Correspondents Report

Australian scientists have visited a remote part of Papua New Guinea to trial a new way of testing for malaria. The technique uses infrared light to screen the blood of villagers in the hope of finding those who harbour the malaria parasite but don't show any symptoms. The researchers say the process is a world-first that could help eradicate the disease. Papua New Guinea Correspondent Eric Tlozek filed this exclusive story from the remote Tufi District of Papua New Guinea.

A member of the Hells Angels in Thailand says Australian bikies are taking over from the locals and wants the Thai government to stop what he calls their 'evil' influence. The gang hit the headlines in December when one of its Australian members was murdered by his bodyguard who was sentenced to death by a Thai court. The Hells Angels are suspected of trafficking drugs into Australia and now a disgruntled former member is blowing the whistle on a violent battle for control within the gang. Southeast Asia correspondent Liam Cochrane reports.

It's been a long time since Venezuela was on anyone's tourist bucket list. The once wealthy, oil-rich State is suffering a crippling economic depression and an explosion in crime, with daily kidnappings, robberies and murders. But the socialist government is working hard to keep out one of the only groups still desperate to go there, foreign journalists.

The US secretary of State, Rex Tillerson is spending the weekend in China. He's had a busy agenda on this, his first official trip to Asia. He's been tasked in seeking China's help in containing North Korea. The ABC's Chief Foreign Correspondent Phil Williams has had a fascination for the place ever since visiting Pyongyang in 2000. He says the deep divisions over North Korea appear to be entering a new and dangerous phase.

When our correspondents get some down time, they usually try to switch off. Southern Iceland, with its patchy mobile reception, is arguably one of the best places in the world to get away from it all. But on a recent holiday, our Europe Correspondent James Glenday found himself near the base of one of the country's most dangerous volcanoes, that's slowly stirring to life.

It's rare for an ABC Indonesia Correspondent to escape reporting on Australians behaving badly in Bali. And it seems that every three years or so there's a big case that keeps them pretty busy. In Samantha Hawley's case it's been Sara Connor who last Monday was found guilty of group assault leading to the death of a Bali police officer.

How much do you judge people by the way they speak? Variants of English span the globe, from its namesake in the UK, here in Australia, the United States and in India, where it's one of more than 20 officially recognised languages. There as elsewhere, certain unique sayings and expressions have evolved. South Asia Correspondent James Bennett wanted to file a report on that, but it didn't quite go as expected.

This week, President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on immigration banning people from six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. It's left many people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen in a state of limbo. One of them is Mahmoud Hallak, who's still waiting for a green card in the United States. He went to America after his father, a doctor, was murdered by the Syrian Military in 2011 for treating injured protesters.

'Fake news' has become a household phrase in recent months. Used by President Donald Trump to describe CNN and other mainstream media outlets, it's also the moniker given to numerous dubious stories shared across Facebook. But what kind of momentum is 'fake news' gaining in Southeast Asia?

The UK inquiry into child sexual abuse had its first public hearings in London this week, two and half years after it was first announced. The inquiry has not run as smoothly as the royal commission in Australia. It has been dogged by controversy, with three heads of the inquiry resigning before the public hearings even begun. This week the inquiry started by looking at historical child migration to countries like Australia.