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AFP commissioner urges ‘conversation’ about link between Australians’ level of illicit drug use and organised crime

AFP commissioner urges ‘conversation’ about link between Australians’ level of illicit drug use and organised crime

Krissy Barrett’s call comes after recent murders in Sydney linked to organised crime included two cases of mistaken identity in one week.

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The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Hanson ‘regrets’ hurt caused by remark about ‘primitive’ First Nations people

Hanson ‘regrets’ hurt caused by remark about ‘primitive’ First Nations people

After facing a barrage of criticism for her comments, the One Nation leader says it was not her intention to cause hurt.

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The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

175 years of university architecture reflects Australian history. We shouldn’t let that history be lost

175 years of university architecture reflects Australian history. We shouldn’t let that history be lost

University campuses reflect the layers of architectural and landscape styles that have shaped our cities and suburbs.

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The Conversation

Hannah Lewi

David Hockney: Portraits in Print reveals lesser‑known aspects of the celebrated artist

David Hockney: Portraits in Print reveals lesser‑known aspects of the celebrated artist

The National Gallery of Australia exhibition showcases the late British artist’s mastery of intimate detail and talent for connection

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The Conversation

Alex Burchmore

Poorly fitting sports bras are forcing some women and girls away from sport – new research

Poorly fitting sports bras are forcing some women and girls away from sport – new research

Most decision-makers in sport think girls and women would benefit from learning about sports bra design, fit and support. Less than 1% offer this...

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The Conversation

Deirdre McGhee

Was there really a female king in ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago? New study says yes

Was there really a female king in ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago? New study says yes

Meretneith was buried in a tomb fit for a male ruler. But for decades, debate has raged over her true royal status.

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The Conversation

Susan Kelly

Why Sydney Sweeney’s controversial advert goes beyond sexualising women’s sport

Why Sydney Sweeney’s controversial advert goes beyond sexualising women’s sport

The discussion surrounding the American actor’s ad raises bigger questions about the attention placed on women’s bodies, not just in sport.

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The Conversation

Vivienne Lewis

Bluster and betrayal: Paul Barry probes how steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta hoodwinked the powerful

Bluster and betrayal: Paul Barry probes how steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta hoodwinked the powerful

Amid news that 500 jobs will go at the Whyalla steelworks, once owned by Gupta’s GFG Alliance, The Big Steal is a powerful – and timely – work...

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The Conversation

Denis Muller

How does unthinkable policy become inevitable? The ‘Overton window’ is one possible answer

How does unthinkable policy become inevitable? The ‘Overton window’ is one possible answer

It was once deemed crazy to get rid of protective tariffs. Privatising state banks was inconceivable. Both are now commonplace, but how does this...

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The Conversation

Joshua Black

Our new research shows humans have maligned bandicoots for decades, making them more vulnerable to extinction

Our new research shows humans have maligned bandicoots for decades, making them more vulnerable to extinction

Humans have had a complex relationship with this marsupial, known for its pointy snout, thin tail and large hind feet.

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The Conversation

Annabel Ellis

Coalition retains clear lead in Victorian Resolve poll, while federal polls are mixed

Coalition retains clear lead in Victorian Resolve poll, while federal polls are mixed

Labor is likely to lose the Victorian election, but it’s unclear whether the Coalition will be able to govern in majority or need support from One...

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The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

Five years into AUKUS, what do we have to show for it? We’ve measured progress on three key metrics

Five years into AUKUS, what do we have to show for it? We’ve measured progress on three key metrics

Though reliably measuring progress is difficult, it would be disingenuous to say Australia has nothing to show for its investments to date.

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The Conversation

Thomas Corben

Unsustainable – or manageable? We don’t yet know how data centres will impact Australia’s environment

Unsustainable – or manageable? We don’t yet know how data centres will impact Australia’s environment

The data centre boom will mean more energy and water use. The real question is how the energy is produced – and where the water comes from.

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The Conversation

Michael Vardon

Australia’s digital duty of care bill needs these three changes to tackle online child sexual exploitation

Australia’s digital duty of care bill needs these three changes to tackle online child sexual exploitation

Tech platforms need to be responsible for reporting online child sexual exploitation rather than relying on victims to do so.

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The Conversation

Joel Scanlan

Make ‘em laugh: how One Nation uses comedy to normalise harmful ideas

Make ‘em laugh: how One Nation uses comedy to normalise harmful ideas

The party’s Please Explain cartoon series has ignited a political firestorm, but behind the punchlines and backlash is an insidious way to spread...

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The Conversation

Kurt Sengul

Australia’s female economists have been making history for nearly 150 years. It’s time we knew their stories

Australia’s female economists have been making history for nearly 150 years. It’s time we knew their stories

In a stubbornly male dominated field, how brilliant did a woman have to be to succeed?

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The Conversation

Duygu Yengin

It’s been one year since Australia assessed its national climate risk. But have we listened?

