PM

There are concerns that a campaign to scrap state-based renewable energy targets will seriously hinder investment opportunities in South Australia. Liberal opposition parties in three states have proposed dumping the target and leaving it to the federal government to set renewable energy goals. But lobby groups say it would drive away business and the potential for jobs growth in the future.

Many areas of Australia's south and east are sweltering in temperatures over 40 degrees. After power outages in South Australia, problems are developing in New South Wales with the power being cut to state's biggest electricity consumer, the Tomago aluminium smelter, to protect supply to the rest of the state.

The boss of that smelter plant forced into shutdown mode, after energy company AGL cut off power supplies this afternoon, is furious. Matt Howell is the chief executive of the Tomago plant near Newcastle. He says workers are at risk, and so is the smelter's expensive plant and equipment.

The Australian Energy Market Operator has denied being asleep at the wheel, following this week's blackouts in South Australia. AEMO fronted a Senate Committee this afternoon to answer questions over the 'load shedding' on Wednesday which left 90,000 homes and businesses without power. It also revealed three thermal generators were offline at the time, increasing the vulnerability of the state's electricity supply.

While the heat wave swept across the country's south-east today, Australia's political leaders continued to debate the future of coal fired electricity. The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the South Australian Government lazy and complacent over Wednesday night's blackout. Labor blames failures by Australia's energy regulator. It was left to the Greens to argue a reliance on coal fired power will lead to more heatwaves in the future.

As Eastern Australia swelters, two people have been rescued from rising floodwaters in Western Australia. The pair was stuck in a car east of the great southern town of Wagin, while north of Perth residents in the wheat-belt town of Northam have been told to evacuate.

A US federal appeals court has upheld the suspension of President Donald Trump's travel ban, capping off an embarrassing day for Donald Trump which included more leaks and a major diplomatic back-down with China.

For some analysis on the court ruling in the United States that has upheld a suspension of Donald Trump's travel ban, and how it might play out politically, PM speaks to Dr David Smith, the academic director at the US Studies Centre at Sydney University.

It's not only children who are forced to ask permission to own a pet. Millions of Australians who rent their home instead of owning it also find themselves pleading and making promises to a higher power before they get a dog or a cat. In New South Wales, there's a growing push to change the rules so that landlords are prohibited from adding a 'no pets' clause to a lease.

In December 2015, the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull launched a new strategy to tackle the drug ice, pledging $300 million for frontline services. But that was more than a year ago, and since then, one of the Northern Territory's few rehabilitation centres says it's yet to receive a cent. The ABC was granted access never given before to spend 24 hours inside the centre meeting the ice addicts who are struggling to beat their demons.