By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image Ammunition set out for a mine-risk education event to raise students’ awareness about the threat of landmines and unexploded ordnance from past conflicts, in Shebaa, Lebanon, January 21, 2026. © 2026 Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu via Getty Images (Washington, DC) – The reported plans for the United States Department of Defense to purchase cluster munitions from Israel further weaken global norms that protect civilians from the widely banned weapons, Human Rights Watch said today. If used, these weapons would put civilians at grave risk. The media reported that…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A correctional services department vehicle believed to be carrying Hong Kong publisher and activist Jimmy Lai leaves the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts following Lai's sentencing, Hong Kong, February 9, 2026. © 2026 Chan Long Hei/AP Photo (New York) – The Hong Kong High Court’s sentencing of Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily founder and democracy advocate, to 20 years in prison is a devastating blow to media freedom in the city, Human Rights Watch said today. It is by far the harshest sentence handed down under the National Security Law since the Chinese government…
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Monday, February 9, 2026
A draft amnesty law in Venezuela aimed at granting immediate clemency to people jailed for participating in political protests or criticizing public figures, has been welcomed by a UN commission of experts – although they have emphasised the Venezuelan people need to be at the centre of the process.
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By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato
New Zealand is undertaking the most significant rewrite of firearms law in over 40 years. Overall, it’s a welcome step, as the law was messy and times have changed.
But that’s not to say the proposed law can’t be improved further.
While controls on the kinds of weapons used in the Christchurch terror attack will remain, as will a firearms register, other ways of ensuring public safety must be addressed.
Submissions on the Arms…
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By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University
With billions in Australian taxpayers’ dollars being spent ahead of the Games, what’s the argument for lifting the ban now?
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By Alex Polyakov, Clinical Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne
Prospective parents are being marketed genetic tests that claim to predict which IVF embryo will grow into the tallest, smartest or healthiest child.
But these tests cannot deliver what they promise. The benefits are likely minimal, while the risks to patients, offspring and society are real.
Parents deserve accurate information, not marketing hype, when making profound decisions about their future children.
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By Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology
School is back and, with it, the daily task of packing a lunchbox.
If your child is coming home with uneaten sandwiches, you’re not alone. They’re easy to make and transport, but sometimes the last thing kids (or adults) want to eat.
The food kids eat at school typically provides at least one-third of their daily energy intake. So a nutritious lunchbox is an important way to support their overall health, as well as their focus and…
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By Stephanie Brookes, Senior Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University
Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England
Robert Phiddian, Professor of English, Flinders University
The award-winning cartoonist Jon Kudelka died in Hobart on Sunday, aged 53. Over 30 years, his work resisted the polarisation of the contemporary Australian media.
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By Margarita Vladimirova, Sessional Academic, Faculty of Law, Monash University
Businesses using facial recognition cameras need customer consent – but a new ruling could open a loophole in the law.
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By Darryn Snell, Associate professor, School of Management, RMIT University
Al Rainnie, Adjunct professor, Business, Adelaide University
The urgent need to slash Australia’s carbon emissions is undeniable. But the sluggish transition is making it tougher to offer certainty for workers.
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