PM

The third set of laws designed to crack down on the training industry came before the Senate this week. They're yet to pass but it's now likely they'll include the creation of a training ombudsman who will have to deal with the classes of students signed up to large training loans. But as one student told the ABC the debts incurred under the troubled VET-FEE HELP loan scheme will linger for some time to come.

Following a landmark Federal Court ruling, ASIC has put traders exploiting customers in Aboriginal communities through dodgy 'book up' practices, on notice. The Court found a store owner in South Australia's remote north, guilty of unconscionable conduct, after he withdrew just under a million dollars from dozens of customers over two years, via the informal line of credit arrangement. Community groups say the outcome has been a long time coming and now want law reform to ensure vulnerable people are no longer taken advantage of.

A deeply divided America: that's the message coming out of what's been a bitter presidential race, where Hilary Clinton appears to have attracted a large number of votes in the country's urban areas, while Donald Trump made inroads into the rural, whiter parts of the country.

The Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says there are few elections likely to have more impact on Australia's economic and strategic interests. She says Australia is ready to work productively with Donald Trump if he becomes President, despite his opposition to free trade and America's international alliances.

A deeply divided America: that's the message coming out of what's been a bitter presidential race, where Hilary Clinton appears to have attracted a large number of votes in the country's urban areas, while Donald Trump made inroads into the rural, whiter parts of the country. PM speaks to Simon Jackman, the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Studies Centre.

Victims of child sexual abuse in Queensland will now be able to take part in class actions against the perpetrators, regardless of when the abuse occurred. The state's government has successfully passed laws which remove the statute of limitations for victims and even allows those who have previously received compensation to pursue litigation. But some victim groups and politicians are disappointed the new laws fail to cover victims of physical abuse.

Thirty four billion dollars was wiped of the Australian stock market today. Traders and investors joined in a huge wave of selling in anticipation of a Trump presidency. There was also a rush of money into what are known as safe-haven investments, like gold, as people right around the world sought to protect their savings.

The Trump era has officially begun. History has been made in the United States where Donald Trump has just claimed victory after one of the most extraordinary, and divisive, election campaigns in living memory. A short time ago he spoke to the faithful at his headquarters in New York, vowing to govern for all Americans and to heal the divisions.

There were banners, hot dogs and balloons in full force at an election party hosted by the US embassy in Canberra this afternoon. But despite the colourful scene, the mood was tense. The acting ambassador to Australia, James Caruso, pledged the strong alliance between the two countries will continue, no matter who becomes president. But that wasn't enough to reassure those who came to the event expecting a party atmosphere and a Clinton victory.

Much of the world has been transfixed by the contest that has pitted celebrity business tycoon Donald Trump against the candidate hoping to become America's first woman president, Hillary Clinton. The latest polls give Hillary Clinton a four point lead over her rival, and with a record number of people having already voted by post or at polling stations, the markets are favouring a Clinton victory. PM speaks to Dr Peter Brown, a former political journalist who is now assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.