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For people who constantly lose their keys it might sound like the perfect life-hack. Implanted devices are capable of opening locked doors or giving their hosts authorisation to use electronic devices like office photocopiers and printers. Now one Swedish firm is offering to inject its staff with microchips for free and dozens are taking up the offer. But like many new technologies, it has its downside.
Topics: inventions, sweden
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A former British conservative leader has suggested his country would be willing to go to war against Spain over the tiny enclave of Gibraltar. When Britain leaves the European Union the territory and its 30,000 residents may find themselves cut off from Britain and the European Union.
Topics: world-politics, gibraltar, spain, united-kingdom, european-union
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The Human Rights Law Centre is confident today's legal challenge against the Victorian government will free 15 youth clients from adult prison. The organisation is worried children as young as 15 are being kept in the maximum security Barwon Prison in Victoria's south-west.
Topics: prisons-and-punishment, youth, courts-and-trials, rights, human, vic
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| UpdatedPost-traumatic stress disorder has a wide range of damaging health effects, according to a new study of Australian veterans from the Vietnam War. In the past, it's been considered a psychological disorder, but now researchers have confirmed a greater link between mind and body. They hope the findings will change the way doctors deal with veterans of war.
Topics: mental-health, unrest-conflict-and-war, australia
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In response to the revelations that Adani is intending to export poor quality, high ash coal from its Queensland mine, rather than the high quality product he has been describing, Resources Minister Matthew Canavan says the coal will still be cleaner than what India is burning now. Despite being well below Australian quality benchmarks for energy content, and double the Australian standards for ash content, sending the mine's second rate coal to India will still be 'a win for the environment', he says.
Topics: coal, climate-change, pollution, air-pollution, land-pollution, water-pollution, corruption, qld, india
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| UpdatedAdani's proposed massive coal mine in Queensland is being promoted on the basis that it will export 'high quality' coal to India, which will be better for the environment, but documents obtained by the ABC say that Adani is in fact planning to export a lower quality, high ash coal which, critics say, will contribute to deadly air pollution. However, Resource Minister Matt Canavan insists it's still 'a win for the environment'.
Topics: mining-environmental-issues, industry, climate-change, conservation, pollution, air-pollution, land-pollution, water-pollution, coal, marine-parks, great-barrier-reef, corruption, qld, india
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The post Debbie clean up is also continuing in several towns across northern New South Wales. In Lismore, light rain is falling intermittently. Residents and business owners are returning to their homes and properties as officials give them the 'all clear'.
Topics: floods, cyclones, rockhampton-4700
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| UpdatedOne Nation sells itself as a political party unlike the others. It appeals to those who feel let down by the current political climate, and promises to be different. But an investigation by the ABC's Four Corners program puts the spotlight on allegations made by former party faithful, who feel they've been let down. Central to it all are fears about governance and money.
Topics: one-nation, corruption, australia
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| UpdatedThe Federal Government says it will keep trying to win support for all businesses to get a tax cut, as the preparations for this year's budget enter the next stage. The Government has won enough support for the first part of its 10-year company tax plan, but Labor has not said if it would retain the tax cut for businesses with a turnover of up to $50 million. The Government says it also remains committed to billions of dollars in welfare savings which do not have enough support to pass parliament.
Topics: budget, welfare, federal-government, tax, australia
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| UpdatedThe central Queensland city of Rockhampton is preparing for its worst flood in 60 years. Three thousand homes are under threat over the next few days, with the Fitzroy River tipped to peak past nine metres. In south-east Queensland, floodwaters are mostly starting to recede, only to reveal the damage done to hundreds of homes.
Topics: floods, cyclones, rockhampton-4700
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| UpdatedThe ancient art of bonsai has been traced back to the 6th century, when wealthy Japanese would adorn their homes with the tiny potted trees. Now though, Japan's aging population, seems to have lost interest in the hobby. One bonsai master is trying to turn that trend around with a new approach.
Topics: popular-culture, arts-and-entertainment, history, japan
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| UpdatedIn Papua New Guinea, traditional standards of modesty are starting to clash with a desire for modernity, at least from the nation's younger generations. PNG has strict laws against pornography and strong censorship of sexually content in movies and television. But one music artist has pushed the boundaries of what's acceptable with a video clip that's got the whole country talking.
Topics: world, arts-and-entertainment, music, papua-new-guinea
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| UpdatedAfter six years of civil war in Syria, the UN human rights commissioner says the country has become, in effect, one big 'torture chamber'. Seid Raad al Hussein recently called it, 'a place of savage horror and absolute injustice.' Neighbouring Lebanon went through fifteen years of its own civil war. And in Beirut, Middle East Correspondent, Matt Brown has been amazed at the extraordinary depths of human resilience.
