By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Same-sex couples share a slow dance after exchanging vows at a commitment ceremony in Quezon City, Philippines, on February 14, 2026. © 2026 Jyor So/ZUMA via Reuters In a watershed moment for same-sex couples in the Philippines, the Supreme Court ruled on February 5 that a cohabiting same-sex partner has co-ownership rights to property they helped acquire during the relationship.The case involved a lesbian couple who bought property together but registered it under one partner’s name to facilitate the sale. When they separated, the partner whose name was on…
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By Nina Srinivasan Rathbun, Professor of International Relations, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto; USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
The US administration may sense that Iran is weak and ready to do a deal. But negotiations could be undone by intransigent red lines.
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By Eef Hogervorst, Professor of Biological Psychology, Loughborough University
A major US study links air pollution to Alzheimer’s risk in older adults. With fine particles far exceeding safe limits globally, the findings carry urgent implications.
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By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute
Mia Jessurun, Associate, Disability Program, Grattan Institute
Before COVID, Australia reached its target of 95% of one-year-olds fully immunised. Now, lower coverage means more babies are at risk of whooping cough and measles.
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By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney
While accused Bondi gunman Naveed Akram’s case is among the worst of the worst, his severe incarceration has a flow-on effect to non-violent inmates nationally.
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By Katherine Sundermann, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning and Design, Monash University
Rather than selling off land to private developers, the government has better options. A policy from the 1990s provides a guide.
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By Owen Atkin, Director of the ANU Agrifood Innovation Institute, Australian National University
Adrienne Nicotra, Professor of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, the Australian National University, Australian National University
Belinda Medlyn, Distinguished Professor, Ecosystem Function and Integration, Western Sydney University
Michael Kearney, Professor in Ecophysiology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Melbourne
During Australia’s unprecedented heatwave in late January, air temperatures reached 50°C in inland South Australia.
Days of sustained heat and hot nights did real damage. A flying fox colony was all but wiped out in South Australia, while Western Australian mango growers suffered
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By Grace Waye-Harris, Early Career Researcher in History, Adelaide University
For the medieval knight, armour was essential. It provided protection on the battlefield and signified status and rank.
As the medieval period came to a close, Renaissance ideals of peace and diplomacy prevailed and the need for battle-hardened knights disappeared. But armour remained an important symbol of elite masculinity, thanks to its association with chivalry, honour and knighthood.
Ceremonial armour became a requisite for noblemen and was worn at events such as tournaments and parade entries.
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By Mauricio A. Garcia-Barrera, Professor of Psychology, University of Victoria
Cole J. Kennedy, CIHR Scholar, PhD Candidate, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria
Grace C. Warren, Master of Science student, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria
An estimated 22.5 per cent of people experiencing homelessness live with moderate or severe brain injuries — a rate nearly 10 times higher than the general population.
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By Matevz (Matt) Raskovic, Professor of International Business & Strategy, Auckland University of Technology
New Zealand remains among the ‘cleanest’ countries in the world for perceived corruption. But a deeper trend suggests government action is needed.
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