Russian Military Plane Crashes in Crimea, Killing 29
Separately, Russia’s state news agency TASS reported the crash of a Russian military aircraft over Crimea, killing all 29 people on board. Russian authorities said there were no indications of an…
Walter MurrowMarkets Surge on Hopes the War May End
Despite the grim headlines, financial markets found reason for optimism. Wall Street recorded its best trading session of the year, buoyed by speculation that the conflict could be approaching its…
US Journalist Kidnapped in Baghdad
In a chilling development underscoring the regional instability fuelled by the war, American journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. According to reports from Der…
Trump Tells Allies to “Go Get Your Own Oil” as Iran Conflict Escalates
The US-Iran war continued to send shockwaves across the globe this week, with President Donald Trump lashing out at allied nations for what he described as insufficient support for the American…
The Common Thread
What links a closed strait in the Persian Gulf to a packed regional train in Victoria? Cost of living — and the question of whether governments can protect citizens from converging global and…
Regulatory Failures Under the Spotlight
Across Australia, institutional trust is fraying at multiple points. In Western Australia, the Environmental Protection Authority has come “under siege” from local governments and conservation groups…
Manhunt Aftermath: Conspiracy and Violence
The conclusion of Victoria’s biggest manhunt — the pursuit and death of Dezi Freeman — prompted both relief and reflection. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush took a brief period of leave after the…
Victoria’s Bold Experiments Hit Turbulence
Victoria is running two ambitious policy experiments simultaneously — and both are generating friction.
The state’s month-long free public transport trial has produced an immediate headache: V/Line,…
Australia’s Housing Push: Big Plans, Big Caveats
Cost-of-living pressure extends well beyond fuel. Australia’s housing crisis generated multiple headlines on the same day, all circling the same question: can government action match the scale of the…
Pain at the Pump for Australian Drivers
Those distant shores include New South Wales, where political disunity over GST reform has added an extra 10 cents per litre to fuel prices for Sydney drivers. The NSW premier declared that energy…