Shots fired in the Himalayas: a dangerous development in the China-India border standoff

By Stephen Peter Westcott

In the midst of all the stories about Chinas oppression in Hong Kong and Xinjiang and its expulsion of foreign journalists, a recent clash on its border with India may pose the greater threat to Asian security. For the...

Relax, losing access to China won't make us the 'poor white trash of Asia'

By John Quiggin

In another round of the increasingly bitter exchanges between China and Australia, a columnist for Chinas Global Times, Yu Lei, suggested that a further decoupling from China will make former Singapore Prime Minister Lee...

Breaking the law over Brexit: how the UK is playing dirty in EU talks

By Simon Sweeney

The UK government seems to be doubling down on threats to leave the European Union without a deal unless the EU gives in on issues of state aid and fisheries. These two concerns are as important in Brussels as they seem to...

Coronavirus: why aren’t death rates rising with case numbers?

By Danny Dorling

It is a conundrum. For much of the past two months, many people have been convinced that mortality associated with COVID-19 would rise as the number of people testing positive with the disease increased. But this has not...

US-China decoupling and coronavirus: why 2020 upheaval won't kill globalisation

By Niccolò Pisani

The sudden stop of the global economy in 2020 has brought to everyones attention the interconnectedness of supply chains across countries and continents. Add to this the mounting tensions between the US and China, with...

What BTS breaking Billboard 100 means for pop as the industry knows it

By Kim-Marie Spence

K-pop supergroup BTS made pop history on August 31 when it became the first Korean group to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 with their first wholly English-language single Dynamite. The song topped...

Neuralink: brain hacking is exceptionally hard, no matter what Elon Musk says

By Andrew Jackson

If thoughts, feelings and other mental activities are nothing more than electrochemical signals flowing around a vast network of brain cells, will connecting these signals with digital electronics allow us to enhance the...

Why the UK government is paying social media influencers to post about coronavirus

By Elvira Bolat

Social media influencers are often seen as lazy freelancers who make a living being paid to pretend they like products. But these celebrities are more than just marketing vehicles. If used properly, they can be effective...

China's leaders are strong and emboldened. It's wrong to see them as weak and insecure

By Saul Eslake

Theres an emerging view that Chinas belligerent approach and torching of diplomatic relationships with the wider world is a sign of insecurity and weakness; that its economic growth is unsustainable; and that everyone in...

Beyond long-term care: The benefits of seniors' communities that evolve on their own

By Catherine Donnelly Et Al

The global COVID-19 pandemic has shown Canadians that we need to think differently about how we support older adults. The media and all levels of government have focused heavily on long-term care, and rightly so. However,...

Now we'll need $100-$120 billion. Why the budget has to spend big to avoid scarring

By Brendan Coates Et Al

Australia is in for a long and damaging economic slump, unless governments inject substantially more fiscal stimulus. The July budget update forecast that unemployment would hit 9.25% in coming months. The Treasury...

Comic-Con@Home: Virtual comics event declared a failure by industry critics, but fans loved it

By Benjamin Woo Et Al

With the vast majority of North Americas thousand-plus fan conventions cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual conventions (called cons) have been a bright spot for fans in an otherwise bleak year. Although...

How behavioural science can help us understand human behaviour during a pandemic

By Benjamin (Ben) Voyer

When the day comes that the Covid-19 pandemic recedes, one of things that will remain with us is witnessing our fellow humans irrational and sometimes extreme behaviour and perhaps our own as well. These included...

Why businesses embrace populists and what to do about it: lessons from Hungary

By Gabor Scheiring

The coronavirus crisis has revealed the weaknesses of some populist leaders such as Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil or Donald Trump in the US, yet others are emerging stronger than ever. And they have some unlikely...

Smart speakers have overcome privacy fears to give new sales power to Amazon and Google

By Greig Paul

With everyone spending so much time at home during the pandemic, smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Nest ranges have had a golden opportunity. In their latest attempt to make the devices as relevant as...

Government algorithms are undermining democracy – let's open up their design to the people

By Mhairi Aitken

Algorithms appear to be in retreat in the UK for now. Not only did national governments recently U-turn over their use of algorithms to assign the grades of school leavers, but numerous local authorities have also...

As concerns mount over integrity of US elections, so does support for international poll monitors

By Timothy Rich

With the U.S. presidential election approaching, Americans face a daunting set of challenges as they prepare to vote. Many voters fear the coronavirus will force them to risk their lives at the polls. Yes, voting by...

