By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Free speech activist Pimsiri Petchnamrob in Bangkok, Thailand. © 2020 The Momentum (Bangkok) – A Thai court on February 20, 2026, sentenced a prominent free speech activist and three others to 32 months in prison for criticizing King Maha Vajiralongkorn under Thailand’s royal insult law, Human Rights Watch said today.The Bangkok Criminal Court found Pimsiri Petchnamrob, 35, guilty of lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) for her speech during a democracy rally in Bangkok in November 2020 that criticized what she considered to be the monarchy’s unchecked power. She…
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Monday, February 23, 2026
Judges at the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday opened a confirmation of charges hearing for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send him to trial on alleged crimes against humanity linked to killings during the country’s so-called “war on drugs”.
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By Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Professor of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Like other high-income countries, Australia and New Zealand are leaning on GPs to solve increasingly complex health needs – without the necessary investment.
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By Georgina Sauzier, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Chemistry, Curtin University
Michael Vic Adamos, PhD Candidate, Chemistry, Curtin University
3D-printed guns are a growing threat to public safety. The blueprints used to make these firearms can be found online, making them easily accessible. With a relatively cheap 3D printer and a quick web search, anyone could print their own unlicensed gun.
These guns have been called “untraceable”. Research is now putting this claim to the test.
Our
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By Kade Paterson, Associate Professor of Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Melbourne
Rana Hinman, Professor in Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne
Until now, health experts have assumed stable and supportive shoes are the best for people with osteoarthritis. But a new study shows this isn’t always the case.
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By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne
The way cars are assessed for safety ratings is changing in Australia and New Zealand. The changes are broadly positive.
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By James Martin, Associate Professor in Criminology, Deakin University
Edward Jegasothy, Senior lecturer, School is Public Health, University of Sydney
Where there’s demand, there will be supply, legal or not. From the ‘sly grog’ of the 1920s to the illicit vapes of today, getting regulation right is difficult.
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By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
Polls have the combined primary vote for Labor and the Greens dropping. But there’s no sign of a boost for the Coalition after its leadership change.
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By Nicola Parsons, Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Sydney
First published in 1725, Fantomina tells of a woman who adopts disguises to keep her lover’s attention. While avoiding moralism, it skirts questions of consent.
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By Muhammad Ilyas Nadeem, PhD Candidate in Obesity & Diabetes | Public Scholar (2024-2025), Concordia University
Cristina Sanza, Digital Journalism Instructor, Centre for Journalism Experimentation (JEX) Researcher, Concordia University
Jessica Murphy, Research Associate, Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology, Concordia University
Sylvia Santosa, Professor and former Canada Research Chair Tier 2 - Clinical Nutrition, Concordia University
Canada has quietly become an unexpected leader in global obesity care guidelines, but care at home — where one in four adults now lives with obesity — remains slow and uneven.
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