Cambridge Analytica has announced that is “Immediately ceasing all operations”.

The UK based political consultancy’s parent firm SCL Elections Ltd has filed for bankruptcy for Cambridge Analytica and many of U.S affiliates, and on Wednesday released a statement arguing negative media coverage irreparably damaged the businesses by driving away “virtually all” of their clients.

The first liberal government in South Australia for 16 years will begin its rule when state parliament resumes shortly.

The Liberal party won 25 out of 47 seats in the the March elections, and consequently will need to procure crossbench support to pass many of the reforms it campaigned on.

These include promised by new premier Steven Marshall to introduce legislation to deregulate shop trading hours, cut payroll tax and cap council rates.

Liberal MP Julia Banks is being challenged to follow her words with action after she said on ABC Local Radio Melbourne she could live on $40 per day following calls to raise the Newstart and Youth Allowance.

The challenge came from 22-year-old Sherri Prendergast, who has been on a Youth Allowance worth $400 per fortnight for six years.

Debate about the generosity of these two welfare payments began earlier this week when respected economist Chris Richardson called the payments “unnecessarily cruel” and called for them to be raised by $50.

Debate on the Queensland government's contentious vegetation management bill, which would wind back a relaxation passed under the Newman administration, will stretch into a third day.

New Labor MP and member for Cook, Cynthia Lui is facing pressure from numerous MP’s and ministers to vote against her colleagues in the Labor Party on land clearing laws.

Jaywalkers could soon face fines of up to $48 for crossing intersections in Brisbane's CBD while the red ‘don’t walk’ signal is illuminated.

The new awareness campaign comes after two pedestrians died and a further 40 seriously injured jaywalking in the CBD within the past 12 months.

Queensland Police revealed five high-risk intersections that they'll be targeting in coming months: Upper Roma St and the Northern Busway, Edward and Ann St, Adelaide and Creek St, Elizabeth and Albert St and Adelaide and Albert St.

A new study has revealed MDMA could help people recover from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Scientists in California recently ran a trial combining MDMA treatment in varying doses with psychotherapy on a group of military veterans, firefighters and police officers, finding at the end half the group no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

Malaysia’s opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad is under investigation after allegedly breaching a new anti-fake news law by saying a domestic flight he took in April was sabotaged.

Critics of Prime Minister Najib Razak have suggested the laws criminalising the dissemination of “fake news” are an attempt to curb free speech in the run-up to the country's May 9 election next week.

A report by Malaysia's Civil Aviation Authority found no indication of sabotage, simply a “routine technical fault” with the aircraft’s wheels.

A report by The Business Council of Australia warns that without stronger growth Australian living standards will decrease and the economy will be become increasingly vulnerable to market instability.

The report comes ahead of 2018 Federal Budget which will be announced next week.

The Council’s chief executive Jennifer Westacott stated she hopes to see some “hard calls” from the government, and recommends that the government plan for a growth rate of 3.5% and not content themselves with preserving the current rate of 2.5%.

The Australian Government will dedicate $50mn in “seed funding” in next Tuesday’s Budget to establish an Australian space agency, the ABC is reporting.

Former CSIRO head Megan Clarke, who has just finished a government review of the space sector, will front the new agency in its first year.

A senior Coalition source said the government expected the private sector would eventually fund the “lion’s share” of Australia’s space industry.