It’s been one year since Australia assessed its national climate risk. But have we listened?

Over the past 12 months, the federal government has approved multiple fossil fuel projects and cut climate science funding.

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The Conversation

Andrew B. Watkins

1 in 3 uni students experience serious financial hardship. Could concession cards for all help?

1 in 3 uni students experience serious financial hardship. Could concession cards for all help?

The peak body for Australian universities says the measure would ease cost-of-living pressures for students.

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The Conversation

Lucas Walsh

Skipping showers is the latest trend. But is there any science to ‘pheromone’ maxxing?

Skipping showers is the latest trend. But is there any science to ‘pheromone’ maxxing?

Animals use pheromones as chemical messengers to attract a mate or mark territory. But human sweat is very different.

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The Conversation

Samuel Cornell

Poetry is popular with young Australians, from pop‑up readings to poetry slams

Poetry is popular with young Australians, from pop‑up readings to poetry slams

Young poets are performing at poetry slams, pop-up events and salons around Australia – and publishing, too. Who are they – and why is poetry so...

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The Conversation

Ann Vickery

‘Buy now, pay later’ doesn’t feel like debt. For young people, that can be a big problem

‘Buy now, pay later’ doesn’t feel like debt. For young people, that can be a big problem

A survey of young New Zealanders finds four in ten didn’t view buy now, pay later as debt. That perception can influence how they use it.

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The Conversation

Aaron Gilbert

The case for NZ joining the UK in sanctioning Israel over illegal West Bank settlements

The case for NZ joining the UK in sanctioning Israel over illegal West Bank settlements

The government insists sanctioning Israel is too complex so close to an election. But New Zealand also has obligations under international law it...

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The Conversation

Karen Scott

All‑round condemnation for Pauline Hanson over Indigenous slur

All‑round condemnation for Pauline Hanson over Indigenous slur

Pauline Hanson’s derogatory remarks about Indigenous people on a podcast last year have been slammed by members of the government, the Liberals and...

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The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Trailblazing lawyer Mary Gaudron, a woman of many firsts, leaves a huge and lasting legacy

Trailblazing lawyer Mary Gaudron, a woman of many firsts, leaves a huge and lasting legacy

The first women judge on the High Court shaped Australian legal history and was an inspiration to many.

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The Conversation

Kcasey McLoughlin

Big AI wants to slow down AI research. Is it a safety pause or a strategic retreat?

Big AI wants to slow down AI research. Is it a safety pause or a strategic retreat?

AI companies are calling for a coordinated pause to progress – but making it working, and keeping AI safe, won’t be easy.

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The Conversation

Andrew Cullen

Rinse: Amrita Hepi’s show about beginnings is a mid‑career masterpiece

Rinse: Amrita Hepi’s show about beginnings is a mid‑career masterpiece

The internationally acclaimed fusion of choreography and monologue, co-created by Hepi with Mish Grigor, is a witty exploration of beginnings

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The Conversation

Caroline Wake

Why big tech will hate the Australian tax office’s latest ruling

Why big tech will hate the Australian tax office’s latest ruling

Australia’s laws don’t deal with all the ways local profits are shifted offshore. The ATO aims to close that gap.

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The Conversation

Kerrie Sadiq

Why strengthening ties with the Global South was a top priority for Putin’s recent diplomacy blitz

Why strengthening ties with the Global South was a top priority for Putin’s recent diplomacy blitz

The Ukraine war certainly featured in conversations. Tellingly, however, Putin steered many talks with leaders towards fuel, trade and transit.

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The Conversation

Alexey D Muraviev

View from The Hill: One Nation would have more people leaving than entering Australia over three years

View from The Hill: One Nation would have more people leaving than entering Australia over three years

One Nation has released a radical policy that would see Australia reduce its temporary migrant population by 750,000.

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The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Democrats’ chances of gaining control of Congress at US midterms depend on Iran war

Democrats’ chances of gaining control of Congress at US midterms depend on Iran war

Recent polling shows if the disruption caused by the Trump administration’s war with Iran continues, Democrats will likely gain control of Congress.

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The Conversation

Adrian Beaumont

Shocks, alchemy and John Howard’s ‘long shadow’ have shaped 21st century Australian politics

Shocks, alchemy and John Howard’s ‘long shadow’ have shaped 21st century Australian politics

For much of this century, while Australia changed, federal parliament was stuck in a “white-bloke past”.

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The Conversation

John Hawkins

Data centres have existed for decades. So why are they so controversial now?

Data centres have existed for decades. So why are they so controversial now?

Data centres were once treated as invisible pieces of digital infrastructure. Now, they’re the focus of intense political debate.

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The Conversation

Johanna Lim

Data centres in Australia: your questions answered

Data centres in Australia: your questions answered

From almost 350 questions, nine experts answer the most common ones you asked.

