The World Today

Medibank Private is blaming a flow of disillusioned customers leaving private cover as a factor that helped crunch its bottom line. The insurer's half-year profit rose only 1.9 per cent to $232 million, as chief executive Craig Drummond acknowledged pain points in the business.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, is playing down reports that Queensland MP George Christensen is set to quit the Coalition Government. Mr Christensen has discussed his future with colleagues, but the ABC understands he has not directly indicated to the Prime Minister that he's planning to quit. Mr Joyce says he spoke to Mr Christensen last night and is confident that the backbencher is loyal to the Nationals.

The Tasmanian Government has given Australia's largest salmon producer, Tassal, permission to build a new farm at Okehampton Bay on Tasmania's east coast. The decision is dividing opinion in the local community, with some people welcoming the jobs that will be created; while others are worried about the impact that salmon farming will have on the environment. The decision comes only one week after the state's Environment Protection Authority ordered Tassal to de-stock one of its salmon farms at Macquarie Harbour on the west coast of Tasmania, due to environmental degradation of the area.

Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on the media, in an unprecedented press conference at the White House. The US President spoke for well over an hour, defending his government against claims of chaos and incompetence. And he's denounced journalists for making up news, and ignoring his government's achievements.

A lawyer who worked closely with a previous Republican administration has warned that President Donald Trump's international business interests could be unconstitutional. Richard Painter is a law professor at the University of Minnesota and the former chief White House ethics lawyer for the George W. Bush administration.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for two deadly bomb attacks in Iraq and Pakistan that have killed and wounded dozens of people. More than 70 people were killed by a suicide bomber attack inside a Sufi shrine in the city of Sehwan. In Iraq's capital, Baghdad, a car packed with explosives destroyed a marketplace in one of the city's Shiah districts. IS has stepped up its terror attacks as it continues to lose territory in Iraq and Syria.

2017 has seen a big jump in the number of reported cases of the mosquito-spread virus, Ross River Fever. The virus isn't fatal but it can be debilitating for those who contract it. In a normal year, Australia sees around 5,000 reported cases of Ross River. This year Queensland has already seen 155 new cases. In NSW, 436 cases have been reported, compared to around 102 for the same time last year. By far, the highest number of reported cases this year has been in Victoria, with 708 cases reported - a huge increase from the same period last year, when there were only 34.

A new study has found that smart phones can help doctors diagnose common lung problems in babies just as effectively as x-rays. Doctors from the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne compared the accuracy of mobile phone images with standard x-rays in babies suffering a suspected collapsed lung.

Many Federal Government services now must be accessed online, including Medicare and Centrelink. But recent problems with the ATO and the census have highlighted how the technology behind them often doesn’t work. Assistant Minister for Digital Transformation Angus Taylor is overseeing a massive update to the Federal Government's information technology portals. He says the MyGov site has already undergone significant changes which make it much easier for people to use and that further changes will be implemented. He acknowledges 'hiccups' have hit some areas, including Centrelink, but won't be drawn on the systemic issues that saw thousands of debt recovery letters incorrectly sent to recipients.

Despite a strong employment figures, the Northern Territory economy is in the midst of a slowdown. The NT Chamber of Commerce says the slowing began last year, and conditions are especially tough for the retail sector. At the same time, Darwin's Inpex Ichthys gas project has been shedding workers, as the end of its construction phase approaches.