Heading on an overseas holiday? The Australian dollar tumbled this week – but that’s not bad news for everyone

By Mark Crosby

This week, the value of the Australian dollar fell to 62 US cents, its lowest level since October 2022. The acute cause? A revelation by the United States Federal Reserve that it expected interest rates to bottom out at...

AI can’t do your Christmas shopping just yet – but next year might be different

By Jon Whittle

Im a computer scientist and a bad Christmas shopper. Over the weekend, I wondered whether AI systems might be able to help me out. Could I just prompt ChatGPT to pick a personalised gift for my cousin Johnny and have it...

Palestinian Christians call on western churches to ‘humanize’ the children of Gaza

By Jane Barter

The human rights group, Amnesty International, recently issued a report concluding that Israels actions in Gaza constitute a genocide. The war in Gaza has led to widespread calls for a ceasefire. This situation, and its...

Beware of bad customers – and 3 other ways small and medium businesses can thrive in 2025

By Antje Fiedler Et Al

There is no denying times have been tough for small and medium-sized businesses, and 2025 is not looking that much better. Gross domestic product per capita is continuing to decline in both Australia and New Zealand....

Holidays help us rest and recover. But Greeks and Romans weren’t always convinced

By Konstantine Panegyres

The Greek philosopher Plutarch of Chaeronea (1st-2nd century AD) observed that our lives are divided between relaxation and exertion. For example, there are times when we are working and times when we are on holidays....

Beyond checking a box: how a social licence can help communities benefit from data reuse and AI

By Stefaan G. Verhulst

The original excitement about the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on developed countries is shifting toward how AI might influence developing nations. The Economist recently ran a cover story extolling the...

How the Elon Musk-Vivek Ramaswamy DOGE initiative could help Americans dodge red tape

By W. Dominika Wranik Et Al

Donald Trumps proposed new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is already earning praise and criticism in the United States weeks before the president-elects inauguration. So far, theres only vague information on...

Trump’s tariff threat is a sign that Canada should be diversifying beyond the U.S.

By Eric Chi

United States President-elect Donald Trump has announced a 25 per cent tariff on Canada and Mexico if border control and illegal drugs coming into the U.S. arent curtailed. Both federal and provincial leaders have been...

More spending and weaker revenue hits budget bottom line in some years: Chalmers

By Michelle Grattan

Wednesdays mid-year budget update will downgrade company tax receipts by $8.5 billion over the four years to 2027-28, and show slippage in the bottom line in some years of the forward estimates, Treasurer Jim Chalmers...

FBI director guides the agency in confronting complex international threats, investigating federal crimes and running 55 field offices

By Javed Ali

Mention the FBI, and many older Americans will likely think of a time when the agency was run by J. Edgar Hoover, who spent much of his nearly half-century tenure at the agency harassing political dissidents and abusing...

Why Scottish salmon’s rebrand may end up harming the integrity of a top export and hurting producers

By ManMohan S. Sodhi

Scottish farmed salmon was the UKs top food export last year, ending up in restaurants and on dinner tables all over the world. But also in 2023, the industry trade body Salmon Scotland sought to drop the word farmed from...

Protesting farmers are having to fight off the radical right, conspiracy theorists and climate sceptics

By Tom Carter-Brookes

Thousands of farmers travelled to London on November 19 to protest the new governments first budget and its imposition of new inheritance tax rules. Nearly a month later, on December 12, there was another protest, this...

St John’s wort: six drug interactions you should know about

By Dipa Kamdar

St Johns wort is an herbal supplement that has been used for centuries to boost mood. Even today, many people use it as a natural treatment for mild to moderate depression. St Johns wort contains several active compounds,...

Exercise boosts memory for up to 24 hours after a workout – new research

By Mikaela Bloomberg

Whats good for your heart is good for your brain. Just as physical activity helps keep our bodies fit and strong as we age, it also helps maintain our cognitive function and is even linked with lower dementia risk. Yet...

Western self-sufficiency in computer chips is just not going to happen

By Howard Yu

American microchip giant Intel is looking for a new CEO following Pat Gelsingers shock resignation. This represents more than just a corporate shake-up. Its the end of an era in which one company could totally control a...

Trump wants China’s help in making peace in Ukraine. He’s unlikely to get it

By Stefan Wolff Et Al

US president-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinas president Xi Jinping to his inauguration on January 20 in a surprise move which appears to be part of a plan to involve Beijing in ceasefire negotiations in...

Response to CEO killing reveals antipathy toward health insurers − but entire patchwork system is to blame for ill feeling

By Simon F. Haeder

The U.S. health care system leaves much to be desired. It is convoluted, fragmented, complex and confusing. Experts have also raised concerns about quality, and disparities are rampant. And, of course, it is excessively...

