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Protection racket or fair medical model? Why the AFL’s illicit drugs policy is a necessary duty of care

By Daryl Adair

Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting off the books illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches under false...

Eating some chocolate really might be good for you – here’s what the research says

By Dan Baumgardt

Although it always makes me scoff slightly to see Easter eggs making their first appearance in supermarkets at the end of December, there are few people who arent delighted to receive a bit of chocolate every year. It...

Updated U.S. law still leaves Indigenous communities in Canada out of repatriations from museums

By Mary Jane Logan McCallum Et Al

A new amendment to the United States Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) came into effect in January 2024. The amended law now has some teeth to penalize museums who have thus far been very slow...

A philosopher makes the case for a thoughtful life – but life is more than a thought experiment

By Oscar Davis

Svend Brinkmanns Think is a book in praise of the thoughtful life and an easygoing exploration of the role of thinking in our lives today. The book is essentially in two parts. The first is descriptive. It explores...

Art depicts Jesus in a loincloth on the cross – the brutal truth is he would have been naked

By David Tombs

When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around his waist. We now know, however, this has more to do with artistic convention than historical accuracy. Featuring a loincloth...

March Madness: The stars of women’s NCAA basketball face high expectations as the sport grows

By Nwakerendu Waboso Et Al

Womens basketball superstars are standing at a crossroads for collegiate basketball, professional womens sport, and the relationship between race and gender more broadly. Last years NCAA womens basketball championship...

Finland is the happiest country in the world – but our research suggests the rankings are wealth and status-oriented

By August Nilsson

Finland steadily ranks as the happiest country in the world. In March 2024 the country was, for the seventh year in a row, ranked as the happiness champion. The ranking is based on one simple question, using a ladder...

US election: two graphs show how young voters influence presidential results as Biden gets poll boost

By Paul Whiteley

American politics is very polarised at the moment, with bitter disagreements between Democrats and Republicans in Congress, in the media and in the presidential campaign. One source of polarisation that is rarely...

South Africa’s electricity crisis: what political parties say in their election manifestos about solving it

By Hartmut Winkler

South Africa is in the middle of a deep electricity crisis. In 2023 the public, many of whom are voters, experienced the worst loadshedding to date, losing power for an average of five hours a day. The power shortages...

Gaza war: is UN security council ‘demand’ for a ceasefire legally binding? Here’s what international law says

By Amanda Cahill-Ripley

Despite the groundbreaking adoption of a UN security council resolution demanding a immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the war continues. The reaction from Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to the passing of the...

Julian Assange: how British extradition law works

By Gemma Davies Et Al

Julian Assange will have to wait a further few weeks to learn whether he can appeal his extradition to the US. The UK High Court has delayed making a decision on the case, giving the US three weeks to provide assurances...

Do employees slack off after receiving their bonuses? Our research tells a more optimistic story

By Argyro Avgoustaki Et Al

The carrot-and-stick approach rewards and punishment is a long-held theory of motivation. It features in some form or other in many animal training, child rearing, and management methods. In modern incarnations applied...

Honey is said to help with hay fever symptoms – here’s what the research says about this claim

By Samuel J. White Et Al

Honey has a long history as a revered natural remedy across many cultures. Ancient civilisations recognised its therapeutic potential, employing it for various medicinal purposes. The ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Chinese,...

Balenciaga and the influence of abstract art

By María Villanueva Fernández

In January, the TV series Cristóbal Balenciaga premiered, a story inspired by the life of the Spanish designer during his time in Paris, beginning when he arrived in 1937. The plot seeks to explore his personality...

Why EU information campaigns are failing to deter migrants from leaving

By Antoine Pécoud Et Al

It was everywhere on the news and social media. In September 2023, 10,000 migrants arrived on the island of Lampedusa, more than doubling the islands population of 6,000 and overwhelming its resources. The migrants mostly...

What your sad desk sandwich says about your working habits

By Jennifer Whillans

Hows that sandwich? If youre munching on a supermarket meal deal while reading this, well, I probably am too. Brits in particular are known for their obsession with sandwiches, which they eat alone while continuing to...

Many drugs are prescribed for conditions they weren’t tested for – here’s what you need to know

By Dipa Kamdar

All prescription drugs need a licence from a regulator to treat a specific condition. But licensed drugs can be prescribed for conditions they havent been tested for in a clinical trial. This is known as off-label...

