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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By Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology
School is back and, with it, the daily task of packing a lunchbox.
If your child is coming home with uneaten sandwiches, you’re not alone. They’re easy to make and transport, but sometimes the last thing kids (or adults) want to eat.
The food kids eat at school typically provides at least one-third of their daily energy intake. So a nutritious lunchbox is an important way to support their overall health, as well as their focus and…
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By Stephanie Brookes, Senior Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University
Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England
Robert Phiddian, Professor of English, Flinders University
The award-winning cartoonist Jon Kudelka died in Hobart on Sunday, aged 53. Over 30 years, his work resisted the polarisation of the contemporary Australian media.
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By Margarita Vladimirova, Sessional Academic, Faculty of Law, Monash University
Businesses using facial recognition cameras need customer consent – but a new ruling could open a loophole in the law.
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By Darryn Snell, Associate professor, School of Management, RMIT University
Al Rainnie, Adjunct professor, Business, Adelaide University
The urgent need to slash Australia’s carbon emissions is undeniable. But the sluggish transition is making it tougher to offer certainty for workers.
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By Melissa Haswell, Professor of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology
Anne Poelina, Chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council & Professor and Chair Indigenous Knowledges & Senior Research Fellow, Nulungu Institute of Research, University of Notre Dame Australia
David Shearman, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Adelaide University
Fracking exploration wells are likely to proceed in the Kimberley. Given how much more we know about the risks of fracking, this seems dangerous.
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By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University
Charlotte Phelps, Senior Teaching Fellow in Medicine, Bond University
Growing older often brings unexpected grooming challenges. This is particularly apparent when some areas that, when young, we could otherwise ignore start to develop hair.
This includes our nose and ears, where hair grows thicker and longer as we age. But why do hairs in these areas act like this?
The answer predominantly lies in our sex hormones.
Two types of hair
There are two types of hair that grows across our bodies.
Vellus hair is fine and colourless. This hair (also called “peach…
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