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The Queensland Labor Government says it will not give Indian coal mining company - Adani - a royalty holiday. It comes amid reports there's a rift within cabinet over a plan for the proposed central Queensland mine's payments to the state. Meanwhile the Australian Conservation Foundation says Australians do not want to spend taxpayer money subsidising coal.

The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claims the missile that was fired yesterday from his country's west coast is now ready for 'action.' A statement from the reclusive regime says the test was to further hone the capability of a missile to carry a nuclear warhead. It was the second test-firing in a week and the latest show of defiance from an emboldened North Korea.

Cutting edge clinical trails are where potentially life-saving treatments for cancer are discovered. But their future in Victoria is increasingly under a cloud, with only a small percentage of patients putting up their hands to take part.

The Australian head of a private equity firm that's made a takeover bid for Fairfax Media won't guarantee he'll keep its mastheads open. The Fairfax board is considering the takeover offer from the US based company TPG Capital but another private firm is also in the hunt. Senators have grilled TPG's boss about what his interests are in acquiring Fairfax, and he admitted he could sell the business after five years.

Labor and the Greens are questioning whether the Australian Taxation Office's internal inquiry into its operations is sufficient. The probe was launched following revelations of a major tax fraud syndicate. Inspector General of Taxation Ali Noroozi has the power to conduct an independent investigation into the ATO, but he says it's too early to make a decision.

Key lawmakers have met for the first time to work out how a national redress scheme for victims of child sexual abuse might work. Those who attended say good progress has been made with the Federal Government hoping to draft legislation by August. But victims are worried there's still not enough detail to know how much it will help, and they're frustrated about an apparent reluctance to opt in to the scheme.

Victims of sexual and physical abuse in the Australian Defence Force have started coming forward in anticipation of making a compensation claim. In its budget, the federal government expanded the role of the Defence Force Ombudsman and committed almost $20 million for reparation payments to victims of serious abuse. But the defence department is yet to develop details on how the new scheme will work.

The Aquaculture Stewardship council has given Tassal three months to make changes to keep its accreditation. Certification from the council is a voluntary process that allows companies to market their product as sustainable. In a statement Tassal says its been working to address the problems since January.

Archaeologists say they've proven for the first time that Aboriginal Australians were living on the northern Australian coast 50,000 years ago. The breakthrough was made from testing of beads and pearl utensils unearthed at an island cave, 50 kilometres off WA's Pilbara coast. It adds to a growing body of research that shows Aboriginal people have been living in Australia far longer than once thought.

An Israeli principal wanted on 74 charges of child sexual abuse in Victoria has allegedly been spotted out and about at a religious festival, despite claims from her lawyers that she's been too ill to attend two years of extradition hearings. Prosecutors in Israel have told the ABC they are examining purported photos of Malka Leifer taken last week in a town in northern Israel.