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Australian Palestinian farm in the occupied West Bank raided by Israeli settlers
Australian citizen, Palestinian farmer and vigneron Sari Kassis, whose family company Domaine Kassis wines sells both locally and overseas, has reported that over the past two weeks there has been a rapid increase in destructive raids on his farm by the Israeli “Hilltop Youth”.
 
                  
                1 November 2025
Of social cohesion, belonging and the Australian flag
Until recently, “social cohesion” was a term rarely uttered by Australian politicians. Then suddenly, it was everywhere – in press conferences, speeches and ministerial statements. But what does it actually mean?
 
                  
                1 November 2025
'Forget subsidies': Solar-battery hybrids can deliver 'incredibly competitive' power for big industry
The developer of what stands to be Australia’s biggest battery says the new breed of hybrid solar and storage projects, starting to dominate the national renewables pipeline, can power new and existing industrial energy needs at an “incredibly competitive” cost – and without government handouts.
 
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                1 November 2025
Understanding Australia-China research mobility
Australia’s research partnership with China is a significant component of its scientific output, particularly in engineering, technology and applied sciences.
 
               
                
                
                1 November 2025
Trump's IMO veto exposes Australia's maritime blind spot
Protecting Australia’s sovereignty was a central justification for Anthony Albanese's critical minerals deal with Donald Trump.
 
               
                
                
                1 November 2025
Yes – he's a dictator
The latest polling from the Public Religion Research Institute provides a stunning reflection on how Americans now regard Trump.
 
               
                
                
                1 November 2025
The Australian moment is now
History, it could be convincingly argued, is a series of pivot points. It is rarely a progression of a sequence of events, but rather a series of critical moments where multiple pathways are made available and the eventual outcome is determined by the decisions that are made in that moment.
 
               
                
                
                1 November 2025
Protest wave challenges Indonesia’s authoritarian drift
In late August 2025, Indonesia was shaken by a wave of protests following the death of Affan Kurniawan, a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver who was struck and killed by a police tactical vehicle during demonstrations. His death became the spark for mass mobilisations across several cities.
 
               
                
                
                1 November 2025
Only through concerted long-term action can Australia shift the dial on housing
With a fresh pulse of property inflation already triggered by 2025 interest rate cuts, comes news of future price hike expectations at their most elevated level for years. For aspiring first-home buyers, any small affordability boost thanks to recently cheaper home loans looks likely to be quickly snuffed out.
 
               
                
                
                1 November 2025
A collective voice for peace with justice
Earlier this year, the Sydney Peace Foundation separated from the University of Sydney after 27 years.
 
               
                
                
                31 October 2025
Gaza under siege: The continuation of Zionist demographic cleansing policies since the 19th century
Israeli propaganda tries to present the war on Gaza as a “defensive reaction.” Yet the historical record tells a very different story: systematic genocide, the destruction of civilian life and deliberate attempts to uproot entire populations. All of this is a direct continuation of Zionist colonial policies that began in the late 19th century.
Latest on Palestine and Israel
 
               
                
                
                1 November 2025
Australian Palestinian farm in the occupied West Bank raided by Israeli settlers
Australian citizen, Palestinian farmer and vigneron Sari Kassis, whose family company Domaine Kassis wines sells both locally and overseas, has reported that over the past two weeks there has been a rapid increase in destructive raids on his farm by the Israeli “Hilltop Youth”.
 
               
                
                
                31 October 2025
Gaza under siege: The continuation of Zionist demographic cleansing policies since the 19th century
Israeli propaganda tries to present the war on Gaza as a “defensive reaction.” Yet the historical record tells a very different story: systematic genocide, the destruction of civilian life and deliberate attempts to uproot entire populations. All of this is a direct continuation of Zionist colonial policies that began in the late 19th century.
 
               
                
                
                31 October 2025
The leader most capable of governing a future Palestinian state is languishing in an Israeli jail
As the future of Gaza hangs in the balance, the Palestinian Authority needs renewal if it’s to eventually govern the Strip and play a key role in making the two-state solution a reality.
 
               
                
                
                30 October 2025
The easy way or the hard way to the same result
National leaders deceive most people most of the time. Israel’s long, atrocious, US-backed assault on the Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon is the latest example, as are their joint attacks on Syria, Yemen, and Iran.
 
               
                
                
                30 October 2025
Why the annexation of the West Bank matters to all of us
Between 1 January and 30 September 2025, Israeli authorities carried out 1288 demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
 
               
                
                
                29 October 2025
The unvanquished will: Gaza’s triumph of spirit against the architecture of genocide
For the last two years, my social media algorithm has been relentlessly dominated by Gaza, particularly by the voices of ordinary Gazans, displaying a blend of emotions that centres on two core principles: grief and defiance.
 
               
                
                
                29 October 2025
From illusion to real peace: Trump’s test in Gaza and Ukraine
Real peace demands Palestinian statehood, Ukrainian neutrality and the courage to defy the war lobby.
 
               
                
                
                28 October 2025
The three core myths driving Israel’s war on Palestine
Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, one of the most outspoken moral critics within Israel itself, once summarised what he called the “three core values of Israeli society”: the belief that Jews are the chosen people; that they are the world’s ultimate victims; and that Palestinians are not equal human beings.
 
        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
 
            
            
            1 November 2025
Understanding Australia-China research mobility
Australia’s research partnership with China is a significant component of its scientific output, particularly in engineering, technology and applied sciences.
 
                  
                31 October 2025
The ABC and News Corp finally agree on something: China panic
Last week, a friend asked if I was worried about Chinese “nuclear threats.
 
                  
                31 October 2025
Taiwan as an integral part of China: A historical, legal and geopolitical analysis
The status of Taiwan remains one of the most contested topics in modern geopolitics and one of the most misrepresented.
 
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Once upon a time, Iraq looked like a good idea, too
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