Chinese acquisitions in the Bordeaux vineyards: have their new owners really been neglecting them?

By Alexandre Bohas Et Al

Since 2012, more than 200 acquisitions have been made by Chinese investors in Bordeauxs prestigious vineyards, mainly from the countrys economic, political and artistic elite. A leading example is Alibaba founder Jack Ma,...

Industry shutdowns are messy and painful: 4 lessons Australia’s coal sector can learn from car-makers about bowing out

By Vigya Sharma

Shifting Australias electricity sector to low-carbon technologies and closing coal plants is vital to tackling climate change. But such transitions are easier said than done. People and economies are often deeply...

We have revealed a unique time capsule of Australia’s first coastal people from 50,000 years ago

By Peter Veth Et Al

Barrow Island, located 60 kilometres off the Pilbara in Western Australia, was once a hill overlooking an expansive coast. This was the northwestern shelf of the Australian continent, now permanently submerged by the...

How Moscow terror attack fits ISIS-K strategy to widen agenda, take fight to its perceived enemies

By Sara Harmouch Et Al

Russia is reeling from the worst terror strike on its soil in a generation following an attack on March 22, 2024, that killed at least 137 concertgoers in Moscow. The attack has been claimed by the Islamic State group....

Australia’s biggest chemist is merging with a giant wholesaler. Could we soon be paying more?

By Angel Zhong

Corporate Australia loves a big merger. And amid a growing flurry of them across the business scene, a new blockbuster has emerged. All eyes are on two titans of the pharmacy industry Chemist Warehouse and Sigma...

We’ve taken smoking from ‘normal’ to ‘uncommon’ and we can do the same with vaping – here’s how

By Carolyn Holbrook Et Al

Vaping is a pressing public health issue. While adult smoking rates continue to fall, vaping rates are rising. Seven per cent of adults now vape daily, up nearly three-fold since 2019. Most alarmingly, the rate of daily...

We created a VR tool to test brain function. It could one day help diagnose dementia

By Joyce Siette Et Al

If you or a loved one have noticed changes in your memory or thinking as youve grown older, this could reflect typical changes that occur with ageing. In some cases though, it might suggest something more, such as the...

‘The ghost has taken the spirit of the Moon’: how Torres Strait Islanders predict eclipses

By David Bosun Et Al

Its eclipse season. The Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned so its possible for the Earth and Moon to cast each other into shadow. A faint lunar eclipse will occur on March 25, visible at dusk from Australia and eastern...

ISIS-K’s attack in Moscow risks escalating the Russia-Ukraine war

By Michael Brundage

A music concert in suburban Moscow became the scene of a bloody terrorist attack on March 22 as gunmen with automatic weapons and Molotov cocktails killed more than 130 people and injured dozens more. Immediately after...

Alien invasions, a lesbian road movie and tropical architecture – the best things to watch and do this week

By Anna Walker

This article was first published in our email newsletter Something Good, which every fortnight brings you a summary of the best things to watch, visit and read, as recommended and analysed by academic experts. Click here...

An eclipse for everyone – how visually impaired students can ‘get a feel for’ eclipses

By Cassandra Runyon Et Al

Many people in the U.S. will have an opportunity to witness nearly four minutes of a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024, as it moves from southern Texas to Maine. But in the U.S., over 7 million people are blind...

What happens to F1 drivers’ bodies, and what sort of training do they do?

By Dan van den Hoek Et Al

Various forms of motorsport are passionately followed around the world, and the pinnacle of the sport is Formula 1 a fast-paced battle between drivers and teams with some of the most finely engineered vehicles in the...

Conspiracy theorist tactics show it’s too easy to get around Facebook’s content policies

By Amelia Johns Et Al

During the COVID pandemic, social media platforms were swarmed by far-right and anti-vaccination communities that spread dangerous conspiracy theories. These included the false claims that vaccines are a form of...

NZ is in recession – so far there are few signs the government has a plan to stimulate and grow the economy

By Grant Duncan

If you live in New Zealand and youre feeling poorer, youre not imagining it. Stats NZ has revealed the economy was in recession over the second half of last year. GDP fell in the September and December quarters by 0.3% and...

