Why did Iran bomb Dubai? A Middle East expert explains the regional alliances at play

By Andrew Thomas2

US-Israeli joint strikes on Iran over the weekend have seen war break out in the region once again and the death of Irans supreme leader. Iran has retaliated with volleys of ballistic missiles and drones targeted at...

The Pentagon strongarmed AI firms before Iran strikes – in dark news for the future of ‘ethical AI’

By Bianca Baggiarini

In the leadup to the weekends US and Israeli attacks on Iran, the US Department of Defense was locked in tense negotiations with artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic over exactly how the Pentagon could use the...

The strikes on Iran show why quitting oil is more important than ever

By Hussein Dia

As Israel and the United States strike Iran, global oil markets are on edge. Oil prices have begun rising even before any disruption to supply. Oil traders are factoring in the possibility the Strait of Hormuz might close....

Does international law still matter? The strike on the girls’ school in Iran shows why we need it

By Shannon Bosch

As the US and Israel began their joint assault on Iran, reports emerged from Iran that a strike hit the Shajarah Tayyebeh girls elementary school in the southern city of Minab. The school was reportedly packed with young...

Booked to travel through the Middle East? Here’s why you shouldn’t cancel your flight

By Natasha Heap

Travellers are being advised not to cancel their tickets for flights through the Middle East and check with their airlines, as airspace remains closed indefinitely. If travellers cancel a ticket, they may lose some of...

AI is already creeping into election campaigns. NZ’s rules aren’t ready

By Andrew Lensen

If youre often on social media, youve probably seen it: the deluge of low-quality, artificial intelligence-made material clogging up our feeds. So-called AI slop the Macquarie Dictionarys Word of the Year for 2025 is the...

Failure of US-Iran talks was all-too predictable – but Trump could still have stuck with diplomacy over strikes

By Nina Srinivasan Rathbun

Three rounds of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran failed to persuade President Donald Trump that a solution to the two countrys nuclear impasse lay in diplomacy, rather than military action. A perceived lack of...

Amazon’s Ring wanted to track your pets. It revealed the future of surveillance

By Dennis B Desmond

As a career counterintelligence officer for the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Defense Intelligence Agency, I worked inside a fully integrated intelligence system. Signals intelligence from the National...

Why Trump’s new pick for Fed chair hit gold and silver markets – for good reasons

By Henry Maher

After months of speculation, US President Donald Trump confirmed he will be nominating Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the US Federal Reserve. The appointment has been closely watched in the context of Trumps ongoing...

Rewardy Wallet Integrates 1inch Swap API to Enable Gasless, Optimized Token Swaps

By TokenPost Team

Rewardy Wallet has announced the integration of the 1inch Swap API, bringing optimized, gasless token swaps to users across major EVM-compatible blockchain networks. Through the integration, Rewardy Wallet users can swap...

Tabletop particle accelerator could transform medicine and materials science

By Carsten Welsch

A particle accelerator that produces intense X-rays could be squeezed into a device that fits on a table, my colleagues and I have found in a new research project. The way that intense X-rays are currently produced is...

Yes, there is an AI investment bubble – here are three scenarios for how it could end

By Sergi Basco

Booms and busts are a recurring feature of modern economics, but when an assets value becomes overinflated, a boom quickly becomes a bubble. The two most recent major bubble episodes were the dot-com bubble in the United...

Is space worth the cost? Accounting experts say its value can’t be found in spreadsheets

By Basil Tucker

Since the early days of human space exploration, the endeavour has been haunted by a very good question: why spend so much on space when there are so many urgent problems here on Earth? Its a valid concern, and one that...

Inflation slows again — but is it enough for the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates?

By Stella Huangfu

Inflation is moving in the right direction, but new figures released today may not be soft enough to trigger a cut in official interest rates in August. The Australian Bureau of Statistics released the June quarter...

The ghost of Robodebt – Federal Court rules billions of dollars in welfare debts must be recalculated

By Christopher Rudge

A recent landmark court decision could have significant ramifications for several million social security recipients. The ruling means the federal government will need to recalculate more than A$4 billion in debts owed to...

Want to save yourself from super scams and dodgy financial advice? Ask these questions

By Angelique Nadia Sweetman McInnes

Is there anything you can do to protect your superannuation from dodgy providers or questionable financial advice? And if someone rings you out of the blue and tempts you with a better return on your savings what should...

How do politicians view democracy? It depends on whether they win or lose

By Valere Gaspard

There is a heightened concern about the current state of democracy around the globe. These include worries about a decrease in freedom, the growing number of autocracies around the world and citizens dissatisfaction with...

