Ginno Alcantara

Putin is on a personal mission to rewrite Cold War history, making the risks in Ukraine far graver

There is no shortage of speculation about what Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to do with the vast Russian military force now virtually encircling Ukraine, and...

Masks, RATs and clean air – how people with disability can protect themselves from COVID

How to get the most out of your N95 mask or other respirator

Although mask mandates are lifting in some states, many people will continue to wear masks to protect themselves and others from the more transmissible Omicron variant....

‘The hope is finished’: life in the Ukrainian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk

Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, and fears of a military attack on Ukraine, have once again drawn the world’s attention to these...

What Russia’s war means for Australian petrol prices: $2.10 a litre

Global crude oil prices have already reached their highest levels since 2014 in response to Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine. With Russia being the world’s second-largest...

Want to learn a language? Try TikTok

Social media are becoming an increasingly integral part of our everyday lives. We’re spending more time on our phones, but this is mostly on unproductive activities,...

‘We get the raw deal out of almost everything’: a quarter of young Australians are pessimistic about having kids

Young people today are coming of age in the middle of a global pandemic, soaring house prices, an unpromising job market and the shadow of climate...

Why urban greening isn’t a panacea for extreme weather under climate change

Urban greening is often touted as a way to tackle both heatwaves and floods in cities. This includes through green roofs, living walls, vegetated urban spaces,...

The Wellington protest is testing police independence and public tolerance – are there lessons from Canada’s crackdown?

Today’s action to cordon off the occupation of parliament grounds and prevent it growing might go some way to restoring public confidence in the police, which...

Taking COVID pills at home sounds great. But we need to use them wisely or risk drug resistance and new variants

GPs can now prescribe antiviral pills for some of their vulnerable COVID-19 patients to take at home. More patients are expected to have access in coming...