The stakes could not be higher as Canada sets its 2035 emissions target

By Christopher Campbell-Duruflé

The Government of Canada is in the midst of a public engagement on the 2035 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. The timeline is short, and the stakes could not be higher. According to Section 7 of the Canadian...

Ethnic diversity is still a serious issue at the top level in accounting firms

By Zvi Singer

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the lack of diversity in workplaces, particularly in terms of ethnic and gender diversity. To address this, many companies have taken action by adjusting their...

The ideal James Bond is an actor on the cusp of superstardom – as film history shows

By James Chapman

More people have walked on the Moon than have played James Bond, so its no wonder that the suave secret agent with a licence to kill is one of the most coveted roles in cinema. The casting of a new 007 always grabs the...

Even presidents need a touch of madness − in March

By Daniel Palazzolo

Why would a president faced with lingering inflation at home and wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, among other problems, take time out to participate in the annual sports fans ritual of March Madness? The madness...

AI’s excessive water consumption threatens to drown out its environmental contributions

By Joyeeta Gupta Et Al

Water is needed for development, production and consumption, yet we are overusing and polluting an unsubstitutable resource and system. Eight safe and just boundaries for five domains (climate, biosphere, water,...

This is how President Ramaphosa got to the 25% figure of progress in land reform in South Africa

By Johann Kirsten Et Al

Nearly three decades into democracy, land reform remains central to South Africas transformation policies and agricultural policy. We have over the years pointed out that the progress on land reform has been incorrectly...

The Program: Netflix show exposes the dark side of America’s ‘troubled teens’ schools

By Sarah Golightley

A new Netflix documentary series, The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping, about the troubled-teen industry, is laying bare the way teenagers with so-called behavioural issues are systematically abused and tortured in the...

Gaza war: if there’s a lesson from the Berlin airlift it’s that political will is required to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe

By Claudia Milena Adler Et Al

The crisis in Gaza transcends mere statistics to reveal a deep human tragedy that continues to escalate. According to the latest figures from the Gaza health ministry, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 30,000...

Six innovative ways to float skyscraper-sized wind turbines

By Emma C. Edwards

Yes, you read that right float. You may have seen a wind turbine in the sea before, but chances are you were looking at a fixed turbine that is, one that sits on top of a foundation drilled into the seabed. For the new...

How do halibut migrate? Clues are in their ear bones

By Charlotte Gauthier

Rising temperatures, changes in major currents, oxygen depletion at great depths: the Gulf of St. Lawrence has undergone major changes in its environmental conditions in recent decades. That has put many species in danger...

Elon Musk says ketamine can get you out of a ‘negative frame of mind’. What does the research say?

By Julaine Allan

X owner Elon Musk recently described using small amounts of ketamine once every other week to manage the chemical tides that cause his depression. He says its helpful to get out of a negative frame of mind. This has...

What Article 23 means for the future of Hong Kong and its once vibrant pro-democracy movement

By Michael C. Davis

Lawmakers in Hong Kong passed new security legislation on March 19, 2024, handing authorities in the semi-autonomous city-state further power to clamp down on dissent. The law, under Article 23, has been decades in the...

Supreme Court lets Texas’ immigration law stand, intensifying fight between Texas and the US government over securing the Mexico border

By Mark P Jones

The U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion on March 19, 2024, that Texas can at least for now have state authorities deport undocumented migrants, which has traditionally been the federal governments...

Bill C-372: Banning fossil fuel ads does not go far enough

By Peter Dietsch

When the New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus proposed private members bill C-372 in February to ban fossil-fuel advertising it is unsurprising that he struck a nerve with many. After all, standing up to fossil fuel...

How ‘social financing’ could help fund higher education for under-represented students

By Shelley Legin Et Al

Canadas new international student cap will likely have a significant impact on universities, which are already facing financial pressures and other challenges related to artificial intelligence and climate change all...

Can AI improve football teams’ success from corner kicks? Liverpool and others are betting it can

By Mark Scanlan

Last Sunday, Liverpool faced Manchester United in the quarter finals of the FA Cup and in the final minute of extra time, with the score tied at three-all, Liverpool had the crucial opportunity of a corner kick. A goal...

Liberalism is in crisis. A new book traces how we got here, but lets neoliberal ideologues off the hook

By Jane Goodall

What is post-liberalism? That is no simple question, though the simplest responses are given by those who identify with it as a movement. Adrian Pabst, author of the most influential book on the subject, proposes it as...

