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Australian military assets, including about 85 defence personnel, will soon be deployed to the Middle East.
The Australian surveillance aircraft and air-to-air missiles will help the United Arab Emirates defend itself against attacks from Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.
This is not a combat role, military analyst Peter Layton writes. This same aircraft was deployed on dozens of similar missions near Ukraine last year to help NATO monitor Russian activities.
The Albanese government has also stressed the "defensive" nature of the deployment. It says 115,000 Australians are in the Middle East, including 24,000 in need of protection in the UAE.
But, Layton warns, the deployment comes with risks. It could enmesh Australia in yet another Middle Eastern conflict, particularly if it’s viewed by Iran as active support for the US-Israeli air offensive, or if the US calls on Australia to help in other efforts.
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Justin Bergman
International Affairs Editor
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Peter Layton, Griffith University
Even though the deployment is defensive in nature, it could still be seen by Iran as support for the US-Israeli air offensive.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The Nationals leader quits after an extended period of turmoil for his party and the Coalition.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The Reserve Bank’s Andrew Hauser told The Conversation’s podcast that inflation is likely to be higher than projected before the war in the Middle East broke out.
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Locky Xianglong Liu, Victoria University; James Giesecke, Victoria University; Jason Nassios, Victoria University
The last cut in the fuel excise cost $5 billion. A temporary tax on gas exports could provide more targeted relief for households.
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Giselle Woodley, Edith Cowan University; Megan Lim, Burnet Institute
New rules aimed at protecting kids online are now in force, and a major porn company has all but shut down its Australian presence instead.
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Catherine Ordway, UNSW Sydney; Leila Khanjaninejad, University of Technology Sydney
Five Iranian soccer players have been granted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia. How did it get to this and what happens next?
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Dennis Altman, La Trobe University
MAGA mouthpiece and kingmaker Tucker Carlson was an early voice on the Mexico wall, Putin, Orban and South Africa – as well as RFK Jr and Tulsi Gabbard. What next?
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Steven Roberts, Monash University
Theroux’s new Netflix documentary exposes the ‘manfluencers’ profiting off male grievance – and hurting men and women in the process.
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Ben JJ Walker, UNSW Sydney
Animals on land and sea use sound for different purposes – and alterations in their environment can change the effect it has.
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Politics + Society
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Karoline Thomsen, UNSW Sydney; Douglas Guilfoyle, UNSW Sydney
Many Polymarket users won huge sums by correctly predicting when the US would strike Iran. Welcome to the gamification of information warfare.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
News of the defections came as the government announced the deployment of an E-7A Wedgetail to the gulf.
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Grant Duncan, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The report will inevitably be politicised. But it serves a useful function by airing grievances that will reemerge during any future public-health emergency.
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Health + Medicine
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Kristen Foley, Torrens University Australia; Belinda Lunnay, Torrens University Australia; Paul Ward, Torrens University Australia
Alcohol labels using artwork, imagery and symbols are designed to appeal to women. Here’s why that’s a problem.
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Rina Wong (Fu), Curtin University
Constantly having headphones on can make your ear canal hot and humid, upsetting the bacteria balance in your ear. Here’s what to look out for.
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David Murdoch, University of Otago
The second COVID inquiry report reinforces that pandemics are not only health emergencies but also social crises, requiring attention to cohesion and equity.
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Business + Economy
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Simon McKirdy, Murdoch University; Lotti Tajouri, Bond University; Murdoch University; Rob Emery, Murdoch University
As a dried plant product, illegal tobacco is a biosecurity risk in its own right. With tonnes of it arriving undetected, these tiny pests may be hitchhiking in too.
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Education
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Goutam Roy, Charles Sturt University; Shukla Sikder, Charles Sturt University
Parents do not need to be experts to help build their child’s science skills at home.
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Environment + Energy
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Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Swinburne University of Technology
Oil is a key feedstock for everything from plastics to cosmetics. Over time, we’re likely to see less oil burned for transport – and more used to make products.
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Nic Rawlence, University of Otago; Kane Fleury, Tūhura Otago Museum; Manaia Pearmain-Fenton, University of Otago
Debates over responsibility for past species loss generate heat but little light. Moving forward requires context, evidence and Indigenous knowledge.
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Books + Ideas
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Bronwyn Lea, The University of Queensland
Are judges of literary awards and fellowships now being asked to assess not just the work, but the writer too?
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What are men so afraid of?
“On reading your article on the Taliban’s war on women I found myself returning to a question I’ve long had: why are men so afraid of women that they feel compelled to control them? Across cultures and centuries the excuses vary — religion, tradition, morality, 'protection' — but the pattern is the same: restrict women’s education, movement, work and voice. The one consistent factor is that men have historically held the advantage in physical strength and have built systems that entrench that power. But it still feels like fear. Fear of losing authority, status, and control. What makes it so baffling is how self-defeating it is. Societies that educate women
and treat them as equals are healthier, wealthier and more stable. When half the population is suppressed, everyone loses. The tragedy in Afghanistan is not just the suffering of women and girls, but the deliberate crippling of an entire society.”
Karyn Siegmann
Here comes the sun
“There is constant surveillance on the rising costs of oil and gas due to geopolitical issues and other concerns. It's pleasing to note the cost of sunlight hasn't risen and it isn't controlled or affected by geopolitical issues.”
Dr Jeff Barker, Palm Beach, QLD
We'd love to hear from you. You can email us with your thoughts on our stories and each day we'll publish an edited selection.
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