The World Today

A meeting to sort out differences between fueding One Nation Senators Pauline Hanson and Rod Culleton has been put off again amid allegations of intimidation and bullying from within Senator Culleton's office. Relations between Ms Hanson and her Senate colleague Mr Culleton are going from bad to worse. Allegations of bullying have this morning emerged from within Senator Culleton's office, heaping more dry tinder on a relationship that's threatening to explode.

The Victorian Government has begun transferring about 40 youths to an adult jail after a major riot at a youth detention centre. Not all being transferred were involved in the riot, but Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos says each has previously misbehaved in detention. Senior ministers are contradicting each other about the costs of ongoing damage to youth detention sites.

The Queensland Government has announced the closure of a new child safety office north of Brisbane after the death of toddler Mason Jet Lee earlier this year. Twelve staff have been referred to the ethical standards committee and three stood down after a report into the toddler's death revealed serious flaws at the Caboolture centre. Details of the report are still confidential but the Opposition in Queensland says it points to a child protection system in crisis.

The Federal Government has appointed a new e-safety commissioner who'll focus not only on the safety of children online, but also the harassment of adult women. Julie Inman Grant says a drink driving style campaign to warn teenagers of the dangers of revenge porn should also be considered. The Government will begin consultations next year on a proposed range of civil penalties to try to help victims of revenge porn get justice more quickly. The Opposition says that may have merit, but the Government should focus on introducing a specific Commonwealth offence to criminalise the act of sharing intimate photos without consent.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten says that comments from the Government regarding Lebanese Australians contradict briefings he's received from security agencies. The Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has said that a majority of people charged for terrorism-related offences in Australia are the descendants of Lebanese migrants. But the Opposition Leader Bill Shorten today told Parliament that none of the information he's received from security officials supports Mr Dutton's claims.

President elect Donald Trump has told reporters he'll 'keep an open mind' about whether to pull the United States out of a landmark multinational agreement on climate change. In an interview with The New York Times Mr Trump also said he no longer felt strongly about investigating his political rival Hilary Clinton. He also denied suggestions that his campaign had energised the so-called alt-right movement, distancing himself from their weekend conference in Washington where some attendees raised their arms in a Hitler-like salute.

New figures highlight the challenges facing Australians struggling to afford their rental payments while saving for a deposit. SGS Economics and Planning has slapped Sydney with the title of Australia's least affordable city for renters. Meanwhile in Melbourne rental affordability is declining at the fastest rate across the country. SGS is calling on the Government to reform tax policy to make renting more affordable and improve infrastructure out west, but a leading economist says the real problem is record low interest rates.

Health officials in New South Wales want to extended laws, to force unvaccinated school students to stay home during serious disease outbreaks. The proposal is being put to the Government for consideration, after a review of the state's Public Health Act. If accepted, it would see all unvaccinated school students banned from attending school for up to two weeks, if there was an outbreak of an illness like measles. For the changes to come into effect, a bill would need to be drafted, introduced and then passed by Parliament. But the education sector warns that enforcing the change would be difficult for schools and keeping senior students away from classes for two weeks would be disruptive to learning.

Australia's apprenticeship system is outdated and in need of reform, according to a new report commissioned by the NSW Business Chamber. The report's author says the current training model is too focused on traditional apprenticeships and not on the skills and training required in the modern economy.

The Regent Parrot is classified as a vulnerable species in Victoria where its adult population is thought to be as low as 500. But a recent survey in the Mallee has found more than three times that number. It's likely the increase is a response to favourable climatic conditions in the Murray Darling Basin, but it's also prompted a call for more research into endangered species.