Coffee, coronavirus and the uncertain future of high street cafe culture

By Jennifer Ferreira

Before coronavirus hit, the UK had a thriving coffee shop culture, with around 26,000 coffee shops across the country. But by the end of March 2020 many coffee shops were closed, or only open for takeaway. Up to 92% of...

Portland and Kenosha violence was predictable – and preventable

By Cynthia Miller-Idriss

The U.S. reached a deadly moment in protests over racial injustice, as back-to-back shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Portland, Oregon, on Aug. 25 and 29 took the lives of three people and seriously injured...

How the government can drive medical innovation amidst the pandemic

By Jeffrey Clemens

The current COVID-19 pandemic, the largest public health crisis in a century, threatens the health of people across the globe. The U.S. has had the most diagnosed cases surpassing 6 million and more than 180,000...

TikTok suicide video: it's time platforms collaborated to limit disturbing content

By Ariadna Matamoros-Fernández Et Al

A disturbing video purporting to show a man committing suicide is reportedly doing the rounds on the popular short video app TikTok, reigniting debate about what social media platforms are doing to limit circulation of...

If reducing harm to society is the goal, a cost-benefit analysis shows cannabis prohibition has failed

By Alexander Gillespie

The case for a referendum on New Zealands cannabis law was already urgent in 2015 when the supposedly more pressing issue was whether we should change the flag. As I argued at the time, prohibition had failed and was...

Coronavirus nanoscience: the tiny technologies tackling a global pandemic

By Josh Davies

The world-altering coronavirus behind the COVID-19 pandemic is thought to be just 60 nanometres to 120 nanometres in size. This is so mind bogglingly small that you could fit more than 400 of these virus particles into the...

Nearly a century ago, a QAnon-like conspiracy theory propelled candidates to Congress

By Sophie Bjork-James

Marjorie Taylor Greenes Republican congressional primary win in Georgia ensures, in all likelihood, that the heavily Republican district will be represented by a QAnon conspiracy theorist in the 117th Congress. But...

Foreign agriculture investments don't always threaten food security: the case of Madagascar

By Wegayehu Fitawek Et Al

Large-scale land acquisitions have been increasing in developing countries following the 2007/8 high food price crisis. Countries with limited agricultural potential, like Gulf states, have been driving foreign...

How social media are levelling Kenya's political field -- and lessons learnt

By John Ndavula

Social media have opened up spaces for political candidates to engage with voters in more direct ways compared to traditional forms of campaigns such as rallies, billboard advertising, and the legacy media. Social media...

Ant Group: why America is missing out on the biggest IPO in history

By Daniel Broby

The US capital markets are being shunned by the largest initial public offering in history. This is an indirect result of the recent China-baiting by US politicians, led by Donald Trump. Ant Groups US$200 billion (168...

How foreign countries can help Indonesia's economy recover from COVID-19 downturn

By Eko NM Saputro

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the Indonesia economy. The latest data showed minus 5.32% economic growth in the second quarter. To recover from this downturn, Indonesia needs every assistance available,...

Neuralink put a chip in Gertrude the pig's brain. It might be useful one day

By Angela Renton

A recent demonstration video released by Elon Musks firm Neuralink might not look like much at first. In the video, a pig named Gertrude eats snacks from a persons hand, while an accompanying computer screen displays blue...

If Facebook really pulls news from its Australian sites, we'll have a much less compelling product

By Rob Nicholls

Facebook will ban publishers and people in Australia from sharing local and international news on Facebook and Instagram if a proposal to force tech giants to pay for news becomes law, the tech giant has announced. The...

Shame and fear: lessons to learn as COVID-19 collides with a growing HIV epidemic in Indonesia

By Keerti Gedela Et Al

The nation with the worlds fourth-largest population, Indonesia, has become a target of criticism for its poor COVID-19 mitigation response that does not value policy advice from external experts. This has contributed to...

NBA teams boycott playoff games in response to Jacob Blake police shooting

By Vinu Selvaratnam

Earlier this year, the basketball season went on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association reached a deal to restart on July 30, and among the conditions embedded...

The China-US rivalry is not a new Cold War. It is way more complex and could last much longer

By Nick Bisley

The author will be leading on online discussion through La Trobe University today on the threat of a new Cold War between China and the US, with former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and China Matters director Linda Jakobson....

