Pearlcast episode

Pearlcasts

As we review 2025, the temptation is to look for neat summaries and settled conclusions.

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Labor’s foreign policy no longer matches the world it faces
Kym Davey

Foreign Policy Rethink

Labor’s foreign policy no longer matches the world it faces

In the second on our Rethinking Foreign Policy series Kym Davey says Labor’s foreign policy platform is out of step with current realities – clinging to US alliance settings while ignoring its own commitment to self-reliance and the opportunities of the Asia-Pacific.

Why has populism's influence increased politically
Michael Keating

Why has populism's influence increased politically

Claims that rising inequality is driving populism overlook the evidence – stagnant wages and falling living standards are the more likely cause.

It takes two to make alliances and the US may run away first
Jack Waterford

It takes two to make alliances and the US may run away first

As US commitment to alliances wavers, Australia faces urgent questions about its security, independence, and place in a rapidly shifting global order.

Duniam contradicts Taylor on Coalition immigration policy
Abul Rizvi

Duniam contradicts Taylor on Coalition immigration policy

Recent comments from Coalition Shadow Immigration Spokesperson Jonno Duniam expose inconsistencies in the party's immigration policy, raising questions about feasibility, cost, and intent.

As warnings mount over Trump, Cuba pays the price
Richard Broinowski

As warnings mount over Trump, Cuba pays the price

A renewed US oil embargo on Cuba is deepening hardship on the island, reflecting a long-standing pattern of intervention driven as much by ideology as strategy.

You can’t rush peace: the fatal flaws in the US–Iran talks
Connie Peck

You can’t rush peace: the fatal flaws in the US–Iran talks

The collapse of recent US–Iran talks highlights how flawed negotiation design – not just substance – can doom peace efforts from the start.

New detection tech could make AUKUS submarines obsolete
John Queripel

New detection tech could make AUKUS submarines obsolete

Chinese researchers have developed a new gravity-based detector that could be used to find submarines and render the proposed AUKUS submarine redundant.

John Menadue

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.

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AUKUS and the sunk cost trap beneath the surface
Stewart Sweeney

AUKUS and the sunk cost trap beneath the surface

As warfare shifts decisively toward autonomous and distributed systems, Australia’s massive investment in nuclear submarines risks locking in a costly and inflexible strategy.

Albanese and Anwar align behind Pope’s call for peace
Zia Ahmad

Albanese and Anwar align behind Pope’s call for peace

Australia and Malaysia have signalled support for a diplomatic path through escalating global tensions, backing Pope Leo’s call for peace and restraint.

Can the US public service survive the Trump era?
Andrew Podger

Can the US public service survive the Trump era?

Public administrators in the United States are exploring how to reshape the civil service as a pillar of American democracy.

How China really works – rules from above, reality from below
John Hopkins

How China really works – rules from above, reality from below

The Chinese Government is often described as ruling with an iron fist, but the way rules and policy are interpreted on the ground can be quite different.

Australia’s school system is driving inequality – not fixing it
Chris Bonnor

Australia’s school system is driving inequality – not fixing it

Australia’s school system has become a self-reinforcing cycle of inequality, and without structural reform, the divide between advantaged and disadvantaged students will continue to widen.

Women are reshaping the workforce – but power hasn’t followed
Don Edgar,  Patricia Edgar

Women are reshaping the workforce – but power hasn’t followed

Women are increasingly dominant across education and the workforce, but leadership, workplace structures and social attitudes have failed to keep pace.

How the Greens could win 25 per cent of the vote
Drew Hutton

How the Greens could win 25 per cent of the vote

The Greens need to get out of their own bubble and do some very serious soul searching if they are ever to have broad appeal, argues a co-founder of the Queensland and Australian Greens, Drew Hutton.

Cricket has survived every crisis – but this one may be different
Chas Keys

Cricket has survived every crisis – but this one may be different

Cricket has adapted and survived for centuries, but a new struggle over control – combined with climate pressures – may test the game in ways it has not faced before.

Read our series

A Year in Review 10 Anti China Media Watch 20 Australia in Our Region 14
Best of 2025 134 Foreign Policy Rethink 2 Gourley on Government 14
History 1 Review 11 The Dismissal at 50 28
The UN at 80 4 Year in Review 2 Young Global Leaders 6

Latest on Palestine and Israel

The Middle East conflict is driven by competing theocracies
George Browning

The Middle East conflict is driven by competing theocracies

The Middle East conflict reflects competing theocratic mindsets in Iran, Israel and the US, where religious conviction is being used to justify violence.

Italy breaks with Israel as public anger forces a political shift
Stephen Prager

Italy breaks with Israel as public anger forces a political shift

Italy has suspended military cooperation with Israel after months of mounting public anger.

The UAE’s shadow network of power and war
Eugene Doyle

The UAE’s shadow network of power and war

Behind multiple conflicts across the Middle East and Africa sits a powerful but often overlooked actor – the UAE’s network of finance, logistics and proxy forces shaping outcomes on the ground.

The world acts for oil – but not for human life
Refaat Ibrahim

The world acts for oil – but not for human life

Global powers moved quickly to end a war that threatened energy supplies, while years of mass civilian suffering in Gaza has failed to prompt meaningful action.

Identity, influence and division – Australia’s Jewish community in a time of tension
John Warhurst

Identity, influence and division – Australia’s Jewish community in a time of tension

Amid rising tensions and a national inquiry into antisemitism, understanding the complexity of Australia’s Jewish community is essential to any serious conversation about social cohesion.

