PM

The death of four people at the Dreamworld Amusement Park on the Gold Coast yesterday has exposed a lengthy history of safety questions there. The ABC has obtained documents which show that safety inspectors have identified problems with various rides over several years. The Australian Workers Union says it represents a problematic culture at the Gold Coast theme park.

Australia's domestic counterintelligence agency ASIO has admitted it was deeply penetrated by the Soviet KGB during the 1970s and '80s. The story is told in the official history of ASIO from 1975 - when Malcolm Fraser became Prime Minister - to 1989 and the end of the Cold War. It's called The Secret Cold War, by John Blaxland and Rhys Crawley. Co-author John Blaxland speaks to PM.

Australia's peak farmers' group warns the number of foreign workers picking fruit this season could plummet by as much as 90 per cent. The National Farmers' Federation says uncertainty over the Federal Government's so-called backpacker tax is 'killing' the sector. The Government last month slashed the planned rate from 32.5 per cent to 19 per cent, but it also announced a hike in departure tax for all international travellers to prevent a revenue shortfall. The tourism sector is livid, telling a Senate inquiry it was not consulted before last month's announcement.

In Victoria, the number of Indigenous children taken away from their parents has increased by 60 per cent in just two years. The state's Commissioner for Aboriginal Children says child protection workers are biased against placing Aboriginal children with members of their extended family, and has described the situation as a 'crisis'.

Consumer advocates say some electricity retailers are 'capitalising on confusion' in the solar marketplace as some schemes with generous rebates end in three states. Several government schemes designed to encourage the uptake of rooftop solar are drawing to a close in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.

The Treasurer's delivered a speech about high house prices, saying they can 'seem unfair' to first home owners, while declining to detail what more the Government intends to do about the issue, beyond continuing to pressure the states over red tape surrounding building approvals. Labor's calling the speech a 'hoax', accusing the Government of only pretending to care about first-home buyers.

A new reports highlights just how dependent the Australian economy is on the housing market. According to Commsec's State of the States report, New South Wales remains on top of the economic performance rankings. At the bottom of the list are Western Australia and the Northern Territory, both of which are experiencing declining property markets. The big question is whether the economic growth currently being enjoyed by Australia's south eastern states is sustainable.

The Australian Council of Social Service is concerned about the direction the Federal Government is taking with its welfare policy. In a speech tonight the Human Services Minister Alan Tudge will outline plans to tighten the rules for job seekers and increase penalties for those who fail to follow them. But ACOSS says Australia already has one of the tightest welfare compliance systems in the world.

Hundreds of students across the nation are seeking special help in completing their year 12 exams, as anxiety and other mental health issues take a toll. Figures from South Australia and New South Wales show an increase in students needing rest breaks, extra time and other provisions to ensure they get through.

The noose is closing in on the so-called Islamic State in the major city of Mosul. Iraqi and Kurdish forces are getting closer in the north, east and south of Mosul. But to get there, the anti-Isis forces have to take a belt of mostly abandoned and heavily-mined villages. Last week, the town of Dabiq fell - a hugely symbolic place for IS. Historian and academic Robert Manne has written a book, The Mind Of Islamic State. He speaks to PM about the history of IS's split with Al Qaeda and its leadership, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.