Iranian Canadians watch the Israel-U.S. war in Iran from afar

By Fateme Ejaredar Et Al

Iranian Canadians have been following the news in Iran carefully. Sadaf Vakilzadeh/Unsplash, CC BY The recent war waged by Israel and the United States on Iran killed at least 935 people and wounded another 5,332. Theres...

How Marvel’s Fantastic Four discovered the human in the superhuman

By J. Andrew Deman

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the second cinematic reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise, and theres a lot riding on this film. While cinema-goers have responded enthusiastically to many of the films in the Marvel...

There’s enough natural hydrogen in the Earth’s crust to help power the green energy transition

By Barbara Sherwood Lollar Et Al

Since their formation billions of years ago, the oldest parts of the Earths continental rocks have generated natural hydrogen in massive amounts. Some of this hydrogen may have accumulated within accessible traps and...

AI will soon be able to audit all published research – what will that mean for public trust in science?

By Alexander Kaurov Et Al

Self-correction is fundamental to science. One of its most important forms is peer review, when anonymous experts scrutinise research before it is published. This helps safeguard the accuracy of the written record. Yet...

How the world’s nuclear watchdog monitors facilities around the world – and what it means that Iran kicked it out

By Anna Erickson

This travel case holds a toolkit containing equipment for inspecting nuclear facilities. Dean Calma/IAEA, CC BY What happens when a country seeks to develop a peaceful nuclear energy program? Every peaceful program starts...

Big Beautiful Bill: Why Donald Trump is obsessed with the manipulative language of size

By Andy Curtis

Small is Beautiful: A Study of Economics as if People Mattered is the title of the highly influential 1973 book written by the German-born British economist E.F. Schumacher. The book marked its 50th anniversary in 2023,...

American science is in crisis. It’s a great opportunity for Australia to snap up top scientists

By Kylie Walker

Science in the United States in in trouble. The National Science Foundation, a key research funding agency, has suffered devastating funding cuts under the current administration. Critics say the cuts risk losing an entire...

Some young people sexually abuse. Here’s how to reduce reoffending by up to 90%

By Jesse Cale Et Al

When we think about whos responsible for sexual abuse in Australia, we usually picture adults. But young people are responsible for a substantial proportion of sexual offences nationwide. Up to a third of all child sexual...

Can a pizza box go in the yellow bin – or not? An expert answers this and other messy recycling questions

By Pooria Pasbakhsh

Have you ever gone to toss something into the recycling bin a jam jar, a pizza box, a takeaway container encrusted with yesterdays lunch and wondered if youre doing it right? Perhaps you asked yourself: should I scrub...

AI is driving down the price of knowledge – universities have to rethink what they offer

By Patrick Dodd

For a long time, universities worked off a simple idea: knowledge was scarce. You paid for tuition, showed up to lectures, completed assignments and eventually earned a credential. That process did two things: it gave you...

As Netanyahu meets Trump in Washington, what hope for peace in Gaza? Expert Q&A

By Jonathan Este

The US government remains upbeat about the prospects for at least a ceasefire in Gaza, according to the latest reports from Washington, where the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been meeting the US...

How to support someone who is grieving: five research-backed strategies

By Lucy Poxon

When someone we care about is grieving the loss of a loved one, our natural instinct is to ease their pain. But when words feel clumsy and gestures fall short, it can be hard to know how to help. Drawing on both my...

Brics is sliding towards irrelevance – the Rio summit made that clear

By Amalendu Misra

The Brics group of nations has just concluded its 17th annual summit in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. But, despite member states adopting a long list of commitments covering global governance, finance, health, AI...

Lost in space: MethaneSat failed just as NZ was to take over mission control – here’s what we need to know now

By Nicholas Rattenbury

This week’s announcement of the loss of a methane-detecting satellite, just days before New Zealand was meant to take over mission control, is a blow to the country’s space research sector. New Zealand invested NZ$29...

NHS ten-year plan for England: what’s in it and what’s needed to make it work

By Judith Smith

The UK government has published its eagerly awaited ten-year health plan for England, setting out how billions of pounds in NHS funding will be used to transform healthcare delivery across the country. As anticipated, the...

Conservatives notch 2 victories in their fight to deny Planned Parenthood federal funding through Medicaid

By Rachel Rebouche

Conservatives have won two important battles in their decades-long campaign against Planned Parenthood, a network of affiliated clinics that are the largest provider of reproductive health services in the U.S. One of these...