Stop and think: An undervalued approach in a world that short-circuits thoughtful political judgment

By Robert B. Talisse

Whens the last time you saw a pundit pause? When President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter, who was convicted of three felony charges, the pardon was startling because Biden repeatedly pledged before the election that...

Brain inflammation may be the reason behind muscle fatigue after infection and injury

By Diego E. Rincon-Limas Et Al

Infectious or chronic diseases such as long COVID, Alzheimers disease and traumatic brain injury can cause inflammation in the brain, or neuroinflammation, that weakens muscles. While scientists are aware of this link...

Rail disruption in the UK is so common that the economic damage it causes is barely noticed – but change is possible

By Feng Li

Recent disruption to Britains rail network, caused by a fault in its outdated nationwide radio system, was more than just an inconvenience for thousands of commuters. It was a stark reminder of how far the UK has fallen...

Earning half the minimum wage: new report reveals pressures on artists to sustain creative life

By Margaret Heffernan

Artists are generally thought of as either starving in a garret (La Bohème and all that) or jammy millionaires producing works valued at eye-watering sums (hello Damien Hirst). But the reality of life in the visual...

Who is Syria’s new prime minister – and what will he do?

By Scott Lucas

Dressed in a modest grey suit and tie with a light blue shirt, bald and bearded, 41-year-old Mohammed al-Bashir addressed his fellow Syrians on Tuesday from behind a desk in an empty conference room. Asking for stability...

Why AI eyes-open meditation apps could do more harm than good for your mental health

By Emma Palmer-Cooper Et Al

Easy, portable and convenient. The latest AI-powered wellbeing and meditation apps may sound like the ideal solution for those looking for peace in a chaotic world, but can an AI app really replace the expertise of a human...

South Africa’s low-cost housing model is broken – study suggests how to fix it

By Adrino Mazenda

The backlog of subsidised public housing in South Africa is estimated at 2.4 million. In this interview, Hlengiwe Maila, a research fellow at the School of Public Management and Administration at the University of...

Will we have a COVID wave, spike or blip this Christmas? It depends where you live

By Laura Nicole Driessen

As the holiday season approaches, COVID cases are rising again in Australia, particularly in Victoria and Tasmania. This is now the fourth year running with a summer rise of COVID, and the second year with a roughly...

Many people don’t get financial advice even though it can help ensure a comfortable retirement

By Antonia Settle

This article is part of The Conversations Retirement series where experts examine issues including how much money we need to retire, retiring with debt, the psychological impact of retiring and the benefits of getting...

Rising desertification shows we can’t keep farming with fossil fuels

By Jack Marley

Three-quarters of Earths land has become drier since 1990. Droughts come and go more often and more extreme with the incessant rise of greenhouse gas emissions over the last three decades but burning fossil fuels is...

Air pollution has contributed to 16 million deaths in India in the past decade – new study

By Petter Ljungman Et Al

Several schools in Delhi close during winter for at least two weeks because of high air pollution levels. Every winter, widespread crop burning in north India and weather conditions add to the already high air pollution...

Can the UK’s ‘Online Safety Act’ tame the hidden violence in leisure communities?

By Kristine De Valck

The UKs new Online Safety Act, programmed for implementation in the second half of next year, could reshape how social media platforms deal with harmful online content. This legislation aims to protect users by requiring...

Freemasons, homosexuals and corrupt elites in Cameroon – inside an African conspiracy theory

By Peter Geschiere Et Al

An unusual and fascinating new book has been written by two anthropologists, called Conspiracy Narratives from Postcolonial Africa: Freemasonry, Homosexuality, and Illicit Enrichment. It explores an ongoing conspiracy...

15% of global population lives within a few miles of a coast − and the number is growing rapidly

By Arthur Cosby Et Al

Coastal populations are expanding quickly around the world. The rise is evident in burgeoning waterfront cities and in the increasing damage from powerful storms and rising sea levels. Yet, reliable, detailed data on the...

US role in Syria is unclear in wake of Assad’s fall from power

By Jordan Tama

As a new government is set to form in Syria following a sudden coup earlier this week, the United States response to the political upheaval appears uncertain. Rebel groups unexpectedly overthrew Syrias longtime leader,...

Why being forced to precisely follow a curriculum harms teachers and students

By Cara Elizabeth Furman

In teaching, fidelity refers to closely following specific procedures for how to teach a lesson or respond to student behavior. For example, following a curriculum to fidelity might mean a teacher is required to read from...

