insert_link Opinion Pieces Why Trump’s control of the Republican Party is bad for democracy Republican elites have embraced Trump as their leader. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Erica Frantz, Michigan State University; Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Yale University, and Joseph Wright, Penn State As former President Donald Trump edges closer to clinching the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, our political science research has shown that a second Trump presidency is likely to damage American democracy even more than his first term did. The reason has less to do […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 13
insert_link World UN Secretary General convenes urgent meeting with donor countries UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres will meet with several donor countries in an attempt to persuade them to reverse their decision to pause UNRWA funding. Several countries which include the United States and Germany, put a halt on funding following allegations that several UN staff were allegedly involved in the October 7th attacks on Israel. Jody Jacobs reports from the United Nations. todayJanuary 31, 2024 14
insert_link Health / Medical Measles is on the rise around the world – we can’t let vaccination rates falter fotohay/Shutterstock Jaya Dantas, Curtin University In recent weeks a series of measles alerts have been issued around Australia, including in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, after the identification of a small number of cases in travellers returning from overseas. Meanwhile, places such as the United States and the United Kingdom have been contending with larger measles outbreaks. In fact, the World Health Organization reported a 45-fold increase in measles […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 14
insert_link Opinion Pieces Intelligence doesn’t make you immune to conspiracy theories – it’s more about thinking style The QAnon conspiracy theory has many powerful supporters. I T S/Shutterstock Darel Cookson, Nottingham Trent University Over the last two decades, and in particular over the last five years, there has been a growing scientific interest in conspiracy theories and people who believe in them. Although, some may think belief in such stories is linked to intelligence, research is beginning to show that how people think could be more important. […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 18
insert_link Environment Ocean heating breaks record, again, with disastrous outcomes for the planet By Elizabeth Claire Alberts via Mongabay New research shows that ocean temperatures are hotter than ever in the modern era due to human-driven global warming. High ocean temperatures are placing a strain on marine life and biological processes while also increasing extreme weather events on land. The world is also seeing an escalation in the frequency and intensity of marine heat waves, events in which sea temperatures exceed a certain […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 11
insert_link Opinion Pieces Labour hasn’t won a UK general election since 2010. Will 2024 be any different? By Rob Manwaring, Flinders University Democracy faces challenges around the globe in 2024: at least 64 countries will ask their citizens to elect a government this year. One of the most keenly observed will be the United Kingdom general election, likely to be held in November. The British Labour party has not won an election since 2010, and has lost the last four elections. At the last election in […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 18
insert_link World Biden holds Iran “responsible” for US drone deaths US President Joseph Biden says he holds Iran "responsible" for the deaths of three army personnel who were killed in a drone strike in the Middle East. He says he has decided how to respond, following a push for the US to strike back against Iran-backed militia in the region. However, there are concerns a US response could widen the conflict, or open up a new front in the Middle […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 8
insert_link World Gaza: high numbers of journalists are being killed but it’s hard to prove they’re being targeted By Colleen Murrell, Dublin City University Wael Dahdouh, one of the most well-known faces of Palestinian journalism in the Gaza conflict, has this week started medical treatment in Qatar. Dahdouh was wounded in December in an Israeli drone strike that killed his camera operator. Al-Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief has also lost his wife, two children and a grandchild in an Israeli raid that hit his home. This was […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 4
insert_link World Iran has so far resisted direct involvement in the Gaza war, but is that changing? By James Devine, Mount Allison University Iran has tried to keep the war in Gaza at arm’s length by providing support for Hamas through armed groups it backs in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. The Islamic Republic has indicated it wants neither to get directly involved in the fighting nor see the conflict escalate across the region. But as illustrated by the recent drone attack by pro-Iranian militias in Jordan […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 6
