after gunmen hid weapons in the mosque's compound and killed two Israeli policemen. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, spent today rallying his base, with calls to bring back the death penalty for Palestinian attackers. Concern over Israel's relationship with Jordan deepened after the Jordanian King slammed the Israeli PM's handling of the latest tension.
Topics: defence-and-national-security, islam, judaism, world-politics, israel, palestinian-territory-occupied
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The US Senate has voted overwhelmingly to support tougher sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea. The bill already has the support of the House of Representatives. But it now has to go to the President, who has threatened to veto the bill on the grounds that it would harm US relations with Russia. It's still unclear how Donald Trump will respond.
Topics: world-politics, agreements-and-treaties, united-states, russian-federation
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Another day, another crisis in the Trump White House: once again, entirely of its own making. Donald Trump's chief of staff and his new communications director are in open warfare, being played out on cable news - apparently with the knowledge and approval of the President. The appointment of financier Anthony Scaramucci to the communications job has already seen the White House's press secretary, Sean Spicer, resign in protest. Now Scaramucci is openly accusing Priebus of leaking White House information to journalists.
Topics: world-politics, united-states
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UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has announced that British nuclear aircraft carriers may soon be sailing through contested waters in the South China Sea, in a move likely to escalate regional tensions. Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, believes Australia should rethink its reticence to act on its commitment to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, given that several nations have now pledged to sailing their naval vessels through the area.
Topics: territorial-disputes, world-politics, australia, china, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of, united-kingdom
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Hepatitis advocacy bodies have welcomed the Federal Government's plans to put a new hepatitis C treatment on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme. But, they say there still needs to be a much more targeted approach to treating marginal groups with hepatitis, particularly those in prisons. One north Queensland prison has declared itself hepatitis C free, and public health experts say that should set a precedent across the country.
Topics: hepatitis, pharmaceuticals, australia, cairns-4870, melbourne-3000
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Drug treatment experts have welcomed the Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt's plan to introduce real-time tracking of scripts for drugs like morphine and oxycontin, but they say they do have concerns about implementation. Mr Hunt's announced the plan in a bid to both crack down on 'doctor-shopping' and to identify opioid addicts. But some are worried the plan could put GPs and pharmacists in harm's way, while others say the jury is still out on whether monitoring will help solve Australia's growing opioid addiction crisis.
Topics: pharmaceuticals, drug-use, information-and-communication, information-technology, australia
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A study by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute shows Australian babies are prescribed more antibiotics than children in many other comparable countries. The research examined the health records of 660 children who are part of the Barwon Infant Study in Victoria. It found 50 per cent were given at least one course of antibiotics before they turned one. Researchers say it's a tricky and nuanced issue, but the findings should prompt a more considered approach to prescribing antibiotics.
Topics: infant-health, pharmaceuticals, vaccines-and-immunity, melbourne-3000
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One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts says he's confident he'll beat any legal challenge to his eligibility to be in parliament. There's a question over it because a form showing he renounced UK citizenship came five months after last year's election. Under the constitution he should have renounced any foreign citizenship before running for parliament.
Topics: federal-parliament, immigration, one-nation, australia
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Science, mathematics, engineering and technology are widely seen as vital future career paths for young Australians. But how to get them to study STEM and keep them there? A new gallery in Melbourne aims to use art get to young people excited about STEM subjects - and its inaugural exhibition is all about blood.
Topics: contemporary-art, visual-art, secondary, university-and-further-education, science, science-and-technology, engineering, university-of-melbourne-3010
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Detainees in the Manus Island detention centre say attempts by PNG immigration authorities to make them move will lead to violence. Immigration officials and police have told the 100 men who remain inside one of the centre's main accommodation compounds that they must go to a transit centre near the main town on Manus Island. Power and water are expected to be cut off at the compound today and the men who remain could be arrested.
Topics: refugees, human, programs-and-initiatives, papua-new-guinea, australia
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The United Kingdom has vowed to challenge Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea by sailing two new aircraft carriers through the disputed waters on a freedom of navigation operation. The British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, has confirmed the move in a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney, after discussions with Australia's Defence and Foreign ministers.
Topics: territorial-disputes, navy, treaties-and-alliances, china, united-kingdom
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The head of the Coles supermarket chain has warned that rocketing power bills are forcing some Australians to make unhealthy choices as they manage tighter household budgets. John Durkan says that average families - and especially those on low incomes - are even having to trade off buying fresh meat and produce as they balance surging power bills with record slow wages growth.
Topics: retail, community-and-society, poverty, australia
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The National Broadband Network has notched up a major milestone this month, with the service now available to more than half the population. The network, however, continues to be dogged by problems. While some people love it, around 15 per cent of the 2.5 million end users currently signed up are complaining that their connections are not fast enough or just the same as they used to experience - only at a higher price. NBN Co CEO Bill Morrow speaks with AM's Sabra Lane and says that customers need to ask more questions of their service providers and shop around for the best deal.
Topics: internet-culture, company-news, programs-and-initiatives, australia
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One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts is the latest Federal MP to come under pressure over dual citizenship. He says he renounced his British citizenship before nominating to join Parliament, but received no confirmation until six months after the last federal election. Meanwhile, many newcomers to Australia are facing their own citizenship hurdles. Many worry about how long it will take to achieve and whether they'll meet the requirements.
Topics: immigration, federal-parliament, australia
