Yesterday
Was this the day the UN died?
When the US backed Russia’s and China’s take on the Ukraine war this week, it could have been a tactical move. Or the start of America’s break with the UN.
This Month
Trump-Macron bromance; Musk rattles markets; Frequent flyer changes
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
January
Trump and the contest between two visions of democracy
If supporters of liberal democracy want to win the battle, outrage and resistance will not be enough. They will have to defeat the arguments of the strongman leaders.
Drone vision shows Gaza families returning to ‘nothing but rubble’
Palestinians have been picking their way through crushed neighbourhoods and trying to salvage what they can from the wreckage of former homes.
The UN’s magical thinking about Trump’s return
Some officials say the president-elect speaks differently about the institution behind closed doors.
Seven truths on why Taiwan always will be China’s
Some Australian media recently provided a platform for false Taiwanese views about the one-China policy. Here are the reasons they are wrong.
Drugs from nature help millions. But there’s a catch
Big pharma and others that have made a buck from genetic resources have been asked to funnel some profit back to communities where the organisms come from.
Israel warns troops off social media after Brazil seeks soldier over Gaza
The incident is the latest example of the legal fallout from Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 45,800 people, according to Palestinian officials.
December 2024
Israeli curbs on Gaza water supplies are ‘acts of genocide’
Human Rights Watch alleges attacks on infrastructure and repair workers contribute to thousands of deaths
Wong in ‘heated verbal argument’ with Israeli counterpart
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has been accused of abandoning Israel in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terror attack, clashing with a minister in a tense phone call.
Israel to close Ireland embassy over Gaza tensions
The decision to close the embassy came in response to what Israel’s foreign minister has described as Ireland’s ‘extreme anti-Israel policies’.
US in direct contact with Islamist rebels in Syria
Western and regional officials are seeking to deal with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that overthrew the Assad regime despite its designation as a terrorist group.
‘We need time’: Syrians in Europe resist calls to return home
Those who fled the 13-year civil war pointed to the political uncertainty after a rebel offensive swept into Damascus over the weekend.
Horrors of Assad’s ‘slaughterhouse’ prison emerge
Thousands of prisoners have been freed from notorious Sadnaya outside Damascus, but the fates of thousands more who disappeared inside the jail are unknown.
Iran must wish it never heard of Yahya Sinwar
Iran’s “axis of resistance” is destroyed, and its horizons have narrowed to a choice between pragmatism and, quite literally, going nuclear.
Assad flees as Syrian capital falls to rebels
The president flew out of Damascus for an unknown destination as rebels say they have entered the capital with no sign of army deployments.
Why Wong flipped on Israel vote
The foreign minister would have anticipated that Australia’s decision would anger Jewish groups and the Coalition, but she wants Palestinians to have their own homeland.
Australia to break with Israel in looming UN votes
Australian diplomats are weighing supporting several resolutions in an attempt to help revive the stalled two-state solution peace deal.
What led to Syria’s 13-year civil war, and why has fighting surged again?
The sudden assault by Syrian rebels has redrawn the front lines of a war many thought was over. Here’s what to know.
November 2024
ICC puts reputation on trial over ‘outrageous’ Netanyahu warrant
The International Criminal Court’s pursuit of democratically elected individuals who have been supported by the West will test the court’s legitimacy.