
4 May 2025
Trump’s unilateral tariffs have pushed ASEAN closer to China economy, politics, world
President Donald Trump has achieved a ‘miracle’ in under 100 days. He suceeded in breaking diplomatic and trade relationships with neighbours like Canada and Mexico that took hundred of years to nurture. His unilateral tariffs have upset many including China, Japan, South Korea, and the ASEAN countries.

4 May 2025
Why extremists see gold in the migration debate
An immigration debate in an era of rising extremism is fertile ground for a noisy minority keen to distort the facts to sell their white Australia.

4 May 2025
Al Gore on climate and Trump – the whole speech
Readers may have seen mainstream media coverage of former US vice-president Al Gore's speech at San Francisco Climate Week on 21 April. We think it is worth reading in full.

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.
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4 May 2025
Environment: Australia’s exported fossil fuel emissions are treble our total domestic emissions
Australia’s exported coal and LNG produce three times more emissions than 27 million Australians. The US wastes prime agricultural land to inefficiently produce energy for cars. Shed snake skin protects young birds. Kosciuszko benefitting from fewer feral horses.

4 May 2025
A monstrous media and murder in Gaza
Imagine how this would have been reported if Russian soldiers had executed Ukrainians in this way. Not like this, you can be sure.

3 May 2025
'Never again' for Jews, Palestinians and all humanity
A picture is worth a thousand words.

3 May 2025
The third Nakba in Israel’s war of genocide
Why does the Albanese Government shirk its responsibility?

3 May 2025
How credible are the Coalition’s budget projections?
The Coalition’s costings finally reveal that in the next two years it will have a bigger deficit than Labor. In the second half of the four-year projection, the forecast net positive impact from the Coalition’s policy changes is questionable.

3 May 2025
India, Pakistan trade threats after Kashmir massacre – Asian Media Report
In Asian media this week: Pakistan fears attack, India threatens crushing blow. Plus: China passes its first private-sector law; Trump needs a quick trade deal with Japan; Tariff plan: US wants to reset world monetary order; Singapore blocks foreign election posts; Bandung – when former colonies found a collective voice.

3 May 2025
Major YouGov poll has Labor easily winning a majority of seats in election
A YouGov MRP poll has Labor clearly winning a majority of seats in the federal election – 84 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives.

3 May 2025
Being a good international citizen in a Trumpian world
We live in troubling times, globally and regionally, with not the least of our troubles being the current occupant of the White House.
Latest on Palestine and Israel

4 May 2025
A monstrous media and murder in Gaza
Imagine how this would have been reported if Russian soldiers had executed Ukrainians in this way. Not like this, you can be sure.

3 May 2025
'Never again' for Jews, Palestinians and all humanity
A picture is worth a thousand words.

3 May 2025
The third Nakba in Israel’s war of genocide
Why does the Albanese Government shirk its responsibility?

3 May 2025
'I am not afraid of you,' freed Mohsen Mahdawi tells Donald Trump
A court's order for the release of a detained student protest leader, said one lawyer, is a victory for all people in this country invested in their ability to dissent and speak and protest.

1 May 2025
Voting for humanity should come first in this election
The following is the text of a speech given by Sue Wareham at a public meeting Why genocide is a key election issue held on 27 April under the auspices of Australians for Humanity. Wareham is president of the Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia).

1 May 2025
Palestine is an election issue – Australians for Humanity
The genocide in Palestine is the moral issue of our time and a key election issue.

30 April 2025
Human rights abuses by Israel – Amnesty report
Israel is perpetrating a “live-streamed genocide” in Gaza, committing illegal acts with the “specific intent” of wiping out Palestinians, Amnesty International said in their annual report released on Monday.

29 April 2025
The Fall of Saigon 1975: Fifty years of repeating what was forgotten (Part 1)
The first demonstration I ever went to was at 12, against the Vietnam War. The first formal history lesson I received was a few months later when I commenced high school.

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2 May 2025
Nine's feeble bid for a China poll beat-up fails miserably: Anti-China Media Watch china, media, politics
Chinese Communist Party-linked minions are being employed to quash Dutton’s hopes of electoral victory; LNP senator free to make spy allegations; Chinese-built tugboats threaten our sovereignty; and the awful truth emerges – most Australians don’t fear China.

1 May 2025
Who holds the better cards – China or the US?
The mainstream Western media and global, alternative media outlets have been delivering a remarkable converging stream of blistering commentary since 2 April on what is now widely called, even by The Economist, Trump’s tariff tantrum.

30 April 2025
China’s not-so-quiet energy revolution: Towards the world’s first industrial electrostate
In 2023, China increased its deployment of solar and wind energy three-fold. This trend accelerated in 2024, with China installing nearly 65% of the world’s new low emission energy electricity generation.
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Latest letters to the editor
Palestine, Israel and truth
Morag Fraser — Melbourne, Victoria
A timely wake-up call
Gavan McCormack — Canberra, ACT
The indestructible pillars of bipartisanship
Bob Pearce — Adelaide SA
Bravo, John Menadue
Richard Barnes — Melbourne