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Derryn Hinch was one of the most colourful and controversial broadcasters in Australian media history. He has died at the age of 82 after a long career in public life, spanning more than 50 years of journalism and a three-year stint in the Senate. Working across newspapers, an eponymous TV show and talkback radio, Hinch was dubbed “the human headline” for his ability not just to break news, but to make himself the subject of it. Over the years, he was convincted of being in
contempt of court three times and served two prison sentences. As journalism expert Andrew Dodd, who has had many encounters with Hinch over the years, explains, the veteran journalist was “endlessly outraged and untroubled by the norms of balanced or considered reporting. But also principled in his own way,
especially on the issue of sex crimes and the abuse of children.” And despite a once fearsome reputation, Dodd writes that for those who knew him, Hinch will be remembered as an extremely likeable character who was just as open to receiving criticism as he was ready to provide it.
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Erin Cooper-Douglas
Public Policy Editor
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Andrew Dodd, The University of Melbourne
Larger than life, likeable and untroubled by journalistic ethics, Hinch will be remembered for his heartfelt convictions.
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Best reads this week
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Jessica Genauer, UNSW Sydney
New tit-for-tat airstrikes between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz suggest the ceasefire will not turn into a permanent peace.
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Fron Jackson-Webb, The Conversation; Matt Garrow, The Conversation
Dementia is now the leading cause of death, overtaking heart disease. The Conversation’s experts explain how Australians’ health has changed – both good and bad.
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Drew Rooke, The Conversation
As data centres have grown in size and number in Australia, they have also become the subject of fierce public debate. So what’s the best way forward?
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Zuduo Zheng, The University of Queensland
Autonomous vehicles work much better than many people think – and much worse. Some simple changes to our roads could make them safer.
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Gemma Blackwood, University of Tasmania
Maybe we love Neil because we’re jealous of his freedom
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Podcasts
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Long-time gambling reform advocate Andrew Wilkie says a reason the government is being timid on the issue is because of close relationships with affected industries.
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Gemma Ware, The Conversation
Listen to intellectual property expert Graeme Austin talk about the legal routes celebrites are using to fight back against AI deepfakes.
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Our most-read article this week
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David Roche, University of Technology Sydney; Chris Briggs, University of Technology Sydney; Ed Langham, University of Technology Sydney
Rolling out a new program to encourage electric hot water could slash household costs and cut emissions.
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In case you missed this week's big stories
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Niusha Shafiabady, Australian Catholic University; Md Akhtaruzzaman, Australian Catholic University
The most important lesson for Australia is not to slow digitalisation, but to make it more resilient and remove single points of failure.
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James Dwyer, University of Tasmania
All nuclear powers test missiles. Why do China’s tests provoke such a fierce response?
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Australia rebukes China over a ballistic missile test in the Pacific as the prime minister shores up other relationships in the region.
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Bruce Wolpe, University of Sydney
The US president unleashed grievances against Europe, reopened his bid to claim Greenland and referred to the Iranian leadership as ‘scum’ in wild NATO performance.
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Alan Duncan, Curtin University; Steven Rowley, Curtin University
We are judging the success of Australia’s housing system using the wrong measures.
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Timothy Koskie, University of Sydney
The decision tracks with a long history of editors and journalists being early adopters of tech innovations.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The government believes it can’t allow “the tech bros to let it rip”, as one source puts it. But it can’t allow the country to fall behind the pack either.
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Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Flinders University; Lynette Russell, Monash University; Matthew Cody Nitschke, Flinders University; Sean Ulm, James Cook University; Shane Ingrey, UNSW Sydney
New mathematical modelling shows the first smallpox epidemic among Aboriginal people in the Sydney region may have spread thousands of kilometres and lasted decades.
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Em Murdock, University of California, Berkeley; Lucas Vargas Zeppetello, University of California, Berkeley
Too often, Australian authorities have relied on ad hoc preparations for the droughts and bushfires made more likely by El Niño.
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Leonora Risse, Queensland University of Technology
A survey showed the annual median full-time graduate salary for women was $3,700 less than men’s. Research suggests gender bias might be at play.
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Keith Rathbone, Macquarie University
Infantino’s global game runs on money and power. As they become increasingly concentrated, the possibility for challenging his leadership diminish.
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Your Say
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The articles summarising AIHW's latest health report were interesting and insightful. However, there was a missed opportunity to build on these by exploring the unfair and avoidable inequities in health experienced by particular population groups in Australia, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those living in rural and remote areas, and those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances. These inequities continue to blight Australia's otherwise comparatively good health record, and addressing them will require sustained, cross-government action on the structural, social, and commercial drivers of poor health.
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The testing of ballistic missiles was routine, and we (us Kiwis and you Aussies) should try not to get up the noses of the Chinese too much. Yes, I realise that our leaders think that they have to do a performative criticism of the Chinese to keep the American neocons and MAGAs happy, but let’s not go over the top. Let’s realise that the Americans sometimes choose to elect wrecking balls and one day the Chinese might be all that stand between us and the fate of a Cuba, Iraq, Libya or even a Gaza.
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