The World Today

There's dismay in Victorian irrigation communities at the failure of New South Wales authorities to charge irrigators suspected of stealing water from the Murray-Darling. They say the system of water monitoring in their state has successfully prevented abuse there.

Consumer prices rose just 0.2 per cent in the June quarter, pushing the annual rate of inflation down to 1.9 per cent, below the Reserve Bank's target. The result was below the March quarter's 0.5 per cent consumer price increase and the 2.1 per cent annual inflation rate recorded then.

In Wisconsin USA, 50 company employees have volunteered to have a small chip the size of a grain of rice implanted in their hands to get access to the office, log into their computers and buy snacks; India says no to driverless cars because they take away jobs; Google's parent company, Alphabet, is warning it could face more fines from the European Union; and Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg clash.

The US congress has moved a step closer to imposing new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea. Russia is being targeted for meddling in last year's US election. North Korea and Iran are being sanctioned over their ballistic missile tests. But President Donald Trump is still keeping everyone guessing over whether he will support the sanctions.

Indonesia's anti-drugs chief says the extrajudicial killings of drug offenders in the Philippines has led to more substances being trafficked to Indonesia. Commissioner General Budi Waseso has raised the idea of a prison island for drug offenders with the Indonesian president. President Widodo is ordering police to shoot drug offenders who resist arrest.

Bondi Beach, in Sydney's east, is known for its relaxed lifestyle, so locals find it pretty surprising that the multi-national fashion and beauty company Abercrombie and Fitch has trademarked the name 'Bondi Beach'. The whole mess came to a head when Australian-based cosmetics company Bondi Wash tried to trademark its products in the USA, and couldn't. Bondi Beach locals say the suburb is known for its natural beauty, and that's the way it should stay.

You've heard of 3D printing, but did you know that you can print human brain cells? Australian scientists have used a 3D printer to create nerve cells found in the brain out of a new substance they're calling bio ink. Researchers say they hope their breakthrough will help in the future treatment of conditions such as Parkinson's, schizophrenia and epilepsy.

Tributes from fellow musicians, politicians, and worldwide fans of the late Dr G Yunupingu are flooding social media. The celebrated artist is being remembered today as not only one of Australia's most prominent musicians, but the highest selling Indigenous artist in history.

There has been a furious reaction to allegations aired by the ABC overnight, about water theft and wrong doings associated with one of Australia's largest and most important river systems. The majority of anger is directed towards NSW, and the Government says it will investigate allegations that the state's top water bureaucrat offered to provide lobbyists with confidential Government documents. Meanwhile, South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon says the NSW ICAC should investigate.

The South Australian government is furious about the revelations and is calling for a judicial inquiry into the New South Wales Government's handling of Murray River water. Federal Labor, the Greens and environmentalists say allegations of meter tampering and water theft in the Barwon-Darling do seriously undermine the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and are calling for a range of inquiries. The Federal Government agrees this needs to investigated but has stopped short of backing an inquiry.