Global News Roundup: Australia's Space Expansion, Artistic Decline, Climate Action, and Olympic Protests

This week, Australia's defence force announced the expansion of its space workforce, with two new positions advertised in defence's space command. The move comes as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) enters its "most challenging strategic environment since the second world war," according to the defence minister. The ADF relies heavily on space systems and information, including meteorology, communications, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, targeting, positioning, navigation, and timing.

However, while Australia's space programme is on the rise, its creative sector is facing a decline. New research has found that the country risks becoming an "artless country" if it does not address the long-term decline in enrolments in creative courses. More than 40 courses and degrees have been axed in less than a decade, with surging costs under the Morrison government's job-ready graduate scheme and the axing of dozens of subjects largely to blame.

Meanwhile, in the US, three states are considering proposals to hold major polluters accountable for their role in rising insurance costs due to climate disasters. Lawmakers in California, Hawaii, and New York have introduced measures that would authorize their attorneys general to sue fossil fuel companies on behalf of residents whose insurance premiums have soared amid climate disasters. "The cost of home insurance in California is an absolute crisis," said California state senator Scott Wiener, lead author of the proposal.

In other news, a memorial for the victims of a deadly fire at a Swiss bar went up in flames, probably sparked by candles left burning inside. The memorial was a makeshift tribute to the 41 people killed and the 115 injured in the fire that erupted in the early hours of January 1 at Le Constellation bar in the ski resort town of Crans-Montana.

Finally, in Italy, police arrested protesters after clashes in Milan, one of the host cities of the Winter Olympic Games. Thousands took to the streets to protest against the Games and a range of issues, including the cost of living. The protests came a week after more than 100 police officers were injured in another protest, prompting the government to tighten protest laws.

As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, economic uncertainty, and social unrest, these stories highlight the diverse range of issues that are making headlines around the globe.

Sources:
* Australian Defence Force (ADF)
* Australian Journal of Education
* California State Senate
* Police Cantonale Valaisanne/AFP/Getty Images
* EPA/Shutterstock