The World Today

The impeachment of the US President is 'extremely unlikely,' according to Professor Simon Jackman, the CEO of the United States Studies Centre. He says Donald Trump currently has approval ratings among the Republican rank and file of 85 per cent, and there is no sign of that wavering. And with a Republican majority, that is what matters.

In Iran, a court has handed down a 10-year jail sentence on a US student who has been accused of spying. The student was arrested last year as he tried to leave the country. US authorities have described the charges as 'fabricated' and demanded his release.

Thousands of Venezuelans have voted in an unofficial referendum concerning the President's plans to re-write the constitution. At least one person has been shot dead during the opposition-organised vote, which comes after months of anti-government protests.

Researchers in the United States have reviewed the healthcare systems of 11 developed countries and concluded that Australia's is among the best in the world. An analysis by the Commonwealth Fund in Washington has ranked Britain's health care system best, and Australia's a close second. The study comes as Republican senators face pressure from Donald Trump to repeal Obamacare at a vote due in the next few weeks.

The Australian dollar is on a tear at the moment, and there are concerns the rise in the currency has come at precisely the wrong moment for the economy. Recent weakness in the US dollar, combined with increases in the value of Australia's key commodities, have pushed the dollar to a two-year high against the greenback. So how high could it go? And who will feel its rise most acutely?

Australia's most eminent mathematicians are today mourning the loss of the only woman to ever win the Nobel Prize equivalent in their field. Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, who was famous for winning the Fields Medal, has died aged 40, after a battle with breast cancer. Her loss is being keenly felt in Australia, where she was a role model to girls and young women.

The father of the modern zombie film has died. George Romero's debut Night of the Living Dead kicked off decades of films in which the undead rise again to seek human flesh. He's seen as a major influence for modern horror directors to this day.

The Federal Government is drafting laws which would compel major tech companies to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and hand over encrypted messages. The Prime Minister says the laws are necessary to fight terrorism, drug trafficking and paedophilia. But tech experts say it's difficult to see how the laws would work in practice.

Rogue employers who hold back workers' superannuation entitlements to boost their cash flow will be targeted under a new regulatory crackdown announced today. Currently employers are able to exploit a legal loophole, where contributions made under salary sacrifice rules can be withheld by up to four months before they're transferred into an employee's superannuation account. But Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dywer says that, under new legislation, unscrupulous employers who short-change their staff will be forced to transfer the contributions immediately.

Marine scientists are alarmed that an upcoming review of Commonwealth marine parks could see the parks reduced in size. A media report quotes the Assistant Agriculture Minister indicating that the zones could be smaller than in previous plans. The latest draft is set to be released in the next two weeks and commercial fishers are optimistic that the review will be of benefit to the seafood industry.