By Andy Miah, Chair in Science Communication & Future Media, University of Salford
The 2026 Winter Olympics have come at a turning point in sport in terms of how Olympians are allowed to monetise their performances. In December, the governing body the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that, for the first time, Olympians would have access to footage from their competitions to use for their personal branding and promotion.
In this pilot phase, the material will not be from these Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, but from the previous Games in Beijing in 2022. According to…
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By Eli Lawrence Sopow, Adjunct Faculty, Adler University
Donald Trump’s penchant for sowing fear is in danger as ICE Out protests remain peaceful and public anger is directed not at demonstrators, but at violent federal ICE officers.
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By Simon Farley, Assistant Lecturer, History, The University of Melbourne
South Australian authorities are again on the hunt for the elusive red-whiskered bulbul. Does the xenophobia of the past still influence our attitudes today?
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By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney
Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver turns 50 this month. It is widely regarded as one of the most important American films. It is also one of the most troubling.
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By Sally Breen, Associate Professor in Creative Writing, Griffith University
Sally Breen wanted to know more about real police work after she met a Queensland top cop who seemed good. The stories she found sit under her skin like lava.
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By Helen Petousis-Harris, Associate Professor in Vaccinology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The World Health Organization is a global body, but decisions affecting New Zealand are made in Wellington, not in Geneva.
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By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney
Molly Saunders, Research Associate, School of Business, UNSW Sydney
We finally have more detail on how Thriving Kids will work. But families of kids with autism and developmental delay may still be wary.
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By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra
John Hawkins, Head, Canberra School of Government, University of Canberra
There has been a spate of articles and commentary in recent days calling on the Australian government to reduce spending.
Those calling for government cuts – mostly long-time advocates of smaller government – claim this would lower inflation, and as a consequence reduce interest rates.
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Thursday, February 5, 2026
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk launched a $400 million appeal on Thursday in Geneva, as his office (OHCHR) continues to operate “in survival mode”.
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By Megan Bryson, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Tennessee
In some cultures, menstruation and childbirth are treated as polluting, not life-giving. One Buddhist text’s interpretation of ‘Blood Pond Hell’ shows how far such beliefs go – and how women respond.
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