It's the perennial question when it comes to considering the universe – could there be life on other planets?

The Lowy Institute’s latest Being Chinese in Australia survey shows an increased sense of belonging among Chinese-Australians, and lower incidences of racism. Chinese-Australians also consider Australia the most trusted country to deal responsibly in the world. But there is a markedly different perception of China as a threat:  Chinese-Australians are much less likely to see China as the military threat that the broader population does.

To unpack the research we talk to the lead author, Dr Jennifer Hsu, Project Director of the Multiculturalism, Identity and Influence Project at the Lowy Institute.

It’s been called the birth strike. South Korean women are having fewer and fewer children and the country has the lowest fertility rate in the world. But in a country where women’s safety concerns range from violent crime to digital exploitation via a wave of spy cameras in public bathrooms… even the term ‘gender equality’ is now taboo.

The Reserve Bank board will be stripped of its power to set interest rates and replaced by a board of monetary policy experts as part of a major shake-up, with the review released on Thursday making over 50 recommendations, to improve decision making, transparency and accountability.

The Year That Made Me: Toner Stevenson & Nick Lomb – Toner and Nick are ‘eclipse chasers’ and co-authors of a new book on the subject. Both talk about the time they realised astronomy was their love, and the excitement of witnessing a total solar eclipse. The next total solar eclipse can be seen on Thurs, April 20, near Exmouth in Western Australia.

They're the unwanted hiking companion that is trying to suck your blood. 

Today, Charlotte tells us about why ticks want to follow us home.

This Sunday the RAW  Comedy National Grand Final take place at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Raw is a national search for emerging voices in the comedy industry.

Rice is a staple of a large portion of the world’s diet, but while rice demand is soaring, cultivation is not -- with yields being affected by land and labour scarcity as well as climate change. As a result, there’s now talk of a ‘global rice crisis’.

Guest: Jean Balié,  Director General of the International Rice Research Institute

In the U.S. the decision on the right to access a commonly used abortion drug is headed for the country’s Supreme Court. After a federal judge in Texas ruled the Food and Drug Administration was wrong, 23 years ago, to approve the drug mifepristone, a U.S. Appeals Court decision on Thursday temporarily preserved access to the abortion pill, with tighter rules. The Biden Administration will now appeal to the Supreme Court to restore full access to mifepristone.

This year marks the 25th anniversay of the Good Friday Agreement, so how has peace been mainitained over the last two decades? And how does it compare to those growing up in Northern Ireland post the Troubles.