Half a century after sending a satellite into space aboard a rocket emblazoned with a spear-carrying kangaroo, Australia on Monday committed to creating a national space agency as it looks to cash in on the lucrative and fast-evolving astronautical sector.
The announcement came at a week-long Adelaide space conference attended by the world’s top scientists and experts including SpaceX chief Elon Musk.
It brings Canberra – which already has significant involvement in national and…
Is it still safe to go to Bali? Tour groups reassure Hongkongers as volcano eruption ‘imminent’
Hongkongers heading to the Indonesian holiday destination Bali will not be affected by volcanic activity on the island, tour organisers have said.
Nearly 35,000 people have been evacuated from the area as Indonesian officials say Mount Agung could erupt soon.
Authorities imposed a 12km exclusion zone around the crater, as increasing activity on Sunday sent strong tremors through areas in the eastern part of the island.
A spokeswoman for Hong Thai Travel Services, one of the city’s major…
How you can be sure the Malaysian election date will be…
Malaysians have a new favourite pastime these days – guessing when Prime Minister Najib Razak will call the next general election. The vote is due by next August but for months the premier, who has full power to decide when it will be held, has blown hot and cold about triggering a snap contest. When called, the vote will be one of the country’s fiercest ever political battles, pitting Najib against Mahathir Mohamad, the country’s 92-year-old former strongman prime minister…
45 years since Dad’s martial law, are Marcoses still calling the shots in the Philippines?
Zany Mique needs little reminding of the dark time in Philippine history 45 years ago when dictator Ferdinand Marcos placed the nation under martial law. She was imprisoned twice during that nine-year period – an era marked by widespread human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings, torture and incarcerations.
But she is worried others might forget just how dark that period was – particularly given President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement that he is considering…
Let the ‘drag race’ begin: New Zealand heads to the polls in knife-edge election
New Zealand was voting on Saturday in a cliffhanger election pitting conservative Prime Minister Bill English against charismatic young rival Jacinda Ardern.
The campaign has been the most volatile in recent memory, with momentum swinging from English to Ardern and then back again.
“This election is going to be really close … it’s a drag race between the two big parties,” English said, conceding a large undecided vote could prove key.
No party has claimed a majority…
Seven members of UN Security Council asks Secretary-General Guterres for briefing on Myanmar
Seven members of the United Nations Security Council, including the United States and Britain, on Friday asked UN chief Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the 15-member body next week on the violence in Myanmar that he has described as ethnic cleansing. Sweden, the United States, Britain, France, Egypt, Senegal, and Kazakhstan want Ethiopia, president of the council for September, to arrange the briefing for next week, according to the request. More than 422,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled…
Scottish courts to revise proposals for ‘digital’ summary criminal justice system
Plans to modernise the summary criminal justice system in Scotland will be taken forward, albeit with substantial modifications, the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) has announced.
MPs announce wide-ranging inquiry into pension freedoms
The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has begun a wide-ranging inquiry into the success and effectiveness of the 2015 pension reforms.
Europe plans supervision reforms to boost CMU and fintech
The European Commission has proposed changes to financial supervision within the bloc, claiming this will help in the creation of a full capital markets union (CMU) and boost the development of financial technology, or fintech, products.
What military options are open to the US in tackling North Korea?
The United States has not been shy about threatening military action against North Korea.
As Pyongyang continues its march towards nuclearisation, US President Donald Trump has threatened to “totally destroy” the reclusive authoritarian regime with “fire and fury”, reiterating that “all options are on the table”. But he did not say how and when.
US Secretary of Defence James Mattis earlier threatened North Korea with a “massive military response”…