The World Today

Chronic kidney disease is a problem that disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders at 10 times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians, but the experts still don't exactly know why that is. Those at the coalface are calling for further community-based treatment.

Queensland schools are making use of an unusual approach to education about substance abuse. High school students are taking part in a virtual reality trial exploring their attitudes to drinking and drugs. Twenty independent schools across the state are included in the trial that kicked off at a school in Cairns this week, and saw its year 10 students virtually attending a Friday night party.

We begin with the terribly sad news that our beloved ABC colleague, Mark Colvin, has died today. A fearless journalist who started with the ABC in 1974, Mark filed reports for radio and television on many of the history making moments of the last half century, from the Iranian revolution to the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, the genocide in Rwanda to the sacking of the Whitlam government back here in Australia. The long-time host of the radio current affairs program PM was also one of the founders and first presenter of this program, The World today. He had been in hospital in Sydney for several weeks battling a range of illnesses. He died peacefully surrounded by his family.

Democrat Senators are calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Russia's ties to the Trump campaign. Democrat Senators say they won't support the appointment of a new director unless the President agrees to an independent inquiry. The US Media are speculating that Donald Trump could move to appoint a political ally to the job.

The Federal Opposition says it won't be rushed into making a decision on whether to support the Government's plan to increase the Medicare levy to pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. But Labor says, in the first instance, the Government should continue the 2 per cent levy on high income earners that will expire at the end of June. The Treasurer, Scott Morrison has responded by accusing the Opposition, Bill Shorten, of playing class war politics with the disabled.

The Government says the plan to randomly drug test some welfare recipients should be seen in the same way as the checks done on mine workers or truck drivers. The budget included a plan for drug testing 5,000 new welfare recipients - and those who fail would be placed on income management. The results of testing for drug residue in sewerage systems could be one of the factors determining where people are randomly selected from.

The budget cuts to the university sector have generated some confusion among the nation's vice chancellors. The chairman of the Group of 8 Universities, Peter Hoj, says that despite being briefed prior to the budget, he's been blind-sided by the details in the budget papers. Thomas Oriti spoke to the vice chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney, Professor Atilla Brungs.

The Moody's rating agency has warned that while the levy on the Big 5 is 'manageable' it will weaken bank profitability at a time of global economic uncertainty. Moody's estimates the levy will reduce bank pre-tax profits by 3.8 per cent. Moody's vice president Frank Mirenzi speaks with the ABC's Peter Ryan.

Australia's small business and start up sector says a levy on foreign workers could undermine their potential for growth. From next year, businesses employing foreign workers will have to pay an annual fee, which will help fund the skilling of local workers. The sector is complaining, despite the budget extending the $20,000 tax write off for small businesses for another year, at a cost of more than $800 million to the budget bottom line.

Legal experts say the Victorian Government's shake up of sex offender laws is contradictory and a form of civil rights creep. The Government's announced a major overhaul of the laws, saying it puts Victoria in line with other states. But lawyers are worried it may lead authorities to start cutting corners.