Thirty years after Dolly the sheep, cloning has not delivered armies of identical animals or resurrected mammoths – but it has transformed disease research, conservation and our understanding of cells.
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Category: Politics
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Thirty years after Dolly, cloning is not what we expected
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The World Cup is showing countries who they really are
The composition of teams in the World Cup suggests that modern national identity cannot be easily disentangled from colonialism, empire and migration. (more…)
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Getting Murdoched: climategate
This edited extract of Getting Murdoched: How Murdoch’s Media Wields Power and Punishment Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson examines Murdoch’s destructive anti-climate change campaign. (more…)
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Environment: UN says 2050 before greenhouse gas emissions fall
Despite all the talk, emissions will be almost 50 per cent higher in 2050, speeding up global warming and bringing tipping points closer. The US’s coercive neocolonialism trades medicines for minerals. And Australian mammals’ eyes, ears and noses help them enjoy the night. (more…)
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Scandals and drift are closing in on Thailand’s prime minister
Thailand’s government commands a comfortable parliamentary majority, but corruption scandals, weak policy direction and a lack of tangible results are rapidly eroding its legitimacy.
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Trump’s threats are no substitute for diplomacy
Trump has always had poor impulse control but we are moving into a new phase with F-bombs, real bombs and threats to entire civilisations becoming daily occurrences. (more…)
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When reality catches up with satire – Message from the Editor
The Boys spent years exaggerating the Trump era. By its final season, political reality had become so grotesque that satire was struggling to stay ahead. (more…)
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Living longer but not necessarily well
The 2026 report on Australia’s health shows our life expectancy remains one of the highest in the world but the last decade of life is marred by poorer health. (more…)
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The handshake that never holds
Pakistani and Afghan negotiators have to come to the table with a Plan B to break the endless cycle of bombings and retaliatory strikes. (more…)
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What the Socceroos taught us about belonging
The World Cup has shown Australia that our national identity is about diversity not uniformity. (more…)
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Thailand needs a long-term strategy for the next energy shock
The Iran war has exposed Thailand’s reliance on Middle Eastern energy and fertiliser imports and points to the need for a long-term economic strategy if it is to become a regional hub for green industries and advanced technologies. (more…)
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Gen Z is not ageing into the old Australia
Why Australia’s Gen Z is unlike any voting cohort before it and why every institution built for the old Australia is about to find out. (more…)
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The productivity obsession has a measurement problem
The focus on productivity as the key to economic growth ignores the fact that we can’t directly observe productivity. We need better ways to measure improvements in overall living standards.
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The Australian monoculture that never was
The history of this ancient continent has always been multicultural, and the Christian scriptures offer no support for the exclusionary monoculture now being promoted from the political right.
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US strike on Iranian school came after ‘bypassed warnings’ about outdated target info
US commanders reportedly ignored warnings that target intelligence was years out of date before a strike killed more than 150 schoolchildren in Iran.
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The new geography of migration is reshaping economic success
The world’s geography of migration is changing, and with it our understanding of economic development, national success and the role of public policy. (more…)
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The hypersonic hypocrisy of Pacific nuclear politics
Australia and New Zealand rightly criticise China’s nuclear-capable missile tests in the Pacific. Their silence on repeated US tests exposes a glaring double standard. (more…)
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Eight economic myths that are helping destroy our future
Eight persistent economic myths help protect vested interests, deepen inequality and accelerate environmental destruction. The economy must be rebuilt around wellbeing, sustainability and justice. (more…)
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What “regime change” in the US means for Australia’s engagement in Asia
US foreign policy under Trump calls for bipartisan reaffirmation of Australian values and national interests. (more…)
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EV charging needs national coordination
Australia’s EV charger rollout has been fragmented and incomplete. It’s time for it to be brought together as a coordinated network. (more…)
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How to address a democracy in retreat
The democratic project is about more than elections; its institutions must be revitalised on the basis of fairness, respect, openness, integrity and trust. (more…)
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Government is contorting itself on overseas students
High student visa refusal rates and extreme fee increases are blunt, haphazard tools for cutting net migration. Australia needs a long-term migration plan it can explain and defend. (more…)
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Thailand is betting on a lottery to boost retirement savings
Thailand is using its strong lottery culture to encourage informal workers to save for retirement – but questions remain about whether the scheme will change behaviour or fuel more gambling. (more…)
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Labor’s housing tax reforms must be the beginning, not the end
Labor’s capital gains tax and negative gearing reforms are a welcome start. But fixing housing will require broader tax reform, state cooperation and far greater investment in social housing.
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The pity of modern systemic corruption in politics
The coming NSW ICAC hearings are only part of a deeper problem. Entrenched factional power, gambling interests and political cowardice are corroding trust in Australia’s institutions.
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After the heartbreak, what the penalty kick teaches us about courage
After the Socceroos’ World Cup heartbreak, the penalty kick offers a brutal lesson in pressure, failure and courage – especially when an 18-year-old is willing to step forward.
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A new political party: why?
Community Strong has the chance to lead the way towards a new democratic habit, shaped by collaboration and long-term stewardship. (more…)
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The world knows how to end AIDS in children. Will it choose to?
Decades of progress against HIV are under threat as funding cuts weaken prevention and treatment. The tools to save lives exist – what is missing is sustained political will.
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NAIDOC is a celebration – but never just a celebration
NAIDOC Week has become one of Australia’s most recognised national observances, but its roots lie in protest, resistance and the continuing pursuit of justice and self-determination.
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The effects of global warming on Europe’s historic cities
European cities are having to face the dilemma of conserving their heritage and adapting to the effects of a warming climate. (more…)