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The Conversation

Alexandra Hansen

We may be able to turn off the algorithm, but we can’t escape the misogyny of the manosphere

We may be able to turn off the algorithm, but we can’t escape the misogyny of the manosphere

Important as it is, no amount of social media regulation will meaningfully address the manosphere unless we also dismantle the misogyny that underpins...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Stephanie Wescott

Australia must double down to meet our climate targets. Our new study shows how

Australia must double down to meet our climate targets. Our new study shows how

Global warming is set to surpass the 1.5°C limit if governments worldwide fail to act.

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Bill Hare

Too many students have ‘reading anxiety’. New research suggests it is triggered by problems in primary school

Too many students have ‘reading anxiety’. New research suggests it is triggered by problems in primary school

Reading anxiety involves excessive worries and apprehensions about reading activities.

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The Conversation

Genevieve McArthur

What are statins? And can healthy people use them to prevent heart disease and dementia?

What are statins? And can healthy people use them to prevent heart disease and dementia?

New evidence shows more people might benefit from this cholesterol-lowering medication than we previously thought. But that doesn’t mean everyone...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Jack Janetzki

A brief history of collage from 12th century Japan to Sydney today – and your own kitchen table

A brief history of collage from 12th century Japan to Sydney today – and your own kitchen table

Collage can be traced back to the invention of paper. Australian artists are still exploring its possibilities today. Here’s how you can, too.

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The Conversation

Alexandra Crosby

Alice Duncan‑Kemp was an empathetic observer of Mithaka culture, but her legacy is complicated

Alice Duncan‑Kemp was an empathetic observer of Mithaka culture, but her legacy is complicated

Alice Duncan-Kemp’s books drew on a pastoral childhood in intimate contact with Mithaka people. They formed part of the basis for a 2015 native...

yesterday 10

The Conversation

Eve Vincent

Data from more than 600 people shows resting heart rates have their own secret rhythm

Data from more than 600 people shows resting heart rates have their own secret rhythm

The rhythms aren’t necessarily tied to hormones, nor any other single cause.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Philippa Karoly

Imported phosphate for fertiliser is expensive – could this homegrown alternative be a solution?

Imported phosphate for fertiliser is expensive – could this homegrown alternative be a solution?

Research shows a phosphorus-rich compound found in wastewater raises uptake by plants and reduces discharge to waterways.

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The Conversation

Leo M Condron

Private money is coming to NZ netball. Other sports should be paying close attention

Private money is coming to NZ netball. Other sports should be paying close attention

Private investment promises new money and expertise for NZ netball. But its success will depend on who benefits – and what happens to the wider game.

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The Conversation

Hoani Smith

View from The Hill: Albanese lashes Hanson over attack on his mother

View from The Hill: Albanese lashes Hanson over attack on his mother

It is the second time in just days that the One Nation leader is on the back foot after making a personal attack.

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The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

Albanese and Taylor explore possibility of deal on migration reforms

Albanese and Taylor explore possibility of deal on migration reforms

The discussions between the two leaders reflect a desire by both sides to reduce the heat around the migration issue, which is being fuelled by One...

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The Conversation

Michelle Grattan

‘We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans’: if AI labs are so worried about AI doom, why don’t they stop?

‘We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans’: if AI labs are so worried about AI doom, why don’t they stop?

A powerful mix of hopes, fears and arms-race dynamics means AI companies won’t slow down unless they’re forced.

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The Conversation

Michael Noetel

Yes, it’s the economy, stupid. But One Nation is outflanking the government on messaging, too

Yes, it’s the economy, stupid. But One Nation is outflanking the government on messaging, too

Voters’ economic pain is real. But perceptions matter too, and the government must get better at selling its message on its key policies.

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The Conversation

Carol Johnson

Can people truly walk away from terrorism? Inside the slow work of rehabilitation

Can people truly walk away from terrorism? Inside the slow work of rehabilitation

Walking away from terrorist offending is far more complicated than simply quitting a group or a cause. But evidence shows well-designed programs can...

11.09.2026 3

The Conversation

Ramon Spaaij

A new video game lets you play out the battle at Gallipoli. Is it trivialising the tragedy of war?

A new video game lets you play out the battle at Gallipoli. Is it trivialising the tragedy of war?

Historical games let us engage with the past, but what matters is how they frame this history, and what they ask players to do.

11.09.2026 2

The Conversation

Susannah Emery

‘It’s a strange time to be a man’: in The Castle, Jon Ronson investigates the plight of unanchored men

‘It’s a strange time to be a man’: in The Castle, Jon Ronson investigates the plight of unanchored men

Jon Ronson’s new book on the masculinity crisis was sparked by his son’s strange journey to a castle in upstate New York and a series of...

11.09.2026 10

The Conversation

Alexander Howard

Ratko Mladić: the war criminal who became a martyr for Bosnian Serbs

Ratko Mladić: the war criminal who became a martyr for Bosnian Serbs

On The Conversation Weekly podcast, an international law expert explains why some Serbs revered convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić.

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The Conversation

Isabella Podwinski