The Latest Breaking News from The Conversation

Government must be more transparent about who gets community grants – and why

Australian governments have an unfortunate history with community grants programs. Sports infrastructure programs, car park grants and other schemes have repeatedly raised the same concern: public money intended to serve communities becomes entangled with electoral politics.

The Conversation · Sep 7

Do tech billionaires dream of shared abundance? We should probably just tax them

On July 24, Elon Musk was interviewed by The Economist’s editor Zanny Minton Beddoes. The 85-minute discussion ranged from Musk’s business ventures to the war in Ukraine, China’s technological power and the immense capabilities of artificial intelligence.

The Conversation · Sep 7

Cutting the tobacco excise won’t stop the illegal trade. This is how other countries solved the problem

The Coalition has proposed slashing the tobacco excise, the federal tax on tobacco products, by 80%. It claims cheaper legal cigarettes will draw people who smoke away from the illicit market and deprive organised crime of its profits.

The Conversation · Sep 7

The Long Version by Petra Hůlová is about a middle-aged feminist caught between the past and future

The Long Version is a new novel which follows a short period in the life of Sylvie, a middle-aged writer who has just published a best-selling yet critic-dividing feminist book.

The Conversation · Sep 7

Saltwater flooding could radically change which crops are worth growing

Saltwater isn’t something most people associate with English farmland. But in parts of eastern England, it’s becoming a growing problem, and not just for crops, but for farm incomes too.

The Conversation · Sep 7

Fire and floods are usually treated as separate hazards. Portugal’s Pinhal Interior shows why they are part of the same cycle

Across southern Europe, increasingly extreme heat, wildfire and intense rainfall are forcing planners to consider how one event can alter the risk of the next. Portugal’s exceptionally wet winter and another summer of wildfire risk are an example of this. As a professor of architecture and climate change adaptation who…

The Conversation · Sep 7

OnlyFans in South Africa: what creators say about sex work, personal safety and the gig economy

OnlyFans was established in 2016 as a platform for content creators to post images and videos or host live streams in exchange for money. But what began as a small and relatively quiet niche startup suddenly exploded.

The Conversation · Sep 7

Three bicycles for 39 volunteers: the uphill battle to fund playful parenting in rural Zambia

The earliest years of a child’s life are critical for growth, learning and long-term wellbeing. During this period, children develop rapidly, and experiences in the home and community shape their future health, education and social outcomes. Simple things like talking, singing, telling stories and playing with children can have a…

The Conversation · Sep 7

How a simple group therapy programme is helping depressed teen mothers in Kenya

Pregnancy and early motherhood can be challenging under any circumstances for adolescents. But in Kenya the challenges are huge. Many pregnant and parenting adolescents face stigma, interrupted education, financial hardship, strained family relationships and limited social support.

The Conversation · Sep 7

A child’s first 5 years set them up for life. African study explores how to target education spending

The first five years of life lay an important foundation for children’s future schooling, health and earnings. Yet over 77% (table 2) of children in sub-Saharan Africa don’t have access to early childhood care and education. This places them at risk of not reaching their development potential.

The Conversation · Sep 7