Your noon Briefing

Welcome to your noon digest of what’s been making news and what to watch for.

Hello readers. Here is your noon round-up of what’s been making news today and a long read for lunchtime.

Andrew Hagger, Chief Customer Officer of the National Australia Bank leaves the Federal Court, Melbourne, Monday, April 23, 2018. The financial services royal commission public hearing into financial advice continues in Melbourne. (AAP Image/James Ross) NO ARCHIVING

Discipline ‘fail’

NAB financial advisers involved in falsely witnessing forms signed by thousands of clients were allowed to keep three quarters of their bonuses, the banking royal commission has heard. Asked by counsel assisting the commission, Rowena Orr, what the debacle said about the ethical standards of NAB employees, chief customer officer Andrew Hagger responded that there had been a “failure of discipline”.

“I believe that the client service officers and the advisers concerned thought they were taking a shortcut in the interests of the client.”

Andrew Hagger

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19/03/2018. Finance Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer speaks at the ASIC Annual forum held at the Hilton hotel in Sydney. Britta Campion / The Australian

Watchdog’s gouge

The federal government runs the corporate regulator — under fire over its failure to police or prevent many cases of fraud and corruption already uncovered by the banking royal commission — at a $600 million-plus annual profit, by gouging the public and small business owners in fees, writes Anthony Klan.

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A man believed to be behind the Toronto van attacked that has left 9 people dead is taken into custody by a sole police officer. Picture: Twitter

Deadly drive

The death toll has risen to 10 people, with a further 15 injured after a van ploughed into pedestrians in Toronto in an attack that won’t impact “national security”, while mystery surrounds the attacker’s motive.

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Mark Latham and Alan Jones launch new cookbook called Conversations at King Street Wharf 18 April 2018. Supplied

Radio flyers

Radio’s most controversial duo, Kyle & Jackie O regained their FM crown, while news and talk radio fell in Sydney but not in Melbourne, the latest results in radio ratings reveal. New ABC Breakfast team of Jacinta Parsons and Sami Shah, replacing Red Symons, stemmed previous losses to attract a 10.0 per cent of listeners. At 2GB, Alan Jones continued to win Breakfast, while sliding 1.2 to a 14.3 per cent share, while Ray Hadley in Mornings was down 0.8 points to dominate the timeslot with a 13.3 share.

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This Saturday, April 21, 2018, photo provided by the Office of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, shows Bush, front center, and past presidents and first ladies Laura Bush, from left, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump in a group photo at the funeral service for first lady Barbara Bush, in Houston. Barbara Bush died Tuesday, April 17. She was 92. (Paul Morse/Courtesy of Office of George H.W. Bush via AP)

Bush ill

Former US president George H.W. Bush has been hospitalised just days after his wife of 73 years Barbara passed away. A spokesman for the family Jim Mcgrath said George Bush Sr. was taken to a hospital in Houston the day after attending the funeral of his wife after an infection spread to his blood.

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Property developer Ron Medich arrives at the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney, Friday, April 20, 2018. A jury is continuing to deliberate at the Sydney retrial of property developer Ron Medich, who is accused of directing the contract murder of a business enemy. Medich has pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to murdering Michael McGurk, 45, in September 2009 and to intimidating his widow, Kimberley McGurk, the following year. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts) NO ARCHIVING

The long read: The man with the motive

Michael McGurk’s murder may be traced back to Ron Medich’s falling out with brother Roy, when things began to unravel.

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Comment of the day

“What a heroic police officer. No shooting, just control and calm. Pay heed American cops.”

Lesley, in response to ‘Ten dead, 15 injured as van ploughs into Toronto pedestrians’.