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, law-crime-and-justice, lebanon, syrian-arab-republic
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| UpdatedIt was one of the great art heists of the 20th century and it involved two Irish students taking an impressionist masterpiece from one of London's most famous galleries. Paul Hogan and his mate Billy Fogarty pinched Berthe Morisot's Jour d'Ete, a painting now worth over $10 million, not to try and make money out of it, but to stage a political protest. The pair believed the painting was the property of Ireland, and their protest worked with the artwork eventually being relocated to a gallery in Dublin. Europe Correspondent Steve Cannane has more about the little-known story of the great Irish art heist.
Topics: painting, arts-and-entertainment, visual-art, film-movies, government-and-politics, world-politics, england, australia, united-kingdom
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It's spring time in Japan and that means lots of cherry blossoms. It's a time for celebration after a long, northern hemisphere winter and as the Japanese shake off their winter coats, they go straight to the park for a picnic.
Topics: tree, popular-culture, lifestyle-and-leisure, gardening, japan
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The US health care system is entering an era of uncertainty, after Republicans decided to abandon reforms amid party infighting. The Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, will remain in place for now, but the Trump administration could still undermine the law that gave millions of Americans access to health insurance.
Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, health, health-policy, health-administration, united-states
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It's been a bumpy and eventful ride for Donald Trump in his first two months as US president. But despite the uncertainty and legislative setbacks like not getting the numbers for his health care changes, Wall Street has been surging on hopes that President Trump will deliver on his economic agenda. The big question is how long can the optimism last?
Topics: markets, business-economics-and-finance, government-and-politics, world-politics, united-states
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After more than 50 years as a cornerstone of the nation's electricity grid, Victoria's Hazelwood power station is now closed. The night shift has ended and workers walked out of the building for the last time.
Topics: coal, business-economics-and-finance, industry, community-and-society, work, vic, australia
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Health experts say all pregnant women need to be aware of a virus that can causes deafness and a range of disabilities in babies. The virus called CMV is spread through bodily fluids. Pregnant women with toddlers need to be particularly careful. But doctors say simple hygiene can halve the risk of contracting the virus.
Topics: diseases-and-disorders, health, disabilities, reproduction-and-contraception, womens-health, australia
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North Queenslanders pride themselves on resilience against natural disasters such as cyclones. Cyclone Debbie took many by surprise. Tens of thousands of people in the Whitsunday region are still without power. Katherine Gregory has spoken to those deeply affected by the category four storm and some say they feel they've been forgotten.
Topics: cyclones, disasters-and-accidents, weather, proserpine-4800, australia, qld
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| UpdatedIt took close to a year since it was first proposed and a marathon sitting of the Senate to get it passed into law but the Federal Government has finally achieved its ambition of a tax cut for corporate Australia. Even so it's not as wide-ranging as the Government had hope after it was forced to scale back the changes to win support on the Senate cross bench. The cut will now only apply to businesses with an annual turnover of less than $50 million dollars.
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, economic-trends, markets, trade, international-financial-institutions, united-states
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| UpdatedOne business leader says that it will only be a matter of time before the corporate tax cuts are extended across the board to businesses large and small. The CEO of the Council of Small Business of Australia, Peter Strong says it will boost the economy and create more fulltime jobs.
Topics: tax, business-economics-and-finance, community-and-society, government-and-politics, work, australia
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On Friday's program: An 11th hour deal's been done between the Government and the Nick Xenophon Team to pass the Coalition's company tax cut plan. The Gold Coast and Logan, south of Brisbane, are bracing for a rare flood involving the two main river systems, the Albert and Logan Rivers, in the wake of Cyclone Debbie. And there have been an overwhelming number of applications for compensation in South Australia for members of the Stolen Generations.
Topics: australia
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| UpdatedThere have been an overwhelming number of applications for compensation in South Australia for members of the Stolen Generations. Around than 350 people have applied for a share of the $6 million State Reparations Scheme, which closes today. Along with Tasmania, the state is only the second in Australia, with a fund for Aboriginal people removed from their homes and families when they were children. But many say money won't compensate the level of trauma experienced and much more needs to be done in addressing intergenerational issues caused as a result.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, history, government-and-politics, australia
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| UpdatedVictoria's Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner is concerned some schools are penalising students based on their appearance. A 14-year-old student from country Victoria was expelled from his private Catholic school this week for having dreadlocks. His mother plans to take the matter further, and she's also been outraged at reports a Melbourne state school has targeted two school girls with braids.
Topics: discrimination, community-and-society, education, vic, australia