An inquiry into fake Aboriginal art is currently underway in the Northern territory to investigate fake art flooding the national market and taking advantage of Indigenous artists.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion set up the federal parliamentary committee and has received over 140 submissions since August last year.

The ABC have announced 20 jobs could be axed in state and territory newsrooms under a plan to deliver more news on digital platforms.

A statement by the ABC says while broadcast audiences continue to ‘soften’, the smartphone audience has jumped by almost 30 per cent in the previous two years.

Staff were informed on Monday of the changes and the ABC says it would consult with media unions.

Queensland has the fastest job growth in the nation, according to the new State of the States report.

CommSec Chief economist Craig James says the future in Queensland is looking good because of population growth, despite Queensland being placed in sixth for economic performance in the report.

Treasurer Jackie Trad says people are moving to Queensland because they “see a secure future for themselves and their families.”

A snow storm in the Swiss Alps has killed 6 people and left 5 others in critical condition, triggering a relief operation.  

The bad weather in the Pigne d’Arolla region caught skiers by surprise and is the latest in the recent series of fatal accidents affecting skiers in Switzerland.  

The victims were Italian, French and German nationals and police are working towards formally identifying the victims and notifying their families.

26 people including ten journalists have died in terrorist attacks in Kabul, making it the deadliest day for the Afghan media since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001.

Nine reporters and a photographer were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul and another Afghan reporter for BBC language was shot dead in the Eastern city of Khost.

The bomber is believed to have specifically targeted the press as one of the bombers presented police with a press pass before joining the group covering a previous blast.

The percentage of properties affordable for rent to people on minimum wage has decreased to under 30 per cent according to Anglicare’s Rental Affordability Snapshot.

The charity assessed nearly 70,000 properties to look at rental affordability across Australia.

The report also found that only 6 per cent of private rental properties were affordable for people on Government income support.

Melbourne is at risk of a reduced water supply due to decades of bushfires and logging in the highlands of central Victoria, which contain the majority of Melbourne’s water catchments.  

The number of hollow-bearing trees in the area has been cut by more than half since 1997, which causes the land to draw more water than in an established forest.

Professor David Lindenmayer said immediate action must be taken to prevent the collapse of the ecosystem.

Ipswich signed a short-term contract with a recycling operator Tuesday following failed negotiations in April which caused the city council to announce it would send all recycling to the landfill.

The negotiations broke down in April because non-recyclable materials placed in yellow-top bins reached 52 per cent.

The new contractor will reject loads of recycled materials if Ipswich does not get the contamination rate below 25 per cent.

The Queensland government has committed to a $550 million scheme to support survivors of sexual abuse in government-run institutions.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said five thousand Queenslanders are expected to be eligible for the scheme.

Despite the royal commission recommending a cap payment of two hundred thousand dollars, the Queensland government will give compensation payments of up to $150,000 and will be assessed on a case by case basis.