The Conversation: In-depth analysis, research, news and ideas from leading academics and researchers.

China's President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump

China's President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump

After an opaque summit, China and the US want to work together again. That might not be good news for the world

Wesley Widmaier, Australian National University

A historic court victory has upheld transgender rights in Australia. A legal academic explains why

A composite image of two women, one wearing dark sunglasses, outside a court

A composite image of two women, one wearing dark sunglasses, outside a court

How public voting has turned Eurovision from a song contest into a political platform

A small crowd of people wave flags and cheer.

A small crowd of people wave flags and cheer.

Grattan on Friday: Taylor’s bold budget reply is a mix of sound and dubious policy commitments

What is the ‘Thucydides trap’ Xi warned Trump about? Lessons from an ancient war between Athens and Sparta

Steel engraving of Athens' attempt to conquer the Corinthian colony of Syracuse in Sicily during the Peloponnesian War. 415 BC

Steel engraving of Athens' attempt to conquer the Corinthian colony of Syracuse in Sicily during the Peloponnesian War. 415 BC

Budget 2026

Female nurse helping an elderly woman walk down a hallway.

Female nurse helping an elderly woman walk down a hallway.

Australians wait 12 months for aged care – and the latest budget funding is unlikely to change that

Sabrina Lenzen, The University of Queensland

Will this budget really make housing fairer for more Australians? It’s a good start

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, wearing hi-vis and hard hat, visits an apartment construction site

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, wearing hi-vis and hard hat, visits an apartment construction site

Angus Taylor promises to index income tax to inflation in big tax gamble

Podcast: Tim Wilson on the budget’s hidden hits on young Australians

The government wants to save $463m by tightening disability support to school students. What’s going on?

A high school student sits at a desk in a classroom and looks over her shoulder.

A high school student sits at a desk in a classroom and looks over her shoulder.

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jim Chalmers says ‘we’re in the cart’ for more tax relief

The federal budget will keep scientific research alive. But it’s unlikely to expand it

A pair of hands holding a red petri dish

A pair of hands holding a red petri dish

Urgent care clinics, medicines and vaccines: what the budget means for Australians’ health

A Medicare Urgent Care Clinic sign is shaded by a gumtree

A Medicare Urgent Care Clinic sign is shaded by a gumtree

More budget coverage

More top stories

Coles shopping baskets and trolleys are seen at a Coles supermarket

Coles shopping baskets and trolleys are seen at a Coles supermarket

Coles’ discounts misled shoppers, court rules. It could face hundreds of millions in fines

Trump-Xi summit: in a high-stakes meeting the two leaders can’t afford to misread each other

Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and US president, Donald Trump,walk along a red carpet in front of ranks of solduers in ceremonial uniform,.

Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and US president, Donald Trump,walk along a red carpet in front of ranks of solduers in ceremonial uniform,.

Who are the main contenders to replace Keir Starmer as UK prime minister?

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer giving a speech at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre in Waterloo, London

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer giving a speech at the Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre in Waterloo, London

Trump’s ratings slide further, but gerrymanders will help Republicans at midterm elections

Struggling to find an electrician or builder? 5 reasons for Australia’s tradie shortage

Construction workers work on a roof.

Construction workers work on a roof.

Thailand and Cambodia are bickering over their borders again. Can diplomacy prevent a return to war?

Iran is threatening undersea cables. The world’s ‘digital chokepoints’ have never been more vulnerable

Undersea cables

Undersea cables

Should I take vitamin D now there’s less sun, or for bone or immune health?

Older couple take vitamin D

Older couple take vitamin D

How menstruation is being weaponised in war

Two women holding babies among a group of people in a crowded street

Two women holding babies among a group of people in a crowded street

Jumbled purple letters against a yellow background.

Jumbled purple letters against a yellow background.

More and more websites want proof you’re human. Blame the bots

Patrick Radden Keefe investigates Russian money in London through a teenager’s suspicious death

NRL players collide in full colour, while in the background, black and white imagery of an historic game is seen

NRL players collide in full colour, while in the background, black and white imagery of an historic game is seen

Game changers: how one team’s dominance transformed rugby league forever

Wayne Peake, Western Sydney University

Museums have always been entangled with European imperialism. Will the world’s first ‘AI art’ museum be any different?