TikTok is a unique blend of social media platforms – here's why kids love it

By Kevin Munger

TikTok, a social media platform targeted at young mobile phone users, was the second-most downloaded app in the world in 2019. It was the most downloaded app in July 2020. Its also become a geopolitical football. Owned...

Urban farming: four reasons it should flourish post-pandemic

By Dan Evans

Since lockdown, public interest in growing fruit and vegetables at home has soared. Seed packets are flying off shelves and allotment waiting lists are swelling, with one council receiving a 300% increase in applications....

What is DeFi and why is it the hottest ticket in cryptocurrencies?

By Jeremy Eng-Tuck Cheah

One area in cryptocurrencies attracting huge attention is DeFi or decentralised finance. This refers to financial services using smart contracts, which are automated enforceable agreements that dont need intermediaries...

Trouble at the mall as landlords and tenants ponder mutually assured destruction

By Matthew Bailey

This is not a bluff, Scott Evans, the chief executive of Mosaic Brands, has said of his threat to permanently close 300 to 500 stores in Australia unless landlords reduce rents. Mosiacs network of about 1,300 apparel...

Why freedom of religion will likely not trump public health interests with a future COVID-19 vaccine

By Renae Barker

Religious objections to vaccinations have been around almost as long as vaccinations themselves. This week, three leading Australian religious figures have written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlining ethical...

How a fake 'free speech crisis' could imperil academic freedom

By Hannah Forsyth

Forceful suppression of political and scholarly views in universities has a long and shameful history. University of Cambridge Chancellor John Fisher was hanged, drawn and quartered for failing to support Henry VIIIs great...

Why police unions are not part of the American labor movement

By Paul F. Clark

In the wake of George Floyds death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, news reports have suggested that police unions bear some of the responsibility for the violence perpetrated against African...

Coronavirus reinfection – what it actually means, and why you shouldn't panic

By Zania Stamataki

Scientists in Hong Kong have reported the first confirmed case of reinfection with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, reportedly backed up by genetic sequences of the two episodes of the 33-year-old mans infections in...

Mauritius oil spill: how coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass could be affected

By Sivajyodee Sannassy Pilly Et Al

Sometimes bad things happen in the worst possible places like the MV Wakashio running aground on shallow reefs off the south-east coast of Mauritius on July 25. The wreck of the bulk carrier ship began leaking oil in...

Government to recruit 500 more reservists in $1 billion accelerated defence spend to support jobs

By Michelle Grattan

The Morrison government is accelerating and repurposing defence spending in a A$1 billion boost to support about 4,000 jobs and assist small and medium-sized businesses in the defence industry supply chain. In several...

Vaping increases risk of coronavirus – here's the science

By Deirdre Gilpin

By now, we are all familiar with guidance on how to reduce your risk of contracting coronavirus: wash your hands, wear a mask, social distance. But heres another important piece of advice: dont vape. Smoking has been...

Federal Court finds border closures safest way to protect public health in Clive Palmer case

By Anne Twomey

Clive Palmers legal challenge to the Western Australian border closures seems less likely to succeed after findings made by the Federal Court. Palmer started his case in the High Court, arguing the Western Australian...

4 reasons why a gas-led economic recovery is a terrible, naïve idea

By Samantha Hepburn

Australias leading scientists today sent an open letter to Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, speaking out against his support for natural gas. Finkel has said natural gas plays a critical role in Australias transition to...

AI technologies — like police facial recognition — discriminate against people of colour

By Jane Bailey Et Al

Detroit police wrongfully arrested Robert Julian-Borchak Williams in January 2020 for a shoplifting incident that had taken place two years earlier. Even though Williams had nothing to do with the incident, facial...

The government has thrown another $171 million at the problem. But a real plan for aged care has been missing all along

By Joseph Ibrahim

As deaths in aged care continue to rise, the community may find the Morrison governments announcement of an additional A$171.5 million to boost its response to COVID-19 in residential aged care reassuring. The package...

Michelle Obama's necklace and the power of political jewellery — from suffragettes to a secretary of state

By Elizabeth Shaw

The necklace worn by Michelle Obama while addressing the Democratic National Convention a fine gold chain spelling out the word VOTE in spaced, sans serif letters has gone viral. Made by a small company owned by Chari...

What defunding the police could mean for missing persons

By Lorna Ferguson Et Al

In the wake of sustained protests and calls to defund police forces, cities across North America have been busily engaging in police reform. While this is a development some might applaud, its imperative to remember...