By David Lindenmayer, Distinguished Professor of Ecology, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
Chris Taylor, Research Fellow, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
There is ongoing turmoil in the native forest logging industry, as revealed in the ABC’s Four Corners program that aired last night.
The evidence presented was unambiguous: the native forest logging industry has been in financial, social, and environmental decline for decades.
Yet it continues to be financially supported by federal and state government subsidies that are detrimental to the economy, environmental integrity and the efficient spending of taxpayer dollars.
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By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland
This week, Vegemite launched a new product specifically for children called Vegemite Kids that contains 50% less sodium (salt) than the traditional iconic spread.
Reactions have been divided. Some have called it “un-Australian”, said it would make kids less resilient, and called for Vegemite to be left alone.
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By Maria Nawaz, Project Lead, Australian Climate Accountability Project at the UNSW Australian Human Rights Institute, UNSW Sydney
Gillian Moon, Senior Visiting Fellow and Research Lead, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney
Ten Australians – including a firefighter, First Nations leaders and young people – are bringing their concerns about the nation’s coal and gas exports to the United Nations.
On Tuesday, the group lodged a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee, claiming the Australian government is failing to protect them from climate harms.
They argue Australia’s continued exports are inconsistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as set out in the Paris…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A room in the emergency department at UCI Health hospital in Irvine, California, US, November 6, 2025. © 2025 Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images (Washington, DC) – The United States Congress’ failure to extend public subsidies for private health insurance has caused millions to lose healthcare coverage, increasing financial hardship and deepening inequality, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America said today. Six months after the subsidies expired on January 1, 2026, early data indicate that millions of households lost health…
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By Nipa Saha, Lecturer, Macquarie University
The Dutch government is considering making it illegal to use children under 16 in paid social media content. The government argues such online content featuring children – designed to sell goods to child consumers – is basically involving them in child labour.
With Australia’s under-16s social media ban in place and other countries – most recently the United Kingdom – following suit, would this be the next logical…
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By Toby Murray, Professor of Cybersecurity, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne
Using AI for cybersecurity without first investing in fundamentals is like deploying a robot guard dog to defend an unlocked door.
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By David A. Fleming-Muñoz, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, La Trobe University
David Ubilava, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Sydney
Australia isn’t likely to face food shortages anytime soon. But hotter, drier weather could still take a toll on many local economies and communities.
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image People pray for the victims of a drone strike in El Obeid, North Kordofan State, Sudan, January 12, 2026. © 2026 El Tayeb Siddig/Reuters The United Nations Security Council on June 20 warned of the “imminent risk of mass atrocities” in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan region in western Sudan, which for months now has been the epicenter of fierce fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).The conflict, which broke out in April 2023, has claimed tens of thousands of lives, caused millions to flee their homes, and…
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By Kylie A. Steel, Senior Lecturer in Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition, Western Sydney University
Selectors look not just for fitness, movement and cognitive skills, but also for left-footedness – this trait has enormous strategic value on the pitch.
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By Dominic Tran, Research Fellow, University of Sydney
Reuben Rideaux, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Sydney
Ziyue Hu, PhD Candidate, University of Sydney
We act fast on the basis of our predictions but learn most when we get it wrong, according to a new brain-scan study.
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