The World Today

Just eight men own the same amount of wealth as the poorest half of the world's population, according to a new report by Oxfam, lending weight to the impression that the rich are indeed getting richer while the poor get poorer. The organisation is calling for leaders attending this week's World Economic Forum in Switzerland to do more to end the disparity.

The Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has returned to work and began his political new year by calling for the reestablishment of a committee to look into a federal anti corruption watchdog. The call comes in the wake of the Sussan Ley expenses scandal, and will put pressure on the government to make promised changes to the entitlement system strong.

One man has died and 20 people are in hospital, after a toxic batch of MDMA or ecstasy was sold in Melbourne at the weekend. The Australian Drug Foundation says it highlights the need to test pills - but the Victorian Government has already ruled out the idea.

Usually the dealings between America's political leadership and the nation's intelligence agencies are not the stuff of headlines. But an investigation has just been launched into FBI director James Comey's investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server, while questions continue to be asked about that dossier and the unverified claims made against President-elect Trump. Glenn Carle is a CIA veteran staffer who retired as the Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Transnational Threats.

The Minister in charge of the National Disability Insurance Scheme says he is going to lobby the Senate crossbench to redirect funds intended for the education sector to the NDIS. Universities say that the cut to funding would be a 'body blow' to the sector, but Christian Porter has told The World Today he won't make excuses for trying to fund services for the most needy. The Minister has also defended politicians who use taxpayers' money to go to sporting events, saying that sometimes politicians are invited to events they don't want to attend, but that it's part of their job to be there.

As controversy continues to plague the lead-up to Donald Trump's presidency, the US Senate is continuing its scrutiny of his Cabinet picks. A short time ago, the Defence Secretary designate, former Marine General James Mattis, faced his grilling before Senators. Dubbed 'Mad Dog Mattis', the General served his nation in a 41-year military career leading combat troops on missions into Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. The former high-ranking officer is also remembered for comments he made in 2005 when he famously said 'it's fun to shoot some people'.

The largest deployment of US troops in Europe since the end of the Cold War is underway and Russia isn't happy about it. It says the arrival of more than 3,000 troops in Poland is a threat to its security. The NATO build-up is an attempt to reassure America's allies in Eastern Europe and allay their worries about a more aggressive Russia.

In Victoria, some young detainees could be transferred to an adult prison after yet another riot in a youth detention centre. Police say the youths armed themselves with furniture and locked themselves in a yard before things were brought under control yesterday evening. The Victorian Government is blaming it earlier riots, saying the ongoing unrest has been having a 'ripple effect'.

The man nominated to be Donald Trump's Secretary of State has backed claims that Russia was behind the US election hacks. Rex Tillerson has faced a Senate hearing in Washington where he was grilled on foreign policy issues before a vote to confirm or reject his nomination. Senators on both sides are nervous about his appointment, given his background and close relations with Russia.

US president-elect Donald Trump has labelled the reports of the compromising material about him gathered by Russian intelligence agencies 'fake news', but that hardly puts the matter to rest. Eerick Kross is an MP in the national parliament of Estonia, a former head of Estonian intelligence. He says he has no doubt that the Russian intelligence services have been collecting information on Donald Trump.