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This is part two of a two-part series. Start with Part 1: Inside Australia's secretive crocodile skin industry. The lucrative Australian crocodile skin industry has always sold its conservation credentials - arguing that by farming the animals, they were ensuring the future of the species.  Two prominent scientists, using successful media businesses to promote research which showed those bene...

When the Australian government appointed its envoy to combat Islamophobia, it came amid escalating violence in Gaza.  But signs have emerged that the envoy chosen - Aftab Malik - appears to see his role as separate from the conflict in the Middle East. Now there are questions about why Malik was chosen, and concern about whether his report - due any day now - will go far enough to address Isl...

A few weeks ago, Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar addressed the National Press Club to discuss what he describes as the “next great industrial revolution”. Singing the praises of the economic opportunity of artificial intelligence, Farquhar called on the government to loosen the rules – allowing AI models to train themselves using creative works, without paying for it. Now, as...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia – like many countries – saw protesters take the streets. They weren’t just protesting lockdowns, they were rallying around a tangle of fears and conspiracies. Those threads fused into a broader worldview that pulled people down a pipeline and built a small industry of influencers. Today, Conspiracy Nation authors Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson...

It’s easy to dismiss conspiracy theories as fringe or imported. But conspiratorial ideas are gaining traction with everyday Australians – about one in three endorse at least one conspiracy belief. They’re also being echoed by people in power, and have spilled into real-world violence. Today, Conspiracy Nation authors Cam Wilson and Ariel Bogle on how conspiracies leap from the fr...

When dead fish began washing up on South Australian beaches earlier this year, Dr Scott Bennett was alarmed. Scott’s a marine ecologist at the University of Tasmania, and knew that dead fish on shore meant trouble under the surface. On a dive in June, Scott came face-to-face with the devastating impact of the largest algal bloom Australia has ever seen. The full impact still isn’t know...

Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced. Albanese claims the move will help advance a two-state solution and is “humanity’s best hope” for peace in the Middle East. But as Israel intensifies its military campaign in Gaza once again, what difference does recognition really make? Today, contribut...

In May this year, Kumanjayi White died after being restrained by police inside a supermarket in Alice Springs. Just weeks later, the coroner released her findings into the fatal police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker, who was killed in Yuendumu in 2019. Both men were Warlpiri, and both died after encounters with Northern Territory police. Jampijinpa Hargraves is Kumanjayi White’s grandfather &n...

Labor is laying the groundwork for a major overhaul of Australia’s tax system.  In just over a week, a hand-picked group of people from business, unions and government will gather in Canberra for an economic roundtable. Already, a range of ideas are being touted for debate: from lowering company tax rates, to rethinking negative gearing, and a carbon tax. The prime minister is watching...

As ceasefire talks with Hamas stall, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to convene his security cabinet to agree on a new Gaza strategy. He’s been pushing for a full military takeover of the strip – but that plan is exposing deep divisions inside his own government. The meeting was postponed, senior defence officials warn the operation would be costly and endanger t...

At the height of the Islamic State’s power in Syria, hundreds of Australians are thought to have joined their ranks. But as security agencies cracked down on people leaving the country, Australian ISIS supporters turned their focus here. What followed was a string of attacks and foiled plots. Now, as ISIS once again gains a foothold in Syria, attacks are expected to rise in Australia. Today,...

When ASIO’s spy chief Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, it was widely seen as a recruitment drive. He talked about the crucial role of human intelligence in ASIO's work – and sang the praises of the people who make huge sacrifices, in secret, to keep Australians safe. But while Burgess insisted informants collecting intelligence for ASIO are valued,...

For nearly two decades, Australian governments have pledged to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians — in health, education, employment and justice. But year after year, the data tells a grim story: modest improvements in some areas and deepening crises in others.  Behind the national figures, and in the shadow of the failed referendum, the Northern Territory i...

In spite of pouring rain, government opposition and a failed police ban, 90,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday. It was the largest pro-Palestinian protest in Australia’s history.  It was a moment of mass demonstration against 21 months of war in Gaza, where tens of thousands of civilians, including children, have been killed.  Despite warning that the mar...

Anthony Albanese has been waiting decades to recognise a Palestinian state.  Now, as countries like France, Canada and the UK all declare their own intention to do so, the Prime Minister is weighing up how Australia will respond. It’s a delicate balance – with competing pressures from within his own party, and an opposition denying there’s a starvation crisis in Gaza. Today,...

Australia’s plan to ban teenagers from social media has been called “world‑leading”. The law, which comes into effect December 10, threatens platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook with fines of up to $50 million if they let under-16s open or keep accounts. But as implementation draws closer, questions remain about how the ban will be enforced, what it means for online p...

As companies across the world pursue generative AI technology, new forms of manipulation become possible. At the forefront of this are neurotechnologies, which directly connect to your brain and collect your brain data, and persuasive technologies, which can use that data to influence how you feel. In countries like China where the tech industry is controlled by the government, the use of these te...

When Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff struck a deal with the AFL to build a brand new stadium in Hobart's historic center, it was a decision made without cabinet, treasury or parliamentary backing. It's that stadium that's kicked off a messy fight over who will lead Tasmania. It’s now been over a week since the election that delivered a hung parliament and neither the Liberal leader or Labo...

Countries have a legal obligation to tackle climate change, according to a landmark finding from the world’s highest court. Last week, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that said climate change is an “urgent and existential threat” to humanity and countries have a “duty to cooperate” on addressing it. For the Pacific Island students who bro...

When parliament returned this week, the seating chart said it all. With 123 Labor members in the parliament – the government is taking up much of the room.  But it was the Nationals taking the oxygen with their growing calls to abandon net zero. Their position is at odds with science, economics and many within the joint party room. Meanwhile Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is trying to kee...

When an Israeli airstrike hit the gate of Syria’s Defence Ministry in central Damascus, the blast echoed far beyond the capital. It was a warning shot in a growing fight over who controls Syria’s fractured south. With sectarian tensions reigniting between Druze militias, Bedouin fighters and government troops, the country’s uneasy calm is close to breaking. Today, Damascus‑based...

The Australian Federal Police investigate some of  the country's most serious crimes - terrorism, corruption, drugs, and human trafficking.  But a new report from the Commonwealth Ombudsman has found that the one thing the AFP is not good at investigating is itself. It's found that the agency is dismissing complaints that should be investigated, including allegations of corruption and as...

When UNESCO voted to put the Murujuga Cultural Landscape in north-west Australia on the World Heritage List, they recognised the ancient rock art as a “masterpiece of human creative genius”. It was a reflection of the work of the Murujuga traditional owners who fought for the carvings to be recognised on the world stage. But what went on behind the scenes shows the limits of a heritage...

As Donald Trump tries to hose down criticisms over his mishandling of the Epstein files, some of his most ardent supporters are now turning against him. For years Donald Trump fueled conspiracy theories related to the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. For Trump’s MAGA base, his re-election meant finally uncovering the truth about the powerful associates on “Epstein’s list&r...

This is the second episode in a two part series. If you haven’t yet, start by listening to Part 1: How the Epstein conspiracy turned MAGA against Trump. Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein have a well documented history together. What started off as a friendship eventually turned sour, with Trump claiming he never really liked him. But even though there is no evidence that Trump was involved in...