Pope 1, Trump 0 – Message from the Editor
Catriona Jackson

Pope 1, Trump 0 – Message from the Editor

You think things can’t get any worse and then they do!

Ending Israel’s war on peace
Jeffrey D. Sachs,  Sybil Fares

Ending Israel’s war on peace

To make lasting peace in the Middle East, the US must end its blank cheque to Israel’s perpetual wars and join with the rest of the world to force Israel to live within its internationally recognised borders of 4 June, 1967.

US disapproval of Israel hits an all-time high
Julia Conley

US disapproval of Israel hits an all-time high

Public support for Israel in the United States has dropped sharply, with younger voters driving a significant shift that could reshape future politics.

John Menadue's book on Israel's war against Gaza

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 PDF

Latest on China

New detection tech could make AUKUS submarines obsolete
John Queripel

New detection tech could make AUKUS submarines obsolete

Chinese researchers have developed a new gravity-based detector that could be used to find submarines and render the proposed AUKUS submarine redundant.

Plan B: insulating ourselves from the US
John Menadue

Foreign Policy Rethink

Plan B: insulating ourselves from the US

P&I today begins a major new series - rethinking Australia's foreign policy. The United States is becoming more erratic and less reliable, and Australia must respond by insulating itself – strengthening regional ties, rethinking defence settings, and reducing strategic dependence, according to John Menadue.

How China really works – rules from above, reality from below
John Hopkins

How China really works – rules from above, reality from below

The Chinese Government is often described as ruling with an iron fist, but the way rules and policy are interpreted on the ground can be quite different.

More from Pearls and Irritations

Cricket has survived every crisis – but this one may be different
Chas Keys

Cricket has survived every crisis – but this one may be different

Environment: Class and race fuel climate collapse in Northern Territory
Peter Sainsbury

Environment: Class and race fuel climate collapse in Northern Territory

Friendship, honey and the simple life: 100 years of Winnie‑the‑Pooh
Elizabeth Hale

Friendship, honey and the simple life: 100 years of Winnie‑the‑Pooh

From feminism to the manosphere – where to now?
Patricia Edgar

From feminism to the manosphere – where to now?

The Middle East conflict is driven by competing theocracies
George Browning

The Middle East conflict is driven by competing theocracies

The bad, the worse, and the need for glee – Message from the Editor
Catriona Jackson

The bad, the worse, and the need for glee – Message from the Editor

Chasing ghosts, losing votes
Kos Samaras

Chasing ghosts, losing votes

Another interest rate rise will tip Australia into a recession we don’t have to have
Saul Eslake

Another interest rate rise will tip Australia into a recession we don’t have to have

Shock, horror! An effective parliament in our time?
Andrew Fraser

Shock, horror! An effective parliament in our time?

What is the 25th Amendment and could it be used to remove Trump from office?
John Hart

What is the 25th Amendment and could it be used to remove Trump from office?

Insider confirms US worked with Al Qaeda to fight the Syrian government
Paul Malone

Insider confirms US worked with Al Qaeda to fight the Syrian government

On asylum, the Coalition is offering old fixes to problems of its own making
Abul Rizvi

On asylum, the Coalition is offering old fixes to problems of its own making

Latest letters to the editor

The Weekly

Alan Pinsker — Canberra

Thanks for another engaging Pearls and Irritations. My friend George Browning ignores some of the big picture realpolitik in his piece, including that the extreme Islamist Iranian regime is an existential threat to Israel, the region and beyond through its terrorist proxies and its nuclear ambitions, Trump’s clear military success so far and its potential to reshape the Middle East for the better. Kos Samaras makes some interesting points about pivoting the Libs' immigration policy attack to the clear negative impacts of mass migration, but perhaps misses a point that when people blame “The Government “ in surveys rather...
UAE and Australian arms sales

Richard Barnes — Naarm / Melbourne

Thanks to Eugene Doyle for bringing to readers' attention the fact that the UAE is a powerhouse of self-interested destruction on the world stage. Most readers were probably unaware that the glittering towers of Dubai are funded by arms sales and exploitation. I was stunned recently to learn that the UAE is by far the largest purchaser of Australian arms exports. (Yes, that is not an error: the largest - by far). Ignoring the concerns raised by many NGOs, Austrade recently stated that the UAE’s extensive and ongoing defence procurement program represents real opportunities for Australian suppliers”. Worsening the...
Australian Values – who would pass ?

Andrea Coney — Port Fairy

Jocelyn Chey states the sad fact that not all Australians would pass a test based on the Australian Values Statement as once again we hear Angus Taylor pontificating on…“Australian values protecting the Australian way of life and making Australia Great!” Not only do I agree with Jocelyn Chey but I would suggest that most of our politicians would not pass the Australian Values test. I would like to take this opportunity to provide readers with a brief outline of the “Australian Values” published by the Department of Home Affairs. Respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual Freedom...
More nuance needed in covering South Korea

Michael Bennett — Queensland

Mr Armstrong, I have learned to pay attention to South Korea because a relative of mine is a long term member of Army, the enormous fan base of BTS, whose comeback concert you covered on 16 April. At the time you wrote that the Korea Times reported only 46,000 attended the concert and suggested that was a reason for a drop in the share price of the parent company. These claims, repeated not just by your good self, but my many media outlets around the world outraged Army fans who knew that the true figure was much larger....

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