The World Today

UK Foreign Office Minister Alok Sharma says the British government will work with whoever wins the US presidential election. Mr Sharma spoke to The World Today in the wake of June's shock Brexit vote where an anti-globalisation sentiment and a push towards protectionism prompted a decision to leave the European Union. Mr Sharma is not prepared to tip a winner with election day in the US hours away.

The Federal Government says it won't accept any amendments made by the Senate to its proposal to tax backpackers and other working holiday makers 19 per cent from the first dollar they earn in Australia. Jacqui Lambie is confident she'll have enough support to change the rate to 10.5 per cent, Labor is planning a similar amendment, and the Greens are also open to changes. But the Nationals say they're committed to the Government's policy and the lower house will reject any changes made by the Senate.

It's been four years since changes designed to improve the family law system. An analysis of the reforms has found the processes to check for family violence risks need to be stronger.

One of the world's leading experts on artificial intelligence is in Australia this week to talk about how work is being affected by the rise of ever sophisticated robotics. Martin Ford who wrote Rise of the Robots predicts a new world order where many middle class, white collar jobs will be made redundant which will create some surprising winners and losers.

The Federal Government says it's treating seriously allegations dozens of people have been arrested in Ethiopia in retaliation for protests by their relatives in Australia, and has raised the matter with the Ethiopian Government. Human Rights Watch says at least 32 people have been detained in Ethiopia, after demonstrations by their relatives in Australia against a recent visit by alleged human rights abuser and Ethiopian regional leader, Abdi Mohamoud Omar. The Ethiopian Embassy in Canberra has denied the claims.

One of Australia's most senior Anglicans has complained that cuts to ABC religious programming go against the national broadcaster's charter. The Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne Philip Freier says the ABC has 'considerably reduced' religious coverage over the past two years. He argues religious coverage is important because more people attend church each Sunday than go to all the football codes combined.

Australia's role in the world's biggest search for alien life has officially begun. The $100 million initiative has been underway in the United States for nine months. Today the Parkes telescope in central west New South Wales is beginning its 10 year role in the program.

A new documentary about one of the world's best chef's and his campaign to reduce food waste will begin screening in Australia next week. Massimo Bottura's is an Italian restaurateur and the chef patron of Osteria Francescana, a three-Michelin-star restaurant based in Modena Italy. It's currently ranked number one in the world. But it's his involvement in the movement known as social gastronomy that's the focus of a new documentary called Theater of Life. It's estimated that one third of the food produced in the world each year is wasted.

Forty-eight hours before election day in the United States, the FBI has cleared Hillary Clinton of any wrongdoing in its latest review of her emails. The Democrat nominee holds a narrowing lead in opinion polls as the candidates make their final run to the finish line.

Westpac's profit has fallen 7 per cent, with the bank recording full-year statutory earnings of $7.45 billion. A key source of the fall in earnings was a 49 per cent increase in bad loans compared to the prior corresponding period. Without mentioning Brexit or the US presidential election directly, chief executive Brian Hartzer referred to global threats as the biggest risk to Westpac.