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There’s been a rush of scary headlines suggesting the Australian economy, after weeks of war in the Middle East, is tumbling towards recession.
“Are we already in a recession?” and “What a recession would mean for you and how to survive the fallout” are two recent headlines.
But if we look closely at the data, the evidence doesn’t point to that dire outcome. Sure, higher fuel prices are a toll on consumers and businesses, but this price burden is a long way from causing a near shutdown of economic activity, as happened during COVID.
As Stella Huangfu writes, the evidence suggests growth is slowing but not stalling. If interest rates stay higher for longer, that may change. But it’s too soon to panic.
The newly resurgent One Nation is well and truly amping up the panic; it’s using the fuel crisis to rally votes as it tests its political mettle.
The long maligned party could soon be the most viable opposition, so in our new podcast series The Making of One Nation, we’ve been taking a close look at where it’s come from for clues about where it’s headed. Episode Two: Define the Enemy is out now.
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Victoria Thieberger
Business and Economics Editor
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Stella Huangfu, University of Sydney
Economic activity is still solid for now – but these are the risks ahead.
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Ashlynne McGhee, The Conversation; Isabella Podwinski, The Conversation
Every populist movement needs a threat. One Nation found several: Asian immigration, native title and Islam to name a few. Do those enemies still resonate?
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Jessica Genauer, UNSW Sydney
It is hard to see a path towards lasting peace in the next fortnight.
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Samina Yasmeen, The University of Western Australia
Pakistan is using shared history – and plenty of friends in high places – to bring the war to an end. Here why it’s had the sway to do it.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Nationals Leader Matt Canavan and Liberal Leader Angus Taylor are very different beasts. With a byelection and budget reply looming, Taylor has challenges aplenty.
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Erin Harper, University of Sydney
A major Australian study found kids who spend 40 hours or more in childcare may struggle more with social skills and emotions than those who attend for less time.
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Chris James, The University of Queensland
The high-speed, hypersonic and extremely hot re-entry is the last challenge the Artemis II crew will have to endure on their epic 10-day mission.
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Peter Edwell, Macquarie University
Most Roman emperors died on the job. So when the emperor Diocletian decided to abdicate and retire in March 305 CE, it was a highly unusual development.
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Politics + Society
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Adrian Beaumont, The University of Melbourne
Trump’s net approval has never been lower, while Democrats had a 25-point swing in their favour in a federal special election.
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Rodrigo Praino, Flinders University
Donald Trump’s pre-ceasefire social media post was unprecedented, immoral, and a diplomatic blunder for the US’s standing in the world.
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Health + Medicine
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Belinda Lawford, The University of Melbourne; Kim Bennell, The University of Melbourne; Travis Haber, The University of Melbourne
Some knee injections for osteoarthritis promise to repair or regenerate the joint. Others claim to decrease pain and make it easier to move.
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Peter Baldwin, Swinburne University of Technology; UNSW Sydney
The idea is to catch mental health problems early, before they get worse. Here’s how it works – and the outcomes of those who’ve tried similar programs.
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Glen Hosking, La Trobe University
Sure, a cuddle can feel great. But that doesn’t mean ‘cuddle therapy’ is for you.
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Una Ren, New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science; Nigel French, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; Sarah Hannah, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
Teens and young adults are more likely to be asymptomatic carriers of the bacterium that cause meningococcal disease, making university students a high-risk group.
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Environment + Energy
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Kimberley Reid, The University of Melbourne
Media reports have suggested a 'super' El Niño is looming. The problem is, these autumn forecasts are notoriously unreliable.
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Mingyue Selena Sheng, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Interest-free loans are hoped to expand NZ’s electric vehicle charging network. But without wider changes, EV uptake may remain slow and uneven.
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Science + Technology
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Meena Jha, CQUniversity Australia
QR codes are so familiar and widespread, we tend to trust them without question. That’s exactly what scammers rely on.
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Arts + Culture
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Alexander Howard, University of Sydney
Olga Tokarczuk’s 2009 novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead has now been adapted for the stage.
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Books + Ideas
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Vijay Mishra, Murdoch University
Vijay Mishra changed forever when a cinema opened in his Fijian town in 1951. He traces Bollywood’s shift from multicultural fantasy to Hindu nationalism.
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Powering a new path
“As we navigate the current fuel shortages, it was encouraging to read six things Australia should do to tackle the energy crisis. If we cut our ties to fossil fuels, the disruption being experienced will have had a silver lining. Reducing the production and use of plastics will finally end our dependence on fossil fuels.”
Melanie Carter, Largs Bay SA 
The real criminals of war
“The real criminals in any war are the suits that put their own people in harm's way for some murky benefit or ideal that almost always includes lining the pockets of those same fat suits that started the wars in the first place. Shame on all who allow this."
Donald MacGregor, Whitfield Qld
Our furry friends
“In my 82 years, I have seldom been in a place where I could not reach out to a dog for company. In recent years, I have rethought the concept of dog ownership. Instead, I prefer the idea that we are their carers – and in many cases, with assistance dogs, they are our carers.”
Bob Holderness-Roddam
We'd love to hear from you. You can email us with your thoughts on our stories and each day we'll publish an edited selection.
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Australia-Korea Foundation (in conjunction with InASA and Seoul National University)
Gwanak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
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Contract
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