By Federico Donelli, Associate Professor of International Relations, University of Trieste
The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, in March 2026 marks the end of a political era in the Middle Eastern country. Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s capital, Tehran. This has triggered a war drawing in numerous countries across the Middle East.
The Horn of Africa and Red Sea regions, which link Africa…
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By Hussein Dia, Professor of Transport Technology and Sustainability, Swinburne University of Technology
Conflict in the Middle East has led to long petrol queues in Australia. Going electric ends reliance on fuel imports – but will you pay back the EV premium?
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By Rebecca Strating, Director, La Trobe Centre for Global Security, and Professor of International Relations, La Trobe University
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made an impassioned pitch in the Australian parliament for middle powers like Canada and Australia to build new coalitions in the “ruptured” global order that are less reliant on the United States.
In a post-rupture world, the nations that are trusted and can work together will be quicker to the punch, more effective in their responses, more proactive in shaping outcomes, and ultimately more secure and prosperous.
The question for middle powers like us is whether we preserve existing rules, write new rules to determine our…
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By Sheree Gregory, Senior Lecturer Human Resource Management, University of Newcastle
Michelle O'Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University
Lianne Mackessy’s film Crescendo won top prize at this year’s prestigious Tropfest short-film festival – a significant personal and industry milestone.
The film’s central figure mirrors Mackessy – a women navigating the imperfect, complicated and often chaotic terrain of raising children while working in a screen industry dominated…
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By Jack Anderson, Professor of Sports Law, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics takes place on Friday but geopolitical tensions have spurred some countries, including the Czech Republic, Finland and Ukraine, to boycott the opening ceremony.
The planned boycotts come after a vexed build-up to the summer Olympics in Italy…
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By Hilary A Smith, Honorary Research Fellow (Linguistics), Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
The recently introduced English Language Bill will change little, but highlights a deeper issue. NZ still lacks a coherent framework for language policy.
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By T.J. Thomson, Associate Professor of Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University
Aimee Hourigan, Research Fellow, Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Queensland University of Technology
More control is a good thing – but be wary of privacy risks and ensure your media ‘diet’ is still balanced.
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By Shalini Arunogiri, Addiction Psychiatrist, Associate Professor, Monash University
Starting a GLP-1 drug was linked with a 14% overall reduced risk of new substance use disorders and a lower risk of harm for those with existing use disorders.
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By Nikita Sud, Professor of the Politics of Development, University of Oxford
Despite large pledges, Indonesia’s US$20 billion JETP has delivered little. Research shows funds are diverted to feasibility studies and donor interests rather than local green energy projects.
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By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne
The fact their partnership lasted that long invites a reflection on the contradiction between the kind of society we say we want and the kind of media we prize.
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