Japan has abandoned decades of pacifism in response to Ukraine invasion and increased Chinese pressure on Taiwan

By Paul O'Shea Et Al

Russias invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza, have left tens of thousands dead and sent shockwaves across Europe and the Middle East. But brutal and tragic as they are the wars in Ukraine and Gaza are regionally...

Smart rings’ ultra-precise movement tracking take wearable technology to the next level

By Horia Maior Et Al

There is a lot of hype about smart rings right now Samsung is due to release a Galaxy ring, and there is unsubstantiated speculation that Apple is considering a ring too. But why would you want a smart ring in the first...

Judas and the economics of betrayal

No one remembers the names of the soldiers who arrested Jesus, or the civil servants who organised his crucifixion. But Judas Iscariot has not been forgotten, and will forever be associated with treachery and...

Toyota Motor's Global Sales Decline 7% in February

08:41 AM| Business

Toyota Motors global sales dropped 7% in February from a year earlier, impacted by various factors across key markets. Toyotas performance was notably affected by a sharp decline in China due to the Lunar Year holidays and...

E-Commerce Clash Escalates in S. Korea Between Coupang and AliExpress

06:41 AM| Business

Within hours of Coupangs announcement of a 3 trillion won investment plan to expand the Rocket Delivery service nationwide by 2027, AliExpress responded. The Alibaba Group-owned AliExpress extended its commission-free...

In the fog of the video streaming wars, job losses and business closures are imminent

By John J Oliver - 12:06 PM| Business Technology

Prussian general and military theorist Carl von Clausewitz presented the concept of the fog of war in 1832. It is a phrase that has become synonymous with the uncertainty and confusion of military battle. But this...

Top Stories

Why do identical informal businesses set up side by side? It’s a survival tactic – Kenya study

By Tim Weiss - 05:06 AM| Insights & Views Business

The population on the African continent will have nearly doubled by 2050, according to UN projections. About 800 million more young Africans will enter the job market by then. Combine this forecast with the high youth...

US calls for UN vote on immediate ceasefire in Gaza – what this shift says about America’s relationship with Israel

By Natasha Lindstaedt - 05:07 AM| Insights & Views

The United States has significantly shifted its position on Gaza by submitting a UN security council resolution calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, tied to the release of the hostages kidnapped by...

Industrialisation is still vital to economic development but some countries are struggling to reap its benefits

By Jostein Hauge - 05:07 AM| Insights & Views Economy

Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the US, wrote a wealth of reports that served as building blocks for the countrys economic system. In 1791, during his time as secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton...

Food prices will climb everywhere as temperatures rise due to climate change – new research

By Jessica Boxall Et Al - 05:09 AM| Insights & Views Life Economy

Climate change, and specifically rising temperatures, may cause food prices to increase by 3.2% per year, according to a new study by researchers in Germany. As climate change continues to worsen, this price inflation will...

Generative AI could leave users holding the bag for copyright violations

By Anjana Susarla - 05:09 AM| Insights & Views Technology

Generative artificial intelligence has been hailed for its potential to transform creativity, and especially by lowering the barriers to content creation. While the creative potential of generative AI tools has often been...

Why March Madness is a special time of year for state budgets

By Jay L. Zagorsky - 05:12 AM| Insights & Views Sports

March Madness the time when the best mens and womens college basketball teams challenge each other is a made-for-television spectacle watched by millions. While March Madness has been around for decades, one of the...

US election: turning off TikTok is a big risk for the Democrats

By Thomas Gift - 11:50 AM| Insights & Views Politics

Popular social media platform TikTok stands accused of holding US data in China, fostering censorship, and spreading disinformation. Its popularity poses a dilemma for US politicians, but especially Democrats who have...

Econotimes Series

Economy

Why China’s economy has hit a wall

Chinas annual parliamentary meetings in Beijing came to a close on March 11. They were conducted under great pressure: a weak economy and high expectations from both the domestic public and international observers as to...

Vladimir Putin’s gold strategy explains why sanctions against Russia have failed

There are more than 16,000 sanctions imposed against Russia. Yet the Russian economy and war machine grew by 3.6 per cent in 2023 and is projected to grow another 2.6 in 2024. Nearly six per cent of Russias gross...

