• International

    The year of “sportswashing”


    Emily Shelley |  July 5, 2022


    2022 has been the stage for some of the world’s largest sporting events, but from February’s Beijing Winter Olympics to the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar they have been mired in political controversy.


  • Pacific

    Measuring China’s diplomatic reach in the Pacific


    Graeme Smith |  July 5, 2022


    Chinese companies now dominate the construction, energy and mining sectors of many Pacific Island states, increasing that nation’s diplomatic and economic grip on the region.


  • Space

    How an asteroid near-miss shocked the UN


    Sergio Camacho-Lara |  July 5, 2022


    Spurred by a near miss, the world built an alert system to detect #asteroids heading for Earth, but if one were found it’s not clear who would decide what to do next.


Latest Story

  • A world divided between light and dark

    Stefan Wolff     |      July 4, 2022

    The deepening division of the world between liberal democracies around the world and the aggressive dictatorships of Russia and China is forcing non-aligned nations to pick sides.

  • Drive fast, die young

    Ben Knight     |      July 4, 2022

    New research led by UNSW Sydney reveals traffic-related fatalities and injuries are the biggest killers of young people worldwide ­– causing more deaths than communicable and non-communicable diseases or self-harm.

  • Drug regulators in the pocket of the firms they regulate

    Open Forum     |      July 4, 2022

    An Australian investigation has shown how pharmaceutical industry money permeates the globe’s leading regulators, raising questions about their independence after a string of drug and device scandals.

  • Conflict in the South China Sea

    Sascha-Dominik Dov Bachmann     |      July 3, 2022

    China’s bellicose ambitions in the region constitute a real threat to the sovereignty and national security of democratic nations in the Indo-Pacific family.

  • Australians back more defence spending

    Michelle Grattan     |      July 3, 2022

    Australians are becoming more fearful in an insecure world, and want to see the country armed up, favouring more defence spending and the planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.

  • Vive la tour!

    Gaël Gueguen     |      July 3, 2022

    More spectators watch the Tour de France, the world’s greatest cycling race, than any other sporting event. This years tour promises another spectacular festival of racing, but how has it changed over the years?

  • NATO must stand fast against the Russian ogre

    Malcolm Davis     |      July 2, 2022

    While all are too timid to fight for the freedom they profess to support, NATO nations have shown varying degrees of outrage and support for Ukraine’s brave and lonely fight against the marauding Russian ogre, and must redouble their resolve to fight further aggression with more than just brave words.

  • A special envoy to ASEAN?

    Euan Graham     |      July 2, 2022

    Appointing a special envoy to ASEAN would free up more of Penny Wong’s time to devote to the Pacific and Southeast Asia, signalling Australia’s acknowledgement of the region’s importance.

  • Britain gets ready for war

    William Leben     |      July 2, 2022

    Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute’s Land Warfare Conference in London, the British Chief of the General Staff has outlined Britain’s military response to Russian threats of war in response to Britain’s support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

  • A plateful of extinction

    Quentin Read     |      July 1, 2022

    Tough trade-offs for both individuals and societies may be required to balance human health, agricultural economics, and environmental sustainability.

  • How the Chinese silenced Pacific media

    Sue Ahearn     |      July 1, 2022

    Media coverage of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent visit to the South Pacific was effectively silenced, highlighting the fragility of a free media in the region.

  • 25 million answers in eight charts

    Wes Mountain     |      July 1, 2022

    More than 25 million Australians sat down on Tuesday August 20 last year to complete their census, and the results offer a fascinating snapshot into the changing demographics of this country.