When is an illegal war morally defensible?
Some illegal uses of force have been judged morally defensible, as in Kosovo in 1999. But the US–Israel war on Iran fails that test – lacking lawful authority, credible motives and a plausible path to a better outcome.
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8 March 2026
China waits and watches as the US fights all its tigers at once
The US–Israeli war with Iran has shattered Washington’s hope of concentrating its power on containing China. Instead, the United States is entangled in multiple conflicts while Beijing gains strategic time.
8 March 2026
Environment: warming oceans, sinking coasts and Covid’s impact on birds
New research shows oceans warming to depths of 2,000 metres, human-driven land subsidence intensifying sea level risks in China, and pandemic lockdowns altering bird evolution in Los Angeles.
8 March 2026
Jimpa lovingly follows in the tradition of artwork about fathers who came out of the closet
Sophie Hyde’s film Jimpa explores the personal and generational impact of a father coming out, situating one family’s story within the wider history of gay liberation and changing identities.
8 March 2026
Taking back the Southern Cross
Once a symbol of unity, equality and democratic rights, the Eureka flag is increasingly being appropriated by extremist groups seeking to legitimise racism and exclusion. Reclaiming its precious original meaning may now require protecting it from misuse.
7 March 2026
Canada and Australia: working together – without the US
Mark Carney’s blunt declaration that the rules-based international order has ruptured challenges countries like Australia to rethink their alliances and consider new coalitions among middle powers.
7 March 2026
Message from the Editor
When I stared in newspapers it was often said that today’s paper is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapper. It is a relief to know that some are not so casual about the press. John Menadue and Paul Keating both have long memories, and mark a special anniversary today. It is exactly three years to the day since The Age and SMH ran a series called 'Red Alert – warning war with China would come within three years, making that deadline today.
7 March 2026
Three years on, where is the China war we were warned of?
Three years after dire warnings that Australia must prepare for war with China, no such conflict has eventuated. Instead, the United States has continued its long pattern of military interventions.
7 March 2026
Herald, Age news abuse shamefully exposed
Three years ago today, the editorial leadership of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age wilfully and dangerously misled the communities of Sydney and Melbourne into believing that at or by today, 7 March 2026, Australia would face the prospect of a direct attack by China and its military on the mainland of Australia.
7 March 2026
Why Albert Camus still matters in an age of authoritarianism
Albert Camus wrote in the shadow of fascism, war and ideological violence. His defence of truth, democratic dialogue and human limits remains strikingly relevant in today’s era of authoritarian politics and “post-truth” public debate.
7 March 2026
The $175 billion question: will the US Supreme Court stop the war fund?
A US court order forcing the refund of $175 billion in tariff taxes has triggered a constitutional confrontation over whether a president can bypass Congress to fund global conflict.
7 March 2026
For 27 years, the Kyle and Jackie O Show indulged Australia’s most vulgar, sexist impulses
The collapse of the Kyle and Jackie O radio partnership highlights a contradiction in Australian media culture – a society that condemns misogyny yet rewarded a program built on vulgarity, sexism and humiliation.
7 March 2026
Where are Iran’s allies? Why Moscow and Beijing are keeping their distance
Russia and China have condemned the US–Israeli attack on Iran as illegal, but both powers have drawn clear limits on their support, stopping well short of military intervention.
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