When Dr Elias Munshya reflects on his three years as Zambia’s High Commissioner to Australia and New Zealand, one moment stands out above all others. In a Sydney classroom, he watched as children painted the Zambian flag, asking him about the bird on its crest and the bold colours of […]
Politics
Jobs, security and climate change dominated talks between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his British counterpart Sir Keir Starmer in London last week, as the two leaders sought to cement a modern agenda for the Australia–UK relationship. Meeting just days after Albanese’s appearance at the UN General Assembly in New […]
Victoria has become the first state in Australia to formally table treaty legislation in parliament, marking a historic step towards recognising and empowering the state’s First Peoples. The Statewide Treaty Bill was introduced in parliament on Tuesday afternoon. If passed, it will enshrine the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria as […]
The news of the largest-ever class action settlement in Australian history seems, in many ways, like the only fitting bookend to the awful ordeal of Robodebt. Some A$548 million (including legal and administrative costs) will be paid to more than 433,000 victims, once the settlement is approved by the Federal Court. It’s undoubtedly a win […]
Australia has watched on as authorities have searched for Dezi Freeman, a so-called “sovereign citizen” accused of killing two police officers in the regional Victorian town of Porepunkah. The case has put the spotlight on the sovereign citizen, or “sovcit”, movement and its extreme, often conspiratorial, anti-government ideology. It would be […]
The Albanese government is bringing forward by three months to October 1 implementation of its 5 per cent deposit guarantee for all first home buyers purchasing properties up to a specified limit. The universal guarantee was an election promise. The bring-forward, from January 1, is part of a flurry of […]
The bizarre summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska should sway all but the most credulous doubters that the White House is more interested in friendly relations with Russia’s dictator than achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine. An abridged program saw the two leaders swiftly conclude the meeting earlier than […]
A neo-Nazi march through Melbourne’s CBD this weekend has sparked outrage, with Premier Jacinta Allan condemning the “goons” behind the demonstration. Around 100 people, dressed in black with face coverings, marched through the streets early on Saturday morning, making their way down Bourke Street before eventually dispersing at Flagstaff Gardens. […]
A new vision for Middle East peace emerged this week which proposes the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza and the West Bank, the disarming and disbanding of Hamas and the creation of a unified Palestinian state. The plan emerged from a “high-level conference” in New York on July 29, which assembled representatives of 17 […]
The world’s highest court says countries are legally obliged to prevent harms caused by climate change, in a ruling that repudiates Australia’s claims it is not legally responsible for emissions from our fossil fuel exports. The landmark ruling overnight by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will reverberate in courts, parliaments and […]
