15 June 2025
PM Albanese promises to restore trust in democracy
But his record does not give grounds for confidence. In his National Press Club address, PM Albanese referred to the trust deficit in other democracies such as the US. The clear inference is that Australia does not have a “trust” deficit.
15 June 2025
Why Australia needs a defence minister
The Virgina class submarine has been repurposed since the Republicans took the White House. So, Australia’s biggest ever military project has entered another stratosphere of farce.
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.
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
15 June 2025
Environment: WA addicted to producing, burning and exporting gas
Albanese government eager to support WA’s gas addiction. Tasmania’s natural environment trashed by deer and loggers. Globally, one square kilometre of trees cleared every 10 minutes. Ecological and spiritual values converge in Chinese temples.
15 June 2025
Perhaps Marles should ask the US why it is building up forces around China
It now seems taken for granted that Australia needs to spend a lot more on its military.
15 June 2025
US progressives say stop supporting 'rogue genocidal regime' as Israel wages illegal war on Iran
Trump must act immediately to suspend all military support to Israel and stop allowing US arms to fuel war crimes, mass civilian death, and regional collapse, said one critic.
14 June 2025
Australian Honours: review
Twice a year Government House issues a list of those awarded an honour within the Australian Honours system. The vast majority of those awarded are clearly worthy of recognition, but each time the list appears there is a level of contention.
14 June 2025
Tasmania in the news for all the wrong reasons
It’s rare that the biggest news in Australian politics emanates from Tasmania.
14 June 2025
Israel's attack on Iran: Nothing good will come of it
Israel has been itching for years to attack Iran, citing its nuclear facilities as an existential threat.
14 June 2025
Biden’s advisers hid his decline – and the media didn’t dig hard enough
Last week, President Donald Trump ordered an investigation into “who ran the United States while President Biden was in office”, alleging top aides masked the “cognitive decline” of his predecessor. The announcement referenced revelations in a new book by journalists Jake Tapper (CNN) and Alex Thompson (Axios).
14 June 2025
Tax concessions for super do not need a major rethink
Chris Murphy’s article in The Conversation on 3 June calling for a rethink of superannuation tax arrangements misrepresents the Henry Review’s recommendations for taxing super and overlooks the subsequent measures taken by the Gillard and Turnbull Governments.
Latest on Palestine and Israel
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.
12 June 2025
Why does international justice fail to prosecute war criminals in Gaza?
Is documentation enough to achieve justice? Since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023, human rights organisations have relentlessly documented severe violations.
12 June 2025
Genocide by starvation
This is the end. The final blood-soaked chapter of the genocide. It will be over soon. Weeks. At most.
11 June 2025
Palestine and the gravitational politics of erasure
What we are witnessing in Gaza is not only a genocide of lives, but a systematic campaign to obliterate a people’s cultural identity, memory and future.
9 June 2025
Palestinian genocide gets some big-screen time
Films and the internet are proving to be a valuable way for the message of the Palestinian struggle to be publicised.
8 June 2025
Gaza conditions 'worse than hell on Earth': Red Cross chief
We cannot continue to watch what is happening, said Mirjana Spoljaric. It's surpassing any acceptable legal, moral, and humane standard.
7 June 2025
Talk of a two-state solution may not go much further
A two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian problem has not been mentioned for ages, but was revived recently. However, it may end with just that – talk.
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
14 June 2025
The cultural and linguistic roots of protest in China
In 1760, the newly established Qing Dynasty was looking to expand Chinese territory by claiming the region of Xinjiang. Many Chinese intellectuals and scholars opposed this.
14 June 2025
Observations from Xinjiang
Having been fortunate enough to have made three separate trips to Xinjiang over 15 years, I believe some observations may be of interest to P&I readers.
13 June 2025
AI and robotics expected to play a big role in China’s next 5-year plan
China is likely to leverage advanced technology to boost manufacturing, achieving self-sufficiency while becoming an indispensable exporter.
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
Harrowing climate impacts of Labor's decisions
Amy Hiller — Kew
Remember the way NZ was expelled from ANZUS?
Bruce Wearne — Ballarat Central
Honour for Morrison, dishonour for Australia
Richard Barnes — Melbourne
LULUCF and the Emperor’s new clothes
Chris Young — Surrey Hills, Vic