Skyscrapers.

Skyscrapers.

Theatre for young audiences should be seen as critical for children’s cultural agency

A young child looks at a tree, supported by adults.

A young child looks at a tree, supported by adults.

A man’s been convicted for spreading genital herpes. Here’s why that might backfire

Silhouetted man sits on bed.

Silhouetted man sits on bed.

We proved these ‘forever chemicals’ can last longer than three decades

Swirling patterns of foam on the surface of water

Swirling patterns of foam on the surface of water

New DNA evidence shows dingoes are almost 90% pure – and fall into eight distinct groups

dingo looking at camera, backdrop of grass and dead trees.

dingo looking at camera, backdrop of grass and dead trees.

Crossbench senator Tammy Tyrrell joins government ranks, declaring she’s ‘proud to be a Labor girl’

Love, quest, adventure: the storytelling behind Xi Jinping’s speeches and China’s grand strategy

Guide to the classics: ‘all for one, and one for all’ – the enduring appeal of The Three Musketeers

Trump-Xi summit: 3 ways the US and China can compete without going to war

We tested the new World Cup ball – this is what you need to know about how it will fly, dip and swerve

A man in red socks places a ball on the turf.

A man in red socks places a ball on the turf.

The power of Tim Winton’s The Shepherd’s Hut is gorgeously evoked in a new stage adaptation

Production image: a younger and an older man on a black stage.

Production image: a younger and an older man on a black stage.

As the definition of autism expands, are we losing sight of those with the greatest needs?

Blurry crowd in underground tunnel.

Blurry crowd in underground tunnel.

Paramedics are facing more danger on the job. Here’s how to protect them

Close-up of an Ambulance Victoria badge, worn by a paramedic.

Close-up of an Ambulance Victoria badge, worn by a paramedic.

Two young women do yoga poses together.

Two young women do yoga poses together.

What is ‘cycle syncing’, and how might it affect menstruation?

Colourful graffiti artwork of two men in work clothes conversing.

Colourful graffiti artwork of two men in work clothes conversing.

If AI can translate instantly, why learn another language?

Lee Lai’s Cannon is the first graphic novel to win the Stella Prize

Lee Lai poses for the camera

Lee Lai poses for the camera

The yips: when ‘choking’ in sport can go next level

A golfer looks down at a ball, ready to play a shot.

A golfer looks down at a ball, ready to play a shot.

Stardust trapped in Antarctic ice reveals tens of thousands of years of Solar System’s past

Illegal gold mining causes surges in malaria in the Amazon, and the association is far worse than we suspected

An old yellow envelope with a label reading AIRCRAFT - UNIDENTIFIED, stamps reading SECRET, and a digital annotation reading DECLASSIFIED

An old yellow envelope with a label reading AIRCRAFT - UNIDENTIFIED, stamps reading SECRET, and a digital annotation reading DECLASSIFIED

New UFO files offer no answers – but something is happening in the skies

All sides of politics backed ambitious gambling reforms. The government’s response is half-hearted at best

Cody Ramsey of the Roosters runs the ball during a 2026 NRL game, with gambling signage in the background.

Cody Ramsey of the Roosters runs the ball during a 2026 NRL game, with gambling signage in the background.

Nasa bets big on nuclear engines to cut journey times to Mars

Nuclear propulsion.

Nuclear propulsion.

Falling space debris poses an escalating risk as spacecraft get stronger and more heat resistant

An illustration shows a satellite burning up as it approaches Earth.

An illustration shows a satellite burning up as it approaches Earth.

The Philippines’ brutal history informs Glenn Diaz’s powerful political novel

Hantavirus is very different to COVID. Here’s why the ‘Andes virus’ won’t cause the next pandemic

Passengers board a plane after disembarking from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius

Passengers board a plane after disembarking from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius

‘Poverty porn’: the moral dilemma behind MrBeast’s billion-dollar empire

A grid of various screenshots taken from YouTube video thumbnails showing people in various situations.

A grid of various screenshots taken from YouTube video thumbnails showing people in various situations.

Should emissions from coal burned overseas matter for Australian mines? The High Court will decide

High Court of Australia building seen from walkway

High Court of Australia building seen from walkway

Climate risk is changing where investors put their money – even as NZ relaxes disclosure rules

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New research

370 billion crickets are farmed for food every year. Scientists have discovered they may feel pain

A small brown insect in green grass.

