The World Today

Republicans and Democrats in the US Senate have put aside their differences to investigate the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. It comes as a similar House investigation descends into partisan squabbling.

In north Queensland, stunned residents are now finding out just what has survived the onslaught of Cyclone Debbie, which crossed the coast near Airlie Beach. Homes have been damaged, yachts have been swept up onto the rocks and resorts on the Whitsunday Islands are reporting significant damage. More than 60,000 people in Airlie Beach, Bowen, Proserpine, Mackay, and Sarina are without power. Roads have been blocked and there's no phone contact with some areas either. The defence force is being mobilised to help with a clean-up that could take months.

Queenslanders are waking up this morning to assess the damage that Cyclone Debbie cause across the state's northern coast. Farmers are reporting that their crops have been flattened, and the Whitsunday Mayor says parts of his patch look like a war zone.

Emergency authorities are urging people along the Whitsundays coast and inland to keep off the roads so that recovery teams can reach the affected towns. And they warn that the emergency is not over yet, with large parts of central and south-east Queensland now on a flood watch.

Australian cyclone specialist, Professor Jonathan Nott, has now headed out into the field to gather data on Cyclone Debbie. The Professor of Geoscience at James Cook University is also a Member of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards. And he says he's frustrated that despite the damage caused by natural disasters like this, Australian policy makers are not making decisions about where to build homes based on the available data about the risks.

Unions and employers are making their annual minimum wage cases to the Fair Work Commission amid an increasingly heated industrial relations debate. Employers are arguing for an effective real cut in the minimum wage on top of the recent decision to lower Sunday penalty rates, while unions say workers are doing it tough and are asking for triple last year's modest increase.

The South Australian Government has come under fire for not disclosing a deal which would have kept the Port Augusta coal fire power station open. A letter obtained by the State Opposition revealed Alinta Energy asked for $25 million in government support to keep operating until 2018. The Government says the amount the company was asking for was more than what has been made public and it wasn't a long-term solution.

Expert witnesses have told the child sexual abuse royal commission that it's extremely difficult for adults to spot when a child is being groomed by an abuser. And the child won't be the only target as abusers work to win over the trust of adults close to the child like parents and teachers.

An investigation into the plane crash that killed five people in Melbourne last month has found no evidence of faults with the aircraft prior to the accident. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has just released its preliminary report into the crash. The ATSB says damage to the aircraft has been so extensive that investigators have been unable to get a clear picture of what caused the accident.

Draft recommendations from the Productivity Commission to overhaul the often confusing default superannuation system has been slammed by industry superannuation funds. Industry Super Australia says the commission's plans are an untested 'thought bubble' which could end up undermining the best performing parts of the super system. ISA chief executive David Whiteley speaks with the ABC's Peter Ryan.