PM

Where do you put your money when the banks pay almost zero, and home ownership proves elusive? Many Australians are turning to the sharemarket for the first time; And Collingwood star Jaidyn Stephenson cops the AFL's biggest ever penalty for breaking the league's gambling rules.

In the wake of international concerns over herbicides like RoundUp, dozens of former employees of a Tasmanian owned utility company -TasNetworks - are calling for compensation.

The Australian stock market is inching towards an all-time high, now roughly 50 points shy of the record reached back in October 2007. Investors have enjoyed impressive gains since January, and more Australians are looking to get in on the action.

In times of financial turbulence, investors head for safe havens like gold. So does that explain a current rush by mining companies to dig up more of the stuff in Australia?

US President Donald Trump has launched his campaign for re-election in two years from now with a pitch very much directed at the voter base that elected him on a promise to "drain the swamp" in Washington.

Three bets totalling just $36 are proving costly for young Collingwood star Jaidyn Stephenson, after the AFL hit him with its biggest ever penalty for breaking its gambling rules.

More than half of Sydney harbour is fortified by seawalls - cement walls that protect waterfront properties and infrastructure - but below the water, marine environments have been suffering, unable to thrive.

Evidence is emerging that thousands of businesses in New South Wales alone are now going to the wall; The NSW government is cutting two and a half thousand public servants; And former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is buried after dying in a courtroom.

Private debt collectors dealing directly with businesses struggling to pay their suppliers have told PM their work load has "spiked" in recent weeks.

Thousands of public sector jobs are being axed in NSW and SA as the states grapple with falling revenue streams.