PM

The editor of the Young Witness newspaper was in court for the first appearance of the man arrested in today's terror raids at Young, west of Canberra. Craig Thomson said the community has a sense of disbelief at the raids, and the accused was quiet for the short hearing.

The Prime Minister has told Coalition MPs they have a duty to stick together and be united, but one outspoken backbencher has just given himself more freedom to criticise the Government. The MP for Dawson, George Christensen, has quit as National Party whip, acknowledging he's too outspoken to continue in the disciplinary role. The Queensland MP says it's his intention to stay in the Coalition, but his announcement puts the Government firmly on notice.

Just six weeks after his resignation as NSW Premier, Mike Baird has revealed his next move - a senior role at NAB. The appointment has put him at the centre of questions about the revolving door between politics and business.

The official figures won't be released until tomorrow, but it looks like Australia will narrowly avoid a 'technical recession'. Australia hasn't experienced a recession since 1991. The national economy may have been saved by a dramatic turnaround in Australia's trade position, led by Chinese demand for iron ore and coal. But a huge question remains: can all of this last?

A parliamentary committee has recommended the government make several changes to the way the Racial Discrimination Act is administered. The committee report says the Human Rights Commission should have greater powers to terminate complaints earlier in the process, and should restrict access to the courts after a complaint has been dismissed. But the committee has not reached a consensus on whether there should be changes to Part 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

The Federal Opposition is promising to keep the pressure on the Prime Minister over last week's decision by the Fair Work Commission to reduce penalty rates for some retail and hospitality staff. Labor used all of its questions in parliament to press the Government on the issue. But the Prime Minister accused Mr Shorten of hypocrisy, for failing to respect the ruling of an independent umpire.

There's evidence that the Australian economy is indeed picking up, but ordinary workers are getting a very raw deal indeed. The latest official figures show company profits in the three months to December rose the most amount since 2001. At the same time, workers wages, on average, actually went backwards.

The West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has promised the Aboriginal rock art carvings on the Burrup Peninsula would be nominated for World Heritage listing if he's re-elected. He says it will boost tourism and see the area better protected.

The Vice-President of the Philippines, Leni Robredo, has described the arrest of a senator as 'part of a persistent campaign of political harassment'. Senator Leila de Lima has been one of the most persistent critics of the way President Rodrigo Duterte has encouraged a wave of killings of alleged drug dealers. Now she's in jail on what supporters say are trumped-up corruption charges. The writer James Fenton has just published a piece in the New York Review of Books saying that President Duterte may be manoeuvring to bring in martial law.

La La Land took out the best picture award at the Oscars today. Until it didn't. And blue ribbons on the red carpet symbolised a political statement against the President, Donald Trump, along with more overt statements in acceptance speeches.