Two men accused of murdering British soldier Lee Rigby, who was brutally hacked to death on the streets of London in broad daylight, go on trial today. Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, both Britons of Nigerian descent, deny murder. Adebolajo is also accused of the attempted murder of two police officers. The three-week trial will place take under tight security, amid fears of a repeat of tensions following the murder.

The latest seminar in the Redefining Hong Kong series of debates focuses on the city's luxury economy today. "Hong Kong: The Luxury Capital of the World?" will ask how Hong Kong, which boasts the world's highest per capita luxury goods consumption, can maintain its edge as mainland luxury consumers travel farther afield, and the mainland economy slows.

The Argentine President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, returns to work today after recovering from surgery to drain a blood clot near her brain. She's expected to announce economic measures to slow a decline in international reserves and make changes to her cabinet. Her illness last month forced her to abandon campaigning for midterm congressional elections and her allies suffered heavy losses in the October 27 vote.

Nasa's newest Mars spacecraft, the robotic explorer called Maven, is due to blast off today on a 10-month journey to the red planet. The US$671 million mission will study the atmosphere to try to understand how the planet became cold and dry.