The World Today

After several years of record low interest rates, Australian home buyers are facing unwelcome news in the lead-up to Christmas. Banks have been quietly raising rates for investor loans in recent days, as well as a range of fixed-term rates, and are now eyeing whether to put up variable rates across all home loans. Martin North, who runs Digital Finance Analytics, said overseas interest rate movements means rates are going up. Late this morning, the ANZ Bank raised rates on some investor loans while leaving standard variable mortgages untouched.

The National Children's Commissioner is questioning Victoria's decision to temporarily place youth detainees in an adult prison. The Victorian Government made the move after a riot left part of a youth detention centre unusable. The Commissioner is questioning whether the Government considered other options.

A group of former employees from a high-end lingerie brand have burned their bras in protest against working conditions at the company. The women say Honey Birdette has a sexist dress code which encourages customers to sexually harass its staff. The Victorian Young Workers Centre says it's deeply concerned about a number of Honey Birdette's policies.

The United Nations believes as many as 75,000 people could die in north eastern Nigeria in the next 12 months, unless there's a renewed aid contribution from the international community. There are predictions of a major famine, mainly because of the insecurity brought about by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. Already, close to five million people need food assistance.

As US President-elect Donald Trump continues to reveal plans for his new Cabinet, analysts are busy exploring the new political landscape. Jane McAlevey is a post-doctoral fellow in the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School, best known for her decades of experience as an organiser in the labour and environmental movements in the country.

Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby is a city where 90 per cent of women on public transport have reported being harassed, robbed or assaulted. But the safe transport option created in response to that problem, a women's-only bus service, is getting run down. Now the agencies which run the 'safe women' buses are appealing to people on the internet to help buy them a new bus, so they can keep the service going.

A Victorian Law Reform Commission report says victims should no longer be pushed to the side but regularly informed and consulted. Victims advocacy groups support the move, yet legal associations are concerned the recommendations could threaten key aspects of the justice system.

John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit the earth, has died at the age of 95. He was the last surviving member of the original seven 'Right Stuff' Mercury astronauts, which helped put the US on an equal space footing with the Soviets.

NSW Premier Mike Baird says he can't see how an emissions intensity scheme would work without leadership from the Federal Government, which this week ruled out supporting such a plan. South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill is proposing states go it alone in the absence of 'national leadership' on the issue.

A reporting into the bushfires that burnt 20,000 hectares of the Tasmania World Heritage Area in early 2016 has found the state and federal governments should investigate the establishment of a national remote area fire fighting team. Coalition committee members dissented, saying informal and formal relationships already exist between the state and federal governments and that the Army is also brought in when needed. Other issues raised in the report include the funding of research into how climate change will influence fires in the world heritage area.