The World Today

The United Nations is supporting calls for an independent inquiry into possible war crimes, following a deadly weekend bombing of a funeral in Yemen's capital. It's also calling for peace from both sides of the conflict, as tensions rise. However, an expert in international security says the fallout from this latest incident could prove 'catastrophic'. She also warns that international powers need to consider what role they're willing to play in the conflict, which has been devastating for civilians.

A 22-year-old has been remanded in custody in Germany after he was arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. Police say explosives found at the apartment of the Syrian refugee are likely to be the same type as those used in terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. The man was arrested after fellow Syrians in whose apartment he was sheltering turned him in.

The Prime Minister's closest advisor has warned that Australia could be left behind unless business embraces innovation. Martin Parkinson, the head of the Prime Minister's department, says Australian managers are failing to pursue opportunities and are sub-par compared to the rest of the world. Dr Parkinson also signalled changes to current bankruptcy laws might be necessary to help innovative new businesses by giving them scope to fail.

New research by the Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research has found that cardiovascular disease and associated diseases are the number one killer of Australian women. It says not enough women are aware of the risks and is recommending a national awareness campaign and more research on cardiovascular disease in women.

Australian and American researchers have found a brain scan can determine which depression medication will work best for each person. It's a significant finding for the millions of people who suffer from the mental illness. It could mean that the usual two to three years it takes to currently find a depression medication that works for each person, could instead be determined in a matter of weeks.

Shortly before the highly anticipated second US presidential debate, Republican candidate Donald Trump has appeared at a news conference with four women supporters, three of whom allege that they were sexually assaulted by Bill Clinton. The dramatic appearance came after 48 tumultuous hours in the campaign, following the emergence of a video from 2005 in which Donald Trump is heard bragging about groping women.

The Prime Minister and other senior ministers have welcomed Gina Rinehart's decision to lead a majority Australian bid for the country's largest private agricultural holding, S. Kidman and Co. The $365 million bid will still have to be approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board, as 33 per cent of the bidding company would be owned by a Chinese real estate company, Shanghai CRED.

The Prime Minister met with volunteer firefighters this morning, pressuring Labor into supporting a bill that he says would protect volunteers from undue union influence. One Nation has indicated it will support the bill, all but ensuring it will pass the Senate after it is introduced today. But Labor is expected to continue opposing it, accusing the Government of mounting a 'base' political campaign to divide paid and volunteer firefighters.

The Treasurer, Scott Morrison, has signalled that the Reserve Bank's capacity to cut interest rates any further might be at an end. While not questioning the RBA's independence, Mr Morrison believes that the effectiveness of central bank rate cuts has been exhausted. At the same time, the ratings agency Standard and Poor's has suggested that the Government needs to push ahead with budget savings to preserve Australia's prized AAA credit rating.

A NSW coronial inquest into the death of cricketer Phillip Hughes has begun in Sydney. The inquest has heard that his death was inevitable as soon as he was struck base of his skull by a cricket ball during a Sheffield Shield match in November 2014. The inquest's stated purpose is to determine whether the way the match was played, or the response of emergency services, played any part in Hughes' death.