Ghana’s election system keeps women out of parliament. How to change that

By Gretchen Bauer Et Al

Voters in Ghana elected the countrys first woman vice president, Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, in early December 2024. Voters also elected John Mahama as president, a man who had served as president before, from 2013 to...

We’ve found an answer to the puzzle of how the largest galaxies formed

By Annagrazia Puglisi

It is as humbling as it is motivating to think about how much we still have to learn about the universe. My collaborators and I have just tackled one of astrophysics enduring mysteries: how massive elliptical galaxies can...

The hidden benefits of birdsong

By Natalia Zielonka Et Al

Imagine youre walking across rolling hills that stretch for miles, with warm sunshine and the chirping of birds all around. This peaceful and serene scene is an increasingly rare one in the modern world. Our natural...

Poliovirus found in wastewater in Spain, Germany and Poland – what you need to know

By Mariachiara Di Cesare Et Al

In 1988, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for the global eradication of polio. Within a decade, one of the three poliovirus strains was already virtually eradicated meaning a permanent reduction of the disease...

Israel government’s boycott of left-wing Haaretz newspaper is understandable for an administration in wartime

By Ori Wertman

At a recent conference held in London by Israels longest-running newspaper, Haaretz, the publisher Amos Schocken who is known for his critical stance towards Israels treatment of Palestinians argued that the Palestinians...

Russia and Ukraine face off at European security conference as all sides wait for Trump presidency

By Stefan Wolff Et Al

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) marks the 50th anniversary of its foundation next year. Last week, after months of wrangling, its 57 members meeting in Malta managed to agree on a new...

The UK’s booming creative industries could employ even more people – if they attract fresh international investment

By Jonathan Jones Et Al

The UKs creative industries are an economic success story, contributing 124.6 billion to the countrys economy in 2022 around 6% of the total. These industries, which include film, TV and publishing, grew by more than 50%...

Kenya has moved people out of the country illegally: what the law says about extraordinary rendition

By Oscar Gakuo Mwangi

Kenya has been accused by various non-state and state actors of supporting extraordinary rendition, which refers to the secret transfer of people from one country to another without due process of law and against their...

Louis Vuitton, Notre Dame and the quest for ‘secular immortality’

By Ben Voyer

The reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris has recalled debate over the 200 million contribution of Frances Bernard Arnault, the CEO of the LVMH luxury group, to its restoration. Announced in the hours after fire devastated the...

Global trade in wild animals is soaring – South Africa’s laws aren’t doing enough to prevent harm

By Neil D’Cruze Et Al

The quantity and complexity of commercial wildlife trade laws has grown globally over the past century. A new study examines wildlife trade laws in 11 countries and finds that a countrys Global Biodiversity Index does not...

Moroccan schools are fuller thanks to cash grants. The problem now is the quality of their education – study

By Jules Gazeaud Et Al

Reprinted by permission from VoxDev The spread of conditional cash transfer programmes in low- and middle-income countries has been described as perhaps the most remarkable innovation of recent decades in welfare...

Our analysis of wealth trends suggests Australia’s middle class may be ‘shrinking’

By Melek Cigdem-Bayram Et Al

There are growing concerns about wealth inequality in Australia and what it means for peoples ability to get ahead. For many, home ownership has become a pipe dream. Huge numbers of Australians now feel the cards are...

If ‘correlation doesn’t imply causation’, how do scientists figure out why things happen?

By Hassan Vally

Most of us have heard the phrase correlation does not equal causation. But understanding how scientists move beyond identifying correlations to establish causation remains a mystery to many. Finding out what causes a...

Crisis accommodation is failing women fleeing domestic violence. Here’s how to fix it

By Anastasia Powell

Every day in Australia, thousands of people call a family violence crisis support line. Often, its someone experiencing family violence who fears for their safety and needs support to leave immediately. These calls are...

Chinese security companies are putting boots on the ground in Myanmar. It could go disastrously wrong

By Adam Simpson1

Just as the legal noose tightens on the leader of Myanmars military junta, with a request for an arrest warrant from the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the Chinese government seems to be extending a...

‘Pressure makes diamonds’: how Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout can get even faster

By Chris Gaviglio Et Al

At just 16 years of age, Gout Gout captured the worlds attention with his record-breaking performance at the Australian National All-Schools Championships. He ran an extraordinary 20.04 seconds for the 200m, breaking a...

Canadian policymakers should avoid handling Trump 2.0 like another pandemic

By Kevin Quigley

Since Donald Trump won the recent United States presidential election, Canadian policymakers are trying to anticipate a variety of plausible scenarios to deal with an unpredictable leader and his intentions on everything...