PM

Lebanon's Prime Minister recently warned that his country was close to 'breaking point' due to the strain of hosting more than a million Syrian refugees. Six years after the war began, the majority of Syrian refugees in Lebanon have run out of money and in poverty. One of the biggest issues is the lack of free healthcare for the refugees, who now make up 25 per cent of the country's population. Middle East correspondent Sophie McNeill spoke with doctors from the UK and the US who've spent the last few days on a volunteer medical mission in the camps of Lebanon.

Scientists who have been trying to work out if they can restore kelp forests in Tasmanian waters have developed a method they say can be used around the world to decide if ecosystems can be restored. They find out if the ecosystem is declining because of human impacts, then assess if restoration will be successful. They have found that the kelp forests in Tasmania can't be restored with current technology, but further damage is being contained.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is taking the nation's largest dairy processor Murray Goulburn to court, over allegations it mislead its dairy farmer suppliers. The court action comes one year after the co-op dramatically and retrospectively cut prices to farmers.

The Australian Federal Police has publicly admitted that one of its officers obtained information from a journalist's phone records illegally. Commissioner Andrew Colvin says he has reported it to the Commonwealth Ombudsman and is making changes to ensure this sort of breach does not happen again.

The court action hasn't taken Murray Goulburn suppliers by surprise, but farmers contracted to its competitor Fonterra are upset. The ACCC has decided not to pursue a case against the New Zealand-owned dairy giant despite its own milk price reductions.

Australia and New Zealand have come out from the cold, after food ministers gave approval for hemp seeds to be consumed as a food source. The change should come into effect in around six months, and states and territories will need to amend their own food regulations. It means Australia and New Zealand will now fall in line with the standards adopt by the rest of the world.

Treasurer Scott Morrison is introducing concept of good and bad debt. He wants people to distinguish between good and bad debt depending on the purpose of the spending. Labor says it is hypocritical to try to change the definition of debt after the Coalition waged such an intense campaign.

The Australian scientist who narrowed down the location of the crash of missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 believes the search should resume. New research suggests the wreck lies in a region near 35 degrees' south latitude. That's just north of the zone where Australia spent $60 million on a failed effort to find MH370. CSIRO oceanographer Doctor David Griffin believes the decision to suspend the hunt was 'a political one'. And he says it came just when scientists were providing the governments of Australia, China, and Malaysia the compelling new evidence they said was needed to continue the search. Dr Griffin has just re-done experiments that confirm again the likely crash site.

The woman challenging long-standing Olympic Committee President John Coates has come out fighting for the leadership. Former Hockeyroo Danni Roche is confident momentum for change is growing ahead of next month's AOC elections. It comes as John Coates apologises for his use of the term 'sheltered' workshop in a leaked email.

The Federal Government's plans to tackle Australia's gas crisis have been met with mixed reactions today. It's hoping its restrictions on gas exports will lower prices and secure reserves for the domestic market. And it's again lashed out at the various gas exploration bans and moratoria introduced by states and territories. It says they must be lifted to boost the country's gas supply.