The World Today

The White House remains confident that it will prevail in a legal battle over President Donald Trump's travel ban. The US Government had until today to submit additional legal briefs. But at the same time, high-tech companies have united to make their feelings clear about the move.

As Donald Trump's protectionist policies continue to ratchet up global nerves, the Australian Government is being urged to seek trade deals that don't rely on the United States. Andrew Bragg, the director of policy at the Liberal Party aligned Menzies Research Centre, says Australia needs to fight back against protectionism and find other trade deals to counter President Trump's isolationist stance.

Members of Australia's Muslim community are shocked and dismayed by a new poll which shows 44 per cent of people want Australia to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and make it harder for citizens of seven Muslim majority nations to enter the country.

With seemingly endless numbers of cranes lining the Sydney and Melbourne skylines, it might come as a surprise that the construction industry is actually contracting. The AIG/Housing Industry Association Performance of Construction Index came in at 47 points in January with readings below 50 indicating a contraction in activity. New orders fell in all four sectors included in the index: house building, apartments, commercial work and engineering construction.

An American Catholic priest renowned for his work with abuse survivors has told the child sexual abuse Royal Commission the Pope's Commission for the Protection of Minors should be focusing on looking after survivors rather than considering how to protect children now and in the future. But Father Thomas Doyle gave evidence the Catholic Church has always been fearful of the anger of survivors.

Francois Fillon, France's centre right presidential candidate, has apologised to the French people over accusations he paid his family for fake jobs. The Republican candidate and his wife have faced lengthy interrogation by police over allegations he fraudulently employed his wife and two children during his time as Prime Minister. The scandal has cost him dearly in the polls. He is no longer the favourite to win.

Israel has passed a controversial bill retroactively legalising thousands of settler homes built on privately-owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. The legislation has been condemned, not only by Palestinians, but also by Israel's Attorney-General, who has said the legislation is unconstitutional.

In research published in Nature Ecology and Evolution today, Professor David Bowman says climate change will increase the risk of wildfires by 20 to 50 percent. He says people who live near the bush in cities and regional areas in Australia need to expect their houses will burn down. One couple in Hobart who live in the bush have built a bunker so they can survive if they are trapped in a bushfire.

Millions of surgeries are conducted every year in Australia. And figures from the International Association of the Study of Pain show that up to a quarter of them can lead to lasting pain. But most people don't know of the risk from even minor surgery.

The authors of a new study on are calling on the Therapeutic Goods Administration should require independent testing of herbal medicines sold in Australia. The review, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, found some herbal medicines can cause kidney failure and liver damage because they contain toxic chemicals or heavy metals and can react harmfully with other drug