
20 June 2025
Speaking out from within: Jewish voices confront Israeli aggression
As Israel's military campaign in Gaza reaches unprecedented levels of destruction, a global wave of protest has emerged.

20 June 2025
Now is the time for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza
Israel recently launched a brutal new offensive in Gaza, followed by an expanded ground offensive, killing and injuring thousands of beleaguered Palestinians.

20 June 2025
The FICAC Commission of Inquiry fiasco in Fiji
What started out as a trivial story barely worthy of public attention has grown into a full-blown crisis for the Sitiveni Rabuka-led government in Fiji.

In June, support independent media with a one-off tax-deductible donation
For the month of June Pearls and Irritations is running a fundraising campaign through the Australian Cultural Fund. Your donation will support the development of content for topics of particular of interest to Australia - Palestine, China, Climate Change and Immigration Policy and the development of a Young Writer's Handbook to encourage new young writers.
Please make your tax deductible one-off donation here.
Donate
20 June 2025
The United States must not be part of Israel's unlawful war on Iran
The US Constitution is crystal clear: there can be no offensive use of military force — against Iran or any other country — without an explicit authorisation from Congress. No such authorisation exists, and any US involvement would, therefore, be illegal.

20 June 2025
Strategic security partnerships in the region
In reading analyses of how we can develop the seemingly logical argument by Paul Keating and others that Australia should be seeking its security in Asia rather than from Asia, the issue of official and personal contact in building such ties always seems to be neglected.

20 June 2025
Patrick Lawrence: World’s most dangerous man and his enabler
Netanyahu has craved this war with Iran for decades, always justifying his psychotic lust by way of endless lies and an apparently bottomless paranoia.

20 June 2025
Humanitarian visa processing – Is it who you know, rather than what you know? Part 2
Is this how we want our visa processing system to run?

20 June 2025
Australian net-zero projects to be rated to prevent greenwashing
Environmental projects will be analysed and rated in Australia in a move experts say could prevent greenwashing and encourage international investments.

20 June 2025
Job and the point of a good life
Job is not a manual for how to live well. It’s a reflection on why one would want to.

20 June 2025
People of Pacific Rim say 'no' to US-China war
The Pacific and Pacific Rim countries have a geographical commonality. They are encircled by, or have a border with, the vast, blue, peaceful Pacific Ocean.

19 June 2025
The hazards of Albanese's 'progressive patriotism'
John Menadue is absolutely right to point to regrettable omissions in Prime Minister Albanese’s 10 June speech at the National Press Club – its failure to say anything about reinvigorating a needy Australian democracy.
Latest on Palestine and Israel

20 June 2025
Speaking out from within: Jewish voices confront Israeli aggression
As Israel's military campaign in Gaza reaches unprecedented levels of destruction, a global wave of protest has emerged.

20 June 2025
Now is the time for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza
Israel recently launched a brutal new offensive in Gaza, followed by an expanded ground offensive, killing and injuring thousands of beleaguered Palestinians.

19 June 2025
Stop Netanyahu before he gets us all killed
We could soon see several nuclear powers pitted against each other and dragging the world closer to nuclear annihilation.

17 June 2025
Imposing meaningful sanctions against Israel is not difficult
For decades, the Israeli Government has revealed itself impervious to pressure from international bodies like the United Nations and the International Criminal Court of Justice.

17 June 2025
Why targeted measures on Israeli officials won’t stop the war in Gaza
On 14 June 2025, five Western nations — Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Norway, and the United Kingdom — jointly imposed sanctions on two senior Israeli ministers: Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

16 June 2025
Australian society and the conflict for Palestine
Australia’s symbolic actions on Palestine may not change the course of the conflict, but they matter deeply at home.

15 June 2025
Sanctioning Ben-Gvir and Smotrich is but a tiny, sad step in ending the Gaza massacre
Alas and alack! Woe be unto us, for we have sinned: Five countries have imposed sanctions on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The war in Gaza will now stop immediately, and maybe the occupation, too, certainly the apartheid.

13 June 2025
A naval force to escort humanitarian aid is an act of peace
In honour of a brave Gazan fisherwoman Madleen Kulab, the international aid boat of the same name was turned back to an Israeli port.

Israel's war against Gaza
Media coverage of the war in Gaza since October 2023 has spread a series of lies propagated by Israel and the United States. This publication presents information, analysis, clarification, views and perspectives largely unavailable in mainstream media in Australia and elsewhere.
Download the PDFLatest on China

20 June 2025
People of Pacific Rim say 'no' to US-China war
The Pacific and Pacific Rim countries have a geographical commonality. They are encircled by, or have a border with, the vast, blue, peaceful Pacific Ocean.

18 June 2025
Australia’s defence and intelligence agencies are US outposts
More than ever, Australia should have the objective capacity to determine its own defence and intelligence requirements, instead of being heavily influenced by American interests and perspective.

17 June 2025
China is increasingly present in US Latin American backyard
From the time when US President James Monroe announced what has become known as the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, warning European states to stay out of the hemisphere, the US has considered Latin America to be its backyard.

Support our independent media with your donation
Pearls and Irritations leads the way in raising and analysing vital issues often neglected in mainstream media. Your contribution supports our independence and quality commentary on matters importance to Australia and our region.
DonateMore from Pearls and Irritations
Latest letters to the editor
Progressive patriotism and vision
Wes Mason — Gisborne
Prescient speech by Tulsi Gabbard
Geoff Taylor — Perth
Cometh the moment, cometh the man
Bob Pearce — Adelaide SA
John Tons, it's not 'problems' that are wicked
Stephen Saunders — O'Connor