Con Chronis/AAP, Esther Linder/AAP, Luke Jones/Unsplash, The ConversationThe clock is ticking for the Commonwealth government to strike a new hospital funding deal with state and territory governments before its end-of-year deadline. While states and territories are responsible for running Australia’s public hospitals, funding is split between the ...
Year 12 Students across Australia will receive their ATARs this week and next. It’s a significant moment, with the ATAR often dominating media coverage of schooling at this time of year. But as the 2025 results come in, it’s worth taking a closer look at the ATAR’s evolving role and
Darling Downs Public Health UnitMost Australians have probably noticed the proliferation of tobacconists and “convenience stores” in the last few years. These stores aren’t making much from the limited offerings on public display. Rather, their profitability comes from under-the-counter sales of untaxed tobacco and illegal vapes. The growth of
Dan Gold / UnsplashAs the cold season ends and we fold away our favourite wool jumpers and silk scarves, some fascinating material science is about to unfold quietly in our wardrobes. Subtle chemical and biological processes will decide whether our clothes stay as cosy as ever or emerge next
Getty ImagesThe government’s recently released Tertiary Education Strategy 2025–2030 signals a shift towards harnessing the sector to address New Zealand’s long-standing productivity issues. But the strategy and its goals aren’t necessarily aligned. Universities and polytechnics are now expected to promote innovation, accelerate commercialisation and ...
Trent Haaland/UnsplashTessa McWatt begins her new book, The Snag, on “the last day of the hottest year in recorded history”. In the previous two years, the Guyanese-born author has moved her elderly mother, who has developed dementia, from her beloved home and travelled between the United Kingdom, where McWatt lives
_Homo floresiensis_ skull. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SAAbout 50,000 years ago, humanity lost one of its last surviving hominin cousins, Homo floresiensis (also known as “the hobbit” thanks to its small stature). The cause of its disappearance, after more than a million years living on the isolated volcanic island of Flores,
There are two glaring lessons for politicians from the Anika Wells’ entitlements affair. First, don’t grab greedily at every generous entitlement MPs and especially ministers can get, even if “the rules” allow you to do so. Second, if you do get into trouble, show some humility and apologise
The Greens have suffered a year of significant setbacks. The election saw their numbers go backwards, losing three of their four lower house seats, then one of their senators, Dorinda Cox, defected to Labor. But the year ended on a positive note, with the Greens doing the deal with the
Reforms to Australia’s nature laws have passed federal parliament. A longstanding exemption that meant federal environment laws did not apply to native logging has finally been removed from the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Native forest logging will now be subject to national environmental standards – legally binding rules
Installation view of Westwood | Kawakubo on display from December 7 2025 to April 19 2026, at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Sean FennessyVivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo are two fashion designers who redefined “the look” of fashion on the street from the 1970s onwards. They were born a year
In October, Australia signed an A$13 billion rare earths and critical minerals agreement with the United States. This is designed to boost supply of minerals vital to everything from military technology to clean energy. Australia has large reserves of many of these minerals, while the US is trying to
Con Chronis/AAP, Esther Linder/AAP, Luke Jones/Unsplash, The ConversationThe clock is ticking for the Commonwealth government to strike a new hospital funding deal with state and territory governments before its end-of-year deadline. While states and territories are responsible for running Australia’s public hospitals, funding is split between the ...
Year 12 Students across Australia will receive their ATARs this week and next. It’s a significant moment, with the ATAR often dominating media coverage of schooling at this time of year. But as the 2025 results come in, it’s worth taking a closer look at the ATAR’s evolving role and
Darling Downs Public Health UnitMost Australians have probably noticed the proliferation of tobacconists and “convenience stores” in the last few years. These stores aren’t making much from the limited offerings on public display. Rather, their profitability comes from under-the-counter sales of untaxed tobacco and illegal vapes. The growth of
Dan Gold / UnsplashAs the cold season ends and we fold away our favourite wool jumpers and silk scarves, some fascinating material science is about to unfold quietly in our wardrobes. Subtle chemical and biological processes will decide whether our clothes stay as cosy as ever or emerge next
Getty ImagesThe government’s recently released Tertiary Education Strategy 2025–2030 signals a shift towards harnessing the sector to address New Zealand’s long-standing productivity issues. But the strategy and its goals aren’t necessarily aligned. Universities and polytechnics are now expected to promote innovation, accelerate commercialisation and ...
Trent Haaland/UnsplashTessa McWatt begins her new book, The Snag, on “the last day of the hottest year in recorded history”. In the previous two years, the Guyanese-born author has moved her elderly mother, who has developed dementia, from her beloved home and travelled between the United Kingdom, where McWatt lives
_Homo floresiensis_ skull. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SAAbout 50,000 years ago, humanity lost one of its last surviving hominin cousins, Homo floresiensis (also known as “the hobbit” thanks to its small stature). The cause of its disappearance, after more than a million years living on the isolated volcanic island of Flores,
There are two glaring lessons for politicians from the Anika Wells’ entitlements affair. First, don’t grab greedily at every generous entitlement MPs and especially ministers can get, even if “the rules” allow you to do so. Second, if you do get into trouble, show some humility and apologise
The Greens have suffered a year of significant setbacks. The election saw their numbers go backwards, losing three of their four lower house seats, then one of their senators, Dorinda Cox, defected to Labor. But the year ended on a positive note, with the Greens doing the deal with the
Reforms to Australia’s nature laws have passed federal parliament. A longstanding exemption that meant federal environment laws did not apply to native logging has finally been removed from the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Native forest logging will now be subject to national environmental standards – legally binding rules
Installation view of Westwood | Kawakubo on display from December 7 2025 to April 19 2026, at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Sean FennessyVivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo are two fashion designers who redefined “the look” of fashion on the street from the 1970s onwards. They were born a year
In October, Australia signed an A$13 billion rare earths and critical minerals agreement with the United States. This is designed to boost supply of minerals vital to everything from military technology to clean energy. Australia has large reserves of many of these minerals, while the US is trying to