One ‘big, beautiful’ reason why Republicans in Congress just can’t quit Donald Trump

By Charlie Hunt

As the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic tax and spending package, many critics are wondering how the president retained the loyalty of so many congressional...

Astronomers have discovered another puzzling interstellar object − this third one is big, bright and fast

By Darryl Z. Seligman

Astronomers manning an asteroid warning system caught a glimpse of a large, bright object zipping through the solar system late on July 1, 2025. The objects potentially interstellar origins excited scientists across the...

6 simple questions to tell if a ‘finfluencer’ is more flash than cash

By Dimitrios Salampasis

Images of flashy sports cars. Lavish lifestyle shots. These are just some of the red flags consumers should watch out for when they turn to social media for financial advice. Consumers should not believe everything they...

NZ will soon have no real interisland rail-ferry link – why are we so bad at infrastructure planning?

By Timothy Welch

Another week, another Cook Strait ferry breakdown. As the winter maintenance season approaches and the Aratere prepares for its final months of service, New Zealand faces a self-imposed crisis. The government has spent...

War, politics and religion shape wildlife evolution in cities

By Elizabeth Carlen

People often consider evolution to be a process that occurs in nature in the background of human society. But evolution is not separate from human beings. In fact, human cultural practices can influence evolution in...

Chatbots are on the rise, but customers still trust human agents more

By Vivek Astvansh

Customers contact companies regularly to purchase products and services, inquire about orders, make payments and request returns. Until recently, the most common way for customers to contact companies was through phone...

What makes a good football coach? The reality behind the myths

By Alan McKay

With Womens Euro 2025 underway, attention is turning not just to the players hoping for glory, but to the head coaches tasked with leading them. These include Englands Sarina Wiegman, who guided the Netherlands to Euro...

A brief history of the slogan T-shirt

By Liv Auckland

You probably have a drawer full of T-shirts. Theyre comfy, easy to style, cheap and ubiquitous. But the T-shirt is anything but basic. For 70 years, theyve been worn as a tool for self-expression, rebellion and protest....

The pandemic is still disrupting young people’s careers

By Sviatlana Kroitar

Unlike previous economic downturns, the COVID pandemic created a crisis that disrupted both education and employment, abruptly halting young peoples emerging careers and clouding their hopes for the future. It doubly...

US Supreme Court ponders the balance of power – and sides with President Trump

By John Stanton

Since his second inauguration in January, Donald Trump has issued more than 160 executive orders. These orders permit the US president to make directives concerning the workings of the federal government without the need...

A new Gaza ceasefire deal is on the table – will this time be different?

By Julie M. Norman

The US president, Donald Trump, says that Israel has agreed to terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. If that sounds familiar, it is. The idea of a two-month truce has been discussed since the collapse of the last...

What MAGA means to Americans

By Jesse Rhodes Et Al

A decade ago, Donald Trump descended the golden escalator at Trump Tower in New York City and ignited a political movement that has reshaped American politics. In a memorable turn of phrase, Trump promised supporters of...

Capitalism and democracy are weakening – reviving the idea of ‘calling’ can help to repair them

By Valerie L. Myers

Ask someone what a calling is, and theyll probably say something like doing work you love. But as a management professor who has spent two decades researching the history and impact of calling, Ive found its much more than...

Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa – what’s behind its bid for soft power

By Issouf Binaté

Turkey is stepping up its influence in west Africa as the geopolitical and economic landscape in the region shifts. In Senegal, the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation has entered a key partnership in the oil and gas...

How Internet of Things devices affect your privacy – even when they’re not yours

By David Sella-Villa

The Internet of Things, which includes wearables, appliances and cars, is collecting an increasing amount of information about you. lupengyu/Moment via Getty Images Some unusual witnesses helped convict Alex Murdaugh of...

Supreme Court rules Trump can rapidly deport immigrants to Libya, South Sudan and other countries they aren’t from

By Eleanor Paynter

Internally displaced people walk along a street in Juba, South Sudan, on Feb. 13, 2025. Brian Inganga/AP Photos For the past several months, the Trump administration has been trying to deport immigrants to countries they...

Charitable giving grew to $593B in 2024, propelled by a strengthening US economy and a booming stock market

By Jon Bergdoll Et Al

Paul Newman, the late actor and philanthropist, co-founded Camp Boggy Creek, which children with serious illnesses and their families attend for free. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack U.S. charitable giving increased 3.3% to...