A small brown insect in green grass.

We found hundreds of huge ancient mass graves hidden in the Sahara desert

'Enclosure burials', with internal individual burials oriented around a 'primary' burial.

'Enclosure burials', with internal individual burials oriented around a 'primary' burial.

Why the race to save these cherished penguins just became more urgent

Higher-strength medicinal cannabis may be linked to a disturbing pattern of side effects, our study shows

Red cannabis gummy containing with THC content warning

Red cannabis gummy containing with THC content warning

More new research

Federal politics

View from The Hill: Post-Farrer, Liberals will struggle with awkward questions about their relations with One Nation

One Nation’s rise may seem sudden, but it follows long-term voter trends

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson and One Nation member for New England Barnaby Joyce

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson and One Nation member for New England Barnaby Joyce

With wind in its sails, One Nation looks to replicate Farrer success in Victoria – and federally

Pauline Hanson talks to media with Barnaby Joyce in the background.

Pauline Hanson talks to media with Barnaby Joyce in the background.

One small country set the model for reintegrating ISIS families from Syria. Here’s what Australia can learn

More federal politics

World

Why is the US so obsessed with controlling Cuba?

Trump-Xi summit will be no ‘Nixon in China’ moment – that they are talking is enough for now

Two plastic figurines depicting men in suits.

Two plastic figurines depicting men in suits.

Local elections reveal the deep fracturing of UK politics and put the writing on the wall for Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer in half shadow, holding files.

Keir Starmer in half shadow, holding files.

UK elections: experts react to the Reform surge and Labour losses

Nigel Farage and Reform UK supporters

Nigel Farage and Reform UK supporters

Life

What is a ‘digital detox’ and will it make me healthier?

Woman reads book while holding a cuppa.

Woman reads book while holding a cuppa.

Choosing a high school can seem enormous. How do you know if one is right for your child?

A teenage girl in school uniform and backpack holds a folder and smiles.

A teenage girl in school uniform and backpack holds a folder and smiles.

Why do heights make your feet feel strange?

Tourists posing on a glass floor in a skyscraper.

Tourists posing on a glass floor in a skyscraper.

What is the ‘grey rock’ method for dealing with narcissists or difficult family members?

A woman sits on a grey rock.

A woman sits on a grey rock.

Climate

Changing climate law to prevent civil cases removes a key protection for NZ citizens

A composite image showing New Zealand's parliament building, mountains, cows

A composite image showing New Zealand's parliament building, mountains, cows

Why has this autumn been so hot and dry?

man walking along foreshore of a lake in late autumn.

man walking along foreshore of a lake in late autumn.

Urban trees cool the world’s cities more than we thought – but we can’t rely on them alone

densely tree lined street after tropical downpour.

densely tree lined street after tropical downpour.

Warming seas can threaten the hidden relationship that supports seagrass meadows

Reviews

Yesteryear: is this viral novel’s time travelling tradwife really ‘perfect at being alive’?

a woman in a dress and a cow

a woman in a dress and a cow

Siri Hustvedt’s powerful memoir of losing her husband Paul Auster will make you cry

a dark-haired man close to a laughing blonde woman

a dark-haired man close to a laughing blonde woman

A new, experimental The Glass Menagerie marks a bold turn for Australian theatre

Production image: a mother and daughter sit on the floor in brilliant ball gowns.

Production image: a mother and daughter sit on the floor in brilliant ball gowns.

Fiona Wright’s Kill Your Boomers sees the dark joke in Australia’s housing crisis

Podcasts

Ignore the polls: One Nation is the unofficial opposition

Pauline Hanson holding an Australian flag, superimposed over a sepia-toned graph with a rising line

Pauline Hanson holding an Australian flag, superimposed over a sepia-toned graph with a rising line

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Alan Kohler says Labor’s tax changes probably won’t lower house prices

One Nation: built by the media, supercharged by the algorithms

Sepia-toned image of Pauline Hanson surrounded by microphones

Sepia-toned image of Pauline Hanson surrounded by microphones

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Antony Green on how Farrer’s ‘breakout’ by-election will make history

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