澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-10-22（在线收听）

A report has found that the Federal Government's role in handing down the water cuts for the Murray-Darling Basin is not clearly defined and lacks accountability. It's the first progress report by the COAG Reform Council and it looks at the 2008 water deal done with the states and the Federal Government. The council found only five of 17 priority projects had made substantial progress by the end of last year.

One of Australia's leading ethical chicken brands is facing allegations of underpaying and intimidating its migrant workers. The producer of Lilydale chicken, Baiada, is under investigation about claims of unethical treatment of its mainly migrant workforce. Workers are complaining that they're being bullied into accepting below-award wages and are being forced to work excessive hours, but the company says that it pays award or above wages to all of its employees.

The chairman of BHP Billiton has used the company's annual general meeting to attack the Federal Government's proposed mining tax. At the London meeting, Jac Nasser warned that the Government the tax could tarnish the nation's international appeal. BHP has threatened to back away from a deal on the Mineral Resources Rent Tax because of concerns that the Commonwealth will not offset any future increases in royalties.

A Bulgarian court has begun hearing the appeal of a 23-year-old Australian man who was convicted of murder. Jock Palfreeman was sentenced to 20 years' jail for stabbing a man to death during a street brawl in Bulgaria in 2007. Palfreeman says he was trying to help a Roman man who was being assaulted.