insert_link Environment Activists urge Australia to end lucrative links to Myanmar junta’s mines A protest against the military coup in Myanmar, February 14, 2021, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). By Alex Shaw via Mongabay Pro-democracy activists have urged the Australian government to crack down on domestic companies involved in Myanmar’s mines, saying these firms are funding human rights abuses and environmental destruction carried out by the country’s military junta. In statements marking the anniversary of the February 2021 coup that overthrew the Southeast […] todayFebruary 23, 2024 17
insert_link Health / Medical What happens if King Charles can no longer perform his duties? By Anne Twomey, University of Sydney King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis will turn minds to the question of what happens if he becomes unable to fulfil his constitutional duties. Buckingham Palace has announced he will continue performing his official paperwork and his weekly meetings with the prime minister throughout his treatment. But what happens if he becomes seriously ill? There are three options: counsellors of state, regency and […] todayFebruary 6, 2024 22
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 17
insert_link Health / Medical How both health and safety are compromised for people living with long COVID and intimate partner violence Shutterstock Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Monash University; Benjamin Scott, Monash University; Jasmine McGowan, Monash University, and Naomi Pfitzner, Monash University What happens when a person is experiencing long COVID and intimate partner violence at the same time? There has been no attention paid to this question anywhere in the world since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. This is staggering, given previous research shows women who are victim-survivors of intimate partner […] todayJanuary 25, 2024 10
insert_link South Africa South Africa bets big on natural gas as it begins a belated push to revamp its energy supplies and slash emissions, bolstered by EU endorsement of investments in gas. By Seth Onyango, bird story agency South Africa is emerging as an early beneficiary of the European Parliament’s vote last July to designate natural gas and nuclear projects as “green energy” investments. The vote was seen as an opportunity for natural gas-endowed states in Africa to continue ploughing billions from the sale of the commodity into their economies. The recent unveiling of a gas terminal project in South Africa led […] todayJanuary 25, 2024 5
insert_link Sport New Zealander Schmidt confirmed as new Wallabies coach Former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt vowed to "build a way forward" for the Wallabies on Friday as officials confirmed he is taking over as coach to replace Eddie Jones. Jones acrimoniously quit in October after the team's calamitous World Cup campaign, just 10 months into a five-year contract, having won just two from nine Tests. He has since been hired by Japan. New Zealander Schmidt will coach the […] todayJanuary 19, 2024 3
insert_link World Japan, Aus continue steps towards military partnership Japan and Australia are in discussions to become military partners should any new conflicts arise in the Indo-Pacific. Citing Japan government sources Kyodo News reports the two countries are working to clarify defense guidelines and deepen co-operation. Chris Gilbert has more. todayJanuary 16, 2024 12
insert_link Sport Smith to open batting against West Indies Steve Smith will open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja against the West Indies in place of the retired David Warner, Australia selectors said Wednesday, with all-rounder Cameron Green coming in at number four. Warner bowed out of Test cricket the weekend after the last Test against Pakistan in Sydney, having been a fixture at the top of the order for 12 years. Recognised openers Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and […] todayJanuary 10, 2024 3
insert_link Opinion Pieces Australia is still reckoning with a shameful legacy: the resettlement of suspected war criminals after WWII By Jayne Persian, University of Southern Queensland In the Canadian parliament last year, an outcry erupted after 98-year-old Ukrainian-Canadian Yaroslav Hunka was presented to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a hero of the second world war. It turned out Hunka had fought against the Allies as a voluntary member of the Nazi German Waffen-SS Galizien division. The incident was deeply embarrassing for Canada; Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was forced to […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 16