By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
If his impressive academic record is any measure, Andrew Charlton might lay claim to one of the highest IQs in the parliamentary Labor party. Now, with his central role in the government’s AI policy, he’s…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Members of the Nigerian police force are seen outside the Federal High Court, in Abuja, Nigeria, on October 21, 2021. © 2021 Kola Sulaimon / AFP via Getty Images The Nigerian authorities’ prosecution of Boko Haram suspects does not advance justice for serious international crimes, as the cases continue to target primarily low-level suspects and raise significant fair trial concerns.Trials were conducted without witnesses or circumstantial evidence, prosecutors dropped some seemingly serious charges, while many plea-driven convictions were for aiding armed groups…
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By Russell Mullett, Traditional Custodian — Kurnai, Indigenous Knowledge
Bruno David, Professor, Australian Research Council Industry Laureate, Monash University
Elle Grono, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Culture, History & Language, Australian National University
Deeply etched into a cliff face in GunaiKurnai Country, near the township of Buchan in East Gippsland in rural Victoria, is a large limestone cave that hosts an extraordinary story.
Today, the area outside Cloggs Cave is mainly grassland and open woodland, with eucalypt forests further behind the cave. But this was not always so.
The environment changed as the last ice age came and went, and as the Old GunaiKurnai Ancestors managed Country through cultural burning and daily activities on the land. Photographs from the 19th century, as well as regional…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Minoru Kihara, bows to members of the House of Councilors after lawmakers passed a law prohibiting desecration of the national flag, Tokyo, July 17, 2026. © 2026 Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo (Tokyo) – The Japanese Diet on July 17, 2026, adopted a flag desecration law that criminalizes damaging Japan’s national flag, a violation of the right to freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said today. Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner Japan Innovation Party, and three opposition parties supported the bill during…
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By Amnesty International
Four months after calling on Pakistan’s authorities to explain how and why they targeted a Kabul drug rehabilitation centre on 16 March, killing at least 269 civilians, Amnesty International has published a new investigation calling for the attack to be investigated as a possible war crime. The organization found no evidence to support the Pakistan military’s claims […] The post Afghanistan/Pakistan: Deadly Pakistan air strikes on Kabul drug rehab centre should be investigated as possible war crime – new investigation appeared first on Amnesty International. ]]>
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By Ibrahim Al-Marashi, Adjunct Professor, IE School of Humanities, IE University; California State University San Marcos
Earlier this month, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was buried in his hometown of Mashhad after a four-day ceremony. Many international delegations were present, but each country will have chosen their representatives with the utmost care. Sending high-ranking officials would go beyond mere diplomatic courtesy, and possibly signal an alliance.
Only two states sent their prime ministers to the funeral: Iraq and Pakistan, both of whom share a border with Iran. This decision indicates an emerging “Axis of Sympathy” between the countries, a new South-West Asian regional…
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By James Martin, Associate Professor in Criminology, Deakin University
Edward Jegasothy, Senior lecturer, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney
Paul Kelaita, Postdoctoral fellow, Drug Policy Modelling Program, Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW
Last week, new data were released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) suggesting daily smoking prevalence has dropped to a record low of 5.6% in 2025 – down from 8.3% in 2022-23.
Taken at face value, this is the best news in the history of tobacco control in Australia.
But there are reasons for caution. The figures come from a self-report survey, and as the AIHW has previously…
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By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne
Since her press club address, media coverage of the One Nation leader has shifted from fawning to more sober – and revealed some dubious ethics in the process.
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By Scott Duncan, Professor of Population Health, Auckland University of Technology
Andrew Gibbons, Professor of Higher Education, Auckland University of Technology
Elizabeth Duncan, Research Officer, Human Potential Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology
New attendance targets focus on getting children into class. But evidence suggests understanding why they are absent is the more important question.
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By Henry Fraser, Research Fellow in Law, Accountability and Data Science, Queensland University of Technology
This week, a group of ministers issued a joint media release outlining a a series of artificial intelligence (AI) “safety priorities” for the Australian government. These include:
- introducing a digital duty of care to address risks from AI and digital services
- consulting on a second round of privacy law reforms
- AI safety in the workplace
- consumer risks such as surveillance pricing and AI agent-based commerce
- a framework to regulate government…
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