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.
Recent articles in Our Top Five Each Week
17 April 2026
Chasing ghosts, losing votes
New research shows immigration is not driving voter anger, yet the Coalition is targeting it anyway – risking further losses in the diverse, urban seats it must win back.
17 April 2026
Shock, horror! An effective parliament in our time?
An ACT Legislative Assembly committee has strengthened proposed sentencing laws by listening to expert evidence and improving the legislation.
17 April 2026
On asylum, the Coalition is offering old fixes to problems of its own making
The Coalition’s asylum plan repackages familiar measures that have failed before, while sidestepping its role in creating a large and growing backlog of unsuccessful applicants.
17 April 2026
Electoral laws versus free political speech
The High Court has struck down a Victorian law favouring major parties, but the bigger test lies ahead – whether federal electoral changes unlawfully entrench incumbency and disadvantage challengers.
15 April 2026
No one likes the Job-ready Graduate scheme – so why does it still exist?
The architect of the HECS scheme Bruce Chapman, says economists agree, the Job-ready Graduate scheme is bad economics.
14 April 2026
Defund, don’t debate – the playbook for silencing dissent
The closure of the Grace Tame Foundation exposes a troubling pattern – dissent isn’t debated, it is defunded through pressure applied behind the scenes.
13 April 2026
When the world changes, economic policy must too
A new geopolitical shock is exposing the limits of economic orthodoxy, echoing past crises where sticking to old rules only deepened the damage.
13 April 2026
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.
11 April 2026
War talks, danger for peacekeepers, and the ‘great insulation’ – Asian Media Report
Iran prefers Vance as lead negotiator, Indonesia’s Lebanon Blue Helmets ‘targeted’, developing countries seek superpower autonomy, Japanese troops join Philippines’ exercises, power centralised in Vietnam, and alarming loss of forest cover.
10 April 2026
The Farrer by-election is a test of One Nation’s rise
The Farrer by-election could reveal whether Coalition voters are shifting towards One Nation or prefer independents, with implications for future political strategy.
10 April 2026
The UAE alliance Australia won’t question
Australia’s deep military and political ties with the UAE expose it to risk while aligning with an autocratic partner.
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More from Our Top Five Each Week
30 March 2026
Iran’s target list: taking the war to multinationals
26 March 2026
Free speech and antisemitism: drawing the line
