The World Today

In the US city of New Orleans, the removal of a civil war era statue has divided the community. Some see the removal as a positive step away from slavery and injustice, while others say it is destroying the community's heritage.

Post-budget political manoeuvring has begun with the return of Parliament today. The Government's looking to exploit reported divisions in Labor over who should be paying an increase in the Medicare levy to help pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It's also ruling out extending the planned bank levy to foreign banks operating in Australia.

The Immigration Department now says many shots were fired into the Manus Island centre on Good Friday, and nine people were injured. The Department initially said only one weapon was used, and it was fired into the air, resulting in no injuries. The evidence was given to a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra, which also heard that over 1,440 people on Manus Island and Nauru have applied to be resettled as part of an agreement with the United States of America.

The mining businessman Andrew Forrest will give away another $400 million of his personal wealth. It's the largest known single donation from a living person in Australian philanthropic history. Programs to address Indigenous disadvantage, a campaign to end modern day slavery, and a global collaboration on cancer research are among the beneficiaries.

Arab and Muslim leaders have supported a push by US President Donald Trump to rid the world of violent extremism. President Trump has been in Saudi Arabia on his first foreign visit. In the capital Riyadh, he's helped open a new global centre to combat extremist ideology.

Predictions are ramping up for more blackouts in South Australia and possible power restrictions in Victoria without meaningful reform to the national energy market. The Grattan Institute says regulators have around six months to make broad national reforms and that mothballed generation might need to be brought back on line for reserve power. Energy program director Tony Wood says uncoordinated and rushed 'kneejerk' reactions by politicians could make the situation worse. Tony Wood speaks with the ABC's Peter Ryan.

A global investment house has warned that China is set to experience a financial crisis within ten years as government and private debt rise to unsustainable levels. The warning comes from Anatole Kaletsky, chief economist at Hong Kong based Gavekal Dragonomics, says the build up of debt, especially among households, is a real danger for the stability of Chinese banks.

The independent panel advising the Government on threats to the Great Barrier Reef says it will recommend that the Government make radical changes to its Reef Plan in response to the unprecedented coral bleaching events of the last two summers. The Federal and Queensland Governments' Reef 2050 Plan was drawn up to address a warning from the United Nations that the reef's world heritage status was 'in danger'. That plan focused on sediment damage and farming practices but the panel is now calling for the plan to focus on climate change and for the Australian government to push for an international agreement that limits global warming to 1.5 degrees.

The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine is urging the State Government to introduce an illegal drug early warning system to help save lives. The institute says it could provide alerts on dangerous drugs within an hour of testing them and build a database to keep track of substances on the illegal market.

Tough economic times are affecting Papua New Guinea's normally colourful election campaign. Voters can usually expect a period of uncharacteristic generosity from their incumbent politicians and intending candidates. But candidates and supporters say the expected festivities have been surprisingly subdued, because no-one has much money.