The Federal Government says no state will be worse off under its new distribution formula for the GST and is assuring voters that it won't need to raise taxes. Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says the Government could have implemented the changes at least 12 months ago.

The financial services Royal Commission has heard that incentives including a Las Vegas trip, motor scooters and ocean cruises were responsible for a spike in unethical funeral insurance sales to Indigenous communities.

Three more Australian experts will fly to northern Thailand to assist in the rescue of a soccer team. The 12 boys and their coach have now been trapped in the flooded cave system for almost a fortnight.

On Thursday's The World Today: Viva Las Vegas - the banking Royal Commission hears evidence that holidays in Las Vegas prompted hard-sell tactics to be used on indigenous customers; Two people in the UK are critically ill after being poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok; And a warning - the Great Barrier Reef is facing an even more more bleak future than anticipated.

The AFL is running a new program to introduce Aussie Rules to multicultural communities.

The head of an insurance company which targets Indigenous communities has conceded he has no formal qualifications in the sector.

The National Party whip, Michelle Landry, has raised concerns about the Turnbull Government's energy policy, saying many people don't even know what the Paris Climate Agreement is.

The Super Saturday of by-elections isn't until the end of the month, but the leaders have been campaigning in earnest — but getting voters engaged is proving tricky, as Bill Shorten found out today in north-west Tasmania.

The 12 children and their football coach stuck deep inside a cave in Thailand now have food and medical attention, but there's a long road ahead.

It's been a spectacular fall from power for former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.