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Kate Macdonald

Kate Macdonald

Associate Professor, Political Science, The University of Melbourne
I joined the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne in January 2009. Before coming to Melbourne, I did my DPhil in the Department of International Development at Oxford (jointly supervised in the Department of Politics and International Relations), and I worked as a Fellow of Government (Global Politics) at the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the Australian National University and a Research Officer at the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University.

My research focuses on transnational governance and accountability systems, especially in relation to transnational business regulation, and accountability in the international development sector. I have conducted research and consultancy work on these topics for a range of Australian and international organisations including the Forest Stewardship Council, Amnesty International, ActionAid Australia, Oxfam Australia and the UK’s Corporate Responsibility Coalition, and I am currently on the advisory board of the Jubilee Australia Research Foundation.

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Economy

Oil Prices Climb as Middle East Tensions Escalate and Ceasefire Prospects Fade

Oil prices moved higher in Asian trading on Friday as renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raised concerns about global crude supply. The latest gains came after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based...

Gold Prices Slide as Strong Dollar and Rate Concerns Pressure Bullion

Gold prices moved lower during Asian trading on Friday, extending weekly losses as investors shifted toward the U.S. dollar amid growing concerns over inflation and interest rates. Market participants are also closely...

US Employment Growth Likely Slowed in May as Labor Market Remains Stable Amid Oil Price Pressures

The U.S. labor market likely maintained its resilience in May, although job growth is expected to have moderated after two months of stronger gains. Economists believe the latest employment data will show that hiring...

South Korea Weighs AI Profit Sharing as Samsung and SK Hynix Earnings Surge

South Koreas Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon has called for a national discussion on how to distribute the extraordinary profits generated by the countrys booming artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industries....

BOJ June Rate Hike Likely as Inflation Risks Rise Amid Middle East Tensions

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is widely expected to raise interest rates at its June 16 policy meeting, unless a major escalation in the Middle East conflict triggers severe market disruption, according to sources familiar with...

Politics

Trump Team Rejects BBC Financial Data Request in $10B Lawsuit

US President Donald Trumps legal team has declined to provide financial records requested by lawyers representing the BBC in an ongoing $10 billion defamation lawsuit, according to a report published Friday by the...

Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill Nine Palestinians as Ceasefire Efforts Remain Stalled

At least nine Palestinians, including five members of the same family, were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Thursday, according to local health officials. The latest Gaza attacks highlight...

Netanyahu Faces Growing Voter Backlash in Northern Israel Ahead of 2026 Election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing declining political support in northern Israel, a region heavily affected by Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks, according to a recent poll conducted by Agam Labs at the...

AMLO Accuses U.S. of Interference as Mexico-U.S. Tensions Escalate in 2026

Former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has accused the United States of using interventionist and unscrupulous practices to strengthen Mexicos right-wing opposition and weaken the countrys...

Australia Passes Major Tax Reform Bill to Boost Housing Affordability and Cut Taxes for Workers

Australias House of Representatives has approved a landmark tax reform bill that represents the governments most significant overhaul of the tax system in decades. The legislation, designed to improve housing affordability...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Switch Eyes Multi-Billion-Dollar Funding Round at $50 Billion Valuation Ahead of Potential IPO

Data center operator Switch is reportedly in discussions to raise billions of dollars in a new funding round that could value the company at more than $50 billion, according to a report from The Information. The potential...

Jensen Huang Strengthens Nvidia’s South Korea Ties Amid AI Expansion

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to make his second visit to South Korea in just seven months, underscoring the countrys growing importance in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. Beyond high-level business...

Meta Delays Release of New AI Model as API Rollout Remains Uncertain

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) has reportedly postponed the release of its latest artificial intelligence model to developers several times, with no confirmed launch date currently in place. According to a Wall Street...

Meta Challenges Australia’s Proposed Tech Tax, Citing U.S. Trade Agreement Concerns

Meta has intensified its opposition to Australias proposed tax on major technology companies, arguing that the measure could violate the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement and create new tensions between the...

CrowdStrike Beats Q1 FY2027 Expectations, Raises Outlook Despite After-Hours Stock Decline

CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ: CRWD) delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2027 results, driven by accelerating demand for AI-powered cybersecurity solutions. The company reported robust revenue growth,...
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