Mentorship is key to improving social and economic outcomes for Black youth

Black youth in Canada experience poorer educational achievement than other children and youth, which leads to subsequent poor economic outcomes. A series of problems and barriers contribute to poor educational outcomes....

There’s an extra $1 billion on the table for NT schools. This could change lives if spent well

The federal and Northern Territory governments have just made a historic funding announcement of about A$1 billion for schools in the territory. This includes an extra $737.7 million from the federal government and an...

Undersea cables for Africa’s internet retrace history and leave digital gaps as they connect continents

Large parts of west and central Africa, as well as some countries in the south of the continent, were left without internet services on 14 March because of failures on four of the fibre optic cables that run below the...

Politics

Chinese Hackers Target US Officials and Dissidents in Cyber Espionage Scheme

Seven nationals of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) face charges for a long-term cyber espionage campaign targeting political dissidents and officials in the US, marking a significant escalation in international cyber...

SpaceX Builds Spy Satellites for US; Russia Warns of Military Response

Russia has issued a stark warning to the United States, stating that the use of SpaceXs satellites for espionage could render them targets for military action. This follows revelations that SpaceX is constructing a spy...

Deepfakes are still new, but 2024 could be the year they have an impact on elections

Disinformation caught many people off guard during the 2016 Brexit referendum and US presidential election. Since then, a mini-industry has developed to analyse and counter it. Yet despite that, we have entered 2024 a...

Political donations rules are finally in the spotlight – here’s what the government should do

Australias political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its plan. Greater...

With nominations decided, Trump leads Biden in US polls

Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a majority of all delegates to their parties conventions, including delegates not yet...

Science

How do airplanes fly? An aerospace engineer explains the physics of flight

Airplane flight is one of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century. The invention of the airplane allows people to travel from one side of the planet to the other in less than a day, compared...

The mystery of consciousness shows there may be a limit to what science alone can achieve

The progress of science in the last 400 years is mind-blowing. Who would have thought wed be able to trace the history of our universe to its origins 14 billion years ago? Science has increased the length and the quality...

What is minoxidil, the anti-balding hair growth treatment? Here’s what the science says

Hair loss (also known as alopecia) often affects the scalp but can occur anywhere on the body. Its very common and usually nothing to worry about; about half of Australian men show signs of visible baldness at age 50 and...

Our survey of the sky is uncovering the secrets of how planets are born

When we look out to the stars, it is typically not a yearning for the distant depths of outer space that drives us. When we are looking out there, we are truly looking back at ourselves. We try to understand our place in...

Archeoastronomy uses the rare times and places of previous total solar eclipses to help us measure history

Total solar eclipses have fascinated and terrified people for centuries. Today, we know that total solar eclipses like the upcoming eclipse on April 8 are caused by a cosmic coincidence when the moon comes between the...

Technology

Shiba Inu's Burn Rate Soars by 1,200%, BTC Eyes $80K Pre-Halving Rally

The Shiba Inu community witnesses a staggering 1,200% spike in its burn rate, fueling optimism for a bullish rally, while experts predict Bitcoin (BTC) will approach $80,000 ahead of its next halving. Shiba Inus Burn...

Take-Two Interactive Buys Gearbox Entertainment Company From Embracer

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. announced it is acquiring Gearbox Entertainment, which the Embracer Group is slashing from its portfolio. The New York-based video game holding firm said the deal is valued at $460...

Xiaomi Revs Up: SU7 Unveiled, Set to Outpace Tesla, BYD with Sub-500K Yuan Price Tag

As Xiaomi ventures into electric vehicles, it positions itself in Chinas competitive EV sector, focusing on pricing and market disruption. The debut of its first electric vehicle, the SU7, marks a significant move after...

Ferrari, SK On Join Forces to Develop Next-Generation Supercar Batteries

Ferrari NV, an Italian luxury sports car maker, has teamed up with SK On, a South Korean electric vehicle battery manufacturer, to produce next-generation batteries. The partners will work on producing eco-friendly...

Shiba Inu Surges with $219M Whale Activity, Vitalik Buterin Highlights SHIB

Shiba Inu (SHIB) experiences a significant boost with $219 million in whale transactions, as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin makes surprising comments about the meme coins resilience. Shiba Inu Witnesses Major Surge...
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