Topic: Australia

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3 new foreign mystery novels that are worth your travel time

Craving a foreign excursion? Try the next best thing – one of these mystery novels set in far-away lands.
4 ways US can boost cyber security

The US needs a proactive cyber foreign policy that goes beyond naming and shaming. Here are four steps the US can take to bolster its diplomatic efforts to address cybersecurity threats.
Sports in 2012: here are some Monitor highlights

It’s impossible to list all the records set in 2012, but here’s a short rundown of some heralded highlights, plus 20 of our favorites, including some you might have missed.
The top 25 celebrity baby names of all time

Many celebrities are creative people, but seldom does their creativity get more free rein than when they’re naming their own offspring. From Beyonce and Jay-Z's firstborn Blue Ivy to Frank Zappa's daughter's avante-garde moniker Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen, there are plenty of unusual names.
War with Iran? 5 ways events overseas could shape Obama's second term.

The threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program is the most urgent example of the foreign-policy challenges that face President Obama in his second term. Here are four others.

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Humans kill nearly 100 million sharks each year, say conservationists

Shark populations have declined rapidly, driven largely by demand for shark fins, a delicacy in many Asian countries.
Energy Voices Japan should invest in European shale gas

Shale gas is already having an impact as Japan looks to import suddenly plentiful natural gas from the US. Natural gas from shale should force Europe to recalibrate its own energy future.
World Baseball Classic: Everything you need to know

As the global tournament steps to the plate overnight March 2, here's a very quick viewer's guide.
Titanic II: Billionaire launches plans for replica of doomed ship

Clive Palmer unveiled blueprints for the famous ship's namesake Tuesday at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. He said construction is scheduled to start soon in China.
Energy Voices Oil, gas salaries rise amid slumping economy

Oil and gas wages and benefits saw an overall increase in 2012, according to a recent study. Base salaries across the entire oil and gas industry rose by 8.5 percent in 2012, Alic writes.
Africa Monitor Sugar Man: Did the Oscar-winning documentary mislead viewers?

The film tells the story of an unknown American musician who struck it big in apartheid South Africa – but critics says it omitted crucial facts about the life of Sixto Rodriguez.
Titanic II: Replica to repeat ill-fated cruise (+video)

Titanic II: The Titanic replica, complete with smokestacks (decorative) and lifeboats (improved), has already sold 40,000 tickets to re-attempt the 'unsinkable' ship's doomed cruise from England to New York.
Iceland porn ban: Can a wired country go porn-free?

Iceland's proposed ban on pornography has sparked a debate about the feasibility of such a ban, as well as how a porn ban fits the ideals of the liberal island nation.
For some Indians, latest bombing brings sense of déjà vu

Suleman Sultan, a survivor of a blast almost identical to the recent attack in Hyderabad, says the government's response is following the same old script.
Toxic mice air drop: Dead poisoned mice to target Guam tree snakes

Toxic mice air drop: The US government is about target invasive brown tree snakes in Guam by bombing the island with dead mice laced with acetaminophen, which is toxic to the reptiles.
"The Double V" and "The Slaves' Gamble"

Two recent releases chronicle the contentious history of blacks in the US military.
Federal Reserve uncertainties drive down Asian markets

Transcripts from the Federal Reserve's January meeting were made public Wednesday. These documents showed growing doubts about the longevity of the U.S. central bank's bond buying program, which has kept interest rates at record lows.
Backchannels What we know about the death of a Mossad agent named 'Prisoner X' – and what we don't

Israel has released some details on the death in prison of Australian-Israeli Mossad agent Ben Zygier in a secret prison in 2010. But many questions remain unanswered.
Chapter & Verse Russian meteorite: Not the first strange event in the skies of Siberia

Science writer Surendra Verma looks back at the 'Tunguska event,' a mysterious occurrence in Siberia in 1908 which, like the 2013 meteorite, caused injuries and damage when the sky exploded.
Opinion: How President Obama can forge a nuclear deal with Iran

Ahead of crucial 'P5+1' talks on Iran's nuclear program in Kazakhstan Feb. 26, President Obama needs to show willingness to meet Iranian concessions with some of his own. But Congress is in no mood to ease sanctions. Obama, however, can go around Congress.
Focus US 'pivot to Asia': Is John Kerry retooling it?

A focus of American resources on Asia was a major priority when Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary of State. But it is unclear if John Kerry will follow her approach exactly, many regional analysts say.
Focus How US military plans to carry out Obama's 'pivot to Asia'

A US policy shift toward Asia means a greater role for the Navy. Even pre-'pivot to Asia,' it already stationed half its ships in the region, and it is developing a new 'afloat forward staging base' in the Pacific.
In Gear New 2014 Chevy SS debuts at Daytona

Chevy chooses famed Daytona speedway to unveil the 2014 Chevrolet SS. The sporty Chevy SS marks the first time in 17 years that the company is marketing a rear-wheel-drive sedan.
Russian asteroid highlights astronomers' challenge: predicting such space objects

Astronomers have cataloged about 95 percent of the space objects wider than half a mile – those that could destroy civilization. But they have found less than 1 percent of the objects 100 feet across or larger, a class that includes the asteroid that flitted past Earth on Friday.
Energy Voices What's China doing in Greenland?

China’s drive to develop Greenland’s rare earths may be driven more by its economic than geopolitical interests, Rogers writes.
Friday's near-miss asteroid could help track more dangerous ones

Asteroid 2012 DA14 will buzz within 17,200 miles of Earth – a record for a known object of that size. While it's no threat to hit, it might help scientists find and track others that are.
Israel struggles to maintain secrecy over Australian spy story

The mysterious death of an Australian prisoner in Israel highlights the fact that its military-run censorship system is finding it harder to keep information secret during the age of the Internet.
In Gear Better Place electric car startup pulls plug on US, Australia

An electric car company known as Better Place has ended its US and Australian operations, Read writes. What does that say about the future of electric cars?
Difference Maker He loves maps and Vietnam. That may put him in the eye of a storm.

Thang Dinh Tran's passion for all things Vietnamese has combined with his passion for old maps, placing him at the center of a territorial dispute between Vietnam and China.
Pacific earthquake hits Solomon Islands: Tsunami warning issued (+video)

Pacific earthquake, centered near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, prompted a tsunami warning for other South Pacific islands and a tsunami watch in Fuji and Australia.