ABC News Daily

When police officer Kristian White tasered 95 year old Clare Nowland in an aged care facility last year, he said the great grandmother was a threat because she was carrying a knife. 

But a jury has found him guilty of manslaughter.

Today, we speak with reporter Jason Om who has been covering the case and with criminologist Xanthe Mallett about how police use tasers. 

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Jason Om, 7.30 reporter

Xanthe Mallett, associate professor of criminology from the University of Newcastle

There’s been a flurry of activity in Canberra as the government rushes to get a huge amount of legislation through parliament before it rises at the end of the week.

So, what are the new and proposed laws and will they really help you? 

Today, the ABC’s National Political Lead, David Speers on the bills passing and failing, as the government ponders a sooner rather than later election. 

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David Speers, ABC National Political Lead

When Bunnings started to use facial recognition technology to check on who was in its stores, without the consent of customers, it raised alarm bells. 

It says the face scans were deleted within one second and the tech helped to make stores safer, by identifying thieves or people who’ve been violent. 

But at what cost? The hardware giant has now been found to have breached Australians’ privacy.  

Today, tech reporter Ange Lavoipierre on what Bunnings was up to, how the technology works and whether it’s something to be wary of. 

She says the technology was used in 63 stores across Victoria and New South Wales over a three-year period. 

The Privacy Commissioner, Carly Kind, ruled that Bunnings' actions interfered with the privacy of potentially hundreds of thousands of customers. 

Ange Lavoipierre also discusses the broader implications of such surveillance technologies and the potential for misuse of biometric data.

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Ange Lavoipierre, ABC national technology reporter

Key Topics:

• Facial recognition technology
• Privacy breach 
• Retail surveillance
• Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind
• Biometric data misuse
• Retail security 
• Consumer privacy rights
• Surveillance technology

You may have heard of home births, but free birthing, where there are no medical professionals present is a small, but increasing practice in Australia. 

So, why are some women turning away from traditional hospital births and medical intervention? 

Today, investigative reporter Charlotte King on the movement putting lives at risk.

She says free birthing is chosen by some women due to a deep distrust in the medical system and past experiences of birth trauma. 

Charlotte King says the lack of regulation and medical oversight in free birthing can lead to dangerous outcomes, as seen in several cases she investigated. 

She discusses the influence of online communities advocating for free birth and the role of unqualified birth workers in these scenarios. 

The episode underscores the urgent need for better support and informed choices for women in the birthing process.

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Charlotte King, ABC Regional Investigations reporter

Key Topics:

• Free birthing
• Birth trauma
• Medical intervention in childbirth
• Women's rights in childbirth
• Maternity care services

Thousands of us travel through South East Asia every year and it can, at times, be risky. 

But the story out of Laos this week is devastating. Nineteen year old Melbourne woman Bianca Jones has died and her friend Holly Bowles is in intensive care after what appears to be methanol poisoning from drinks. 

Three other travellers have died and at least 10 people have fallen ill after drinking the alcohol.

Today, what we know about the mass poisoning, how methanol ends up in drinks and the damage it causes to the body. 

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Lauren Day, ABC South East Asia correspondent

On the one thousandth day of Russia’s war in Ukraine this week there was a major shift on the battleground. 

Russia declared that Ukraine, with the backing of US President Joe Biden, had fired US-supplied missiles into its territory for the first time. 

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has also unveiled new rules for his use of nuclear weapons. 

Today, former Ukraine ceasefire observer Samir Puri on what it means for the war. 

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Dr Samir Puri, former ceasefire observer in Ukraine, Associate Fellow at Chatham House and author of Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing

The former broadcaster Alan Jones is heading to court next month to defend charges including aggravated indecent assault, involving nine alleged victims.

But why are the charges for alleged offences between 2001 and 2019, only being laid now?

Today, former Media Watch host Jonathan Holmes on the power Alan Jones once wielded and how it wilted away. 

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Jonathan Holmes, Media Watch presenter 2008 to 2013

Almost every day since his election, Donald Trump has been unveiling new members of his team. 

The picks say a lot. He’s chosen a vaccine sceptic as Health Secretary, a TV host to take charge of defence and an accused drug and sex offender as Attorney General.   

Today, National Political Reporter for The Hill, Julia Manchester on what it all says about how Trump will govern. 

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Julia Manchester, National Political Reporter for The Hill

About 15 years ago, the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was spruiking a ‘Big Australia’, where our population would hit 35 million by 2050. 

But the idea went away, without a big plan to deal with the pressures that come with that level of growth being prepared or acted on. 

Now, we’re still heading for that kind of population growth without much consideration for what it means for the environment and how we could provide the services and housing for all those people. 

Today, business and economics reporter Gareth Hutchens on how big Australia can really get.

He explains that Australia’s population is now over 27 million, largely due to immigration rather than natural increase. 

He highlights that the national fertility rate has fallen to a record low, making immigration crucial for economic growth and maintaining the workforce. 

Gareth Hutchens also discusses the need for a comprehensive population plan that includes projections for climate change, biodiversity, and infrastructure. 

He says that without such a plan, Australia risks facing multiple crises, including housing and water shortages. 

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Gareth Hutchens, business and economics reporter

Key Topics:

• Big Australia
• Population growth
• Immigration in Australia
• National fertility rate
• Economic impact of population growth
• Climate change and population
• Housing crisis
• Water shortages

Donald Trump has promised to end foreign wars, but on whose terms and how is unclear.

When it comes to the Middle East, we can learn a lot from Trump’s approach to Israel during his first term as president. 

Today, Hussein Ibish from the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington DC on what the president-elect’s return means for the prospects of peace and Israel’s ambitions.  

He discusses the potential annexation of the West Bank and highlights the significant support Trump has shown for Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. 

Hussein Ibish also explores the views of key figures like David Friedman and Mike Huckabee in shaping US-Israel relations.

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Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute

Key Topics:

• Donald Trump foreign policy
• Israel annexation West Bank
• Greater Israel
• US-Israel relations
• Middle East peace prospects
• Mike Huckabee ambassador
• Palestinian statehood