By Consuelo Martinez Reyes, Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies, Macquarie University
Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) made history this weekend as the first Superbowl halftime headliner to sing only in Spanish – that too at a moment when the United States is facing a hostile anti-immigration climate.
The show’s message of love and togetherness has reverberated across countries and cultures. It is also chock-full of symbolism and messaging that represents an alternative America to the one taking shape under Donald Trump.
A fiesta celebrating Puerto Rican…
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By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
What do Australians in focus groups say about the Liberal Party right now? “They just kind of laugh,” the former Liberal staffer turned pollster says.
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (R) welcomes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Rome, Italy, October 27, 2025. © 2025 Marco Iacobucci/SOPA Images/Sipa USA via AP Photo For the second time in less than a year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has referred an EU member to its oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, for failing to cooperate with the court.On January 26, ICC judges asked the court’s member countries to hold Italy to account for refusing to surrender Osama Elmasry Njeem, a Libyan suspect who had been in its custody.…
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By Amnesty International
Amnesty International has documented the devastating impact of Russia’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy system in a new series of testimonials from survivors enduring a freezing winter without heat, electricity or running water. Based on the testimonies of dozens of people from across the country, the research tells the stories of Ukrainian civilians living with […] The post Ukraine: New testimonies document brutal conditions for civilians amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Mohammad Tarek Hasan
Bangladeshi political parties compete for Gen Z’s attention with viral content, while battling misinformation alongside street campaigning, as Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube become central arenas for political messaging and debate.
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A correctional services department vehicle believed to be carrying Hong Kong publisher and activist Jimmy Lai leaves the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts following Lai's sentencing, Hong Kong, February 9, 2026. © 2026 Chan Long Hei/AP Photo (New York) – The Hong Kong High Court’s sentencing of Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily founder and democracy advocate, to 20 years in prison is a devastating blow to media freedom in the city, Human Rights Watch said today. It is by far the harshest sentence handed down under the National Security Law since the Chinese government…
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Monday, February 9, 2026
A draft amnesty law in Venezuela aimed at granting immediate clemency to people jailed for participating in political protests or criticizing public figures, has been welcomed by a UN commission of experts – although they have emphasised the Venezuelan people need to be at the centre of the process.
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By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato
New Zealand is undertaking the most significant rewrite of firearms law in over 40 years. Overall, it’s a welcome step, as the law was messy and times have changed.
But that’s not to say the proposed law can’t be improved further.
While controls on the kinds of weapons used in the Christchurch terror attack will remain, as will a firearms register, other ways of ensuring public safety must be addressed.
Submissions on the Arms…
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By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University
With billions in Australian taxpayers’ dollars being spent ahead of the Games, what’s the argument for lifting the ban now?
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By Alex Polyakov, Clinical Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne
Prospective parents are being marketed genetic tests that claim to predict which IVF embryo will grow into the tallest, smartest or healthiest child.
But these tests cannot deliver what they promise. The benefits are likely minimal, while the risks to patients, offspring and society are real.
Parents deserve accurate information, not marketing hype, when making profound decisions about their future children.
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