Latest news with #LaTrobeUniversity
CNA
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - 2025 Emmy nominations: Biggest snubs and surprises
Nominations for the 2025 Emmy Awards have been revealed, and Severance led the way with 27 nods, followed by The Penguin with 24 as well as The Studio and The White Lotus with 23 apiece in the competition for television's best shows and performances from the past year. Hairianto Diman and Susan Ng look at the biggest snubs and surprises with Dr Nasya Bahfen, Senior Lecturer from the Department of Politics Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University.
Sydney Morning Herald
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
From weed parlours to citizenship, the unexpected fallout from a jungle border bust-up
Singapore: A border skirmish in a remote South-East Asian jungle has spilled into the back streets and upper echelons of Thai and Cambodian society, threatening cannabis parlours, casinos, the ominously named 'Godfather of Poipet', and even a political dynasty. And this improbable-seeming chain reaction of patriotism, intrigue and self-interest is not spent yet. Cambodian strongman and former prime minister Hun Sen, not one to let a crisis go to waste, appears to be using the border tensions with Thailand to further entrench the power of his long-ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). On Monday, his son, Hun Manet, the current prime minister, announced the government would activate a dormant law requiring men aged 18 to 30 to serve a stint in the military. He also flagged an increase in defence spending, not only on human resources, but 'equipment modernisation'. Cambodia is one of the poorest nations in the world. Luckily, it can count China as its No.1 ticket holder. Loading The CPP is framing the military build-up as prudence in the face of aggression from a more powerful neighbour. And while this may be a good pitch to patriotic citizens, the policies are also beneficial to the Hun family and the CPP, which, despite their grip on Cambodia, figure it can always be tighter. 'The armed forces are certainly not an independent, neutral body,' says Gordon Conochie, an author on Cambodian democracy and an analyst at La Trobe University. 'They are used as a way of bringing people into the controlling sphere of the CPP through jobs and financial inducements. That's why you've got more than 3000 generals. It's a way of the CPP rewarding loyalty and rewarding people who do a service for them.'
The Age
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
From weed parlours to citizenship, the unexpected fallout from a jungle border bust-up
Singapore: A border skirmish in a remote South-East Asian jungle has spilled into the back streets and upper echelons of Thai and Cambodian society, threatening cannabis parlours, casinos, the ominously named 'Godfather of Poipet', and even a political dynasty. And this improbable-seeming chain reaction of patriotism, intrigue and self-interest is not spent yet. Cambodian strongman and former prime minister Hun Sen, not one to let a crisis go to waste, appears to be using the border tensions with Thailand to further entrench the power of his long-ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). On Monday, his son, Hun Manet, the current prime minister, announced the government would activate a dormant law requiring men aged 18 to 30 to serve a stint in the military. He also flagged an increase in defence spending, not only on human resources, but 'equipment modernisation'. Cambodia is one of the poorest nations in the world. Luckily, it can count China as its No.1 ticket holder. Loading The CPP is framing the military build-up as prudence in the face of aggression from a more powerful neighbour. And while this may be a good pitch to patriotic citizens, the policies are also beneficial to the Hun family and the CPP, which, despite their grip on Cambodia, figure it can always be tighter. 'The armed forces are certainly not an independent, neutral body,' says Gordon Conochie, an author on Cambodian democracy and an analyst at La Trobe University. 'They are used as a way of bringing people into the controlling sphere of the CPP through jobs and financial inducements. That's why you've got more than 3000 generals. It's a way of the CPP rewarding loyalty and rewarding people who do a service for them.'
West Australian
15-07-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Climate justice push turns to leaders after court loss
Political leadership is needed on climate change, experts say following the rejection of a landmark case in the Federal Court. On Tuesday, the court rejected the case led by Uncle Pabai Pabai and Uncle Paul Kabai, which argued the Commonwealth owed a duty of care to protect their Torres Strait homelands from the impacts of climate change. The uncles filed the landmark case against the government in the Federal Court in 2021, seeking orders from the court that would require the government to take steps to prevent harm to their communities, including cutting greenhouse gas emissions in line with the best available science. In handing down his decision, Federal Court Justice Wigney Michael accepted many of the key factual elements of the case, including the impacts of climate change on the islands. The case failed, Justice Wigney said, because negligence law does not allow compensation when it comes to government policy decisions. "That will remain the case unless and until the law in Australia changes, either by the incremental development or expansion of the common law by appellant courts or by the enactment of legislation," Justice Wigney said. "Until then, the only real avenue available to those in the position of the applicants and other Torres Strait Islanders, involves public advocacy and protest and ultimately recourse via the ballot box." La Trobe University anthropology lecturer Aidan Craney, whose work is focused on understanding social change in the Pacific Islands region, said the decision shows the need for political leadership on climate justice. Dr Craney said the government's reaction to the case could influence Australia's relationships in the Pacific. "How the Australian government responds to this decision may influence the levels of support it receives from the region," he said. "Current sentiment is broadly positive. However, dissent has come from respected sources, such as the Pacific Elders Voice." Uncle Pabai Pabai and Uncle Paul Kabai said they were shocked and heartbroken after the decision, but vowed to continue pushing to protect their islands. "I'm feeling very emotional," Uncle Pabai Pabai told AAP after the decision. "I wasn't thinking we'd lose this case ... I'm very heartbroken." Griffith University Law School professor Susan Harris Rimmer said the decision was indeed a heartbreaking outcome. She urged the federal government to pass human rights legislation that would allow for the right to a clean, healthy and safe environment. "The United Nations Human Rights Committee has already ruled that rights have been breached by Australia in relation to climate impacts in the Torres Strait," she said."Australia is running out of time for the kind of incremental advocacy and protest that Justice Wigney noted was the only current avenue for reform."
Perth Now
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Climate justice push turns to leaders after court loss
Political leadership is needed on climate change, experts say following the rejection of a landmark case in the Federal Court. On Tuesday, the court rejected the case led by Uncle Pabai Pabai and Uncle Paul Kabai, which argued the Commonwealth owed a duty of care to protect their Torres Strait homelands from the impacts of climate change. The uncles filed the landmark case against the government in the Federal Court in 2021, seeking orders from the court that would require the government to take steps to prevent harm to their communities, including cutting greenhouse gas emissions in line with the best available science. In handing down his decision, Federal Court Justice Wigney Michael accepted many of the key factual elements of the case, including the impacts of climate change on the islands. The case failed, Justice Wigney said, because negligence law does not allow compensation when it comes to government policy decisions. "That will remain the case unless and until the law in Australia changes, either by the incremental development or expansion of the common law by appellant courts or by the enactment of legislation," Justice Wigney said. "Until then, the only real avenue available to those in the position of the applicants and other Torres Strait Islanders, involves public advocacy and protest and ultimately recourse via the ballot box." La Trobe University anthropology lecturer Aidan Craney, whose work is focused on understanding social change in the Pacific Islands region, said the decision shows the need for political leadership on climate justice. Dr Craney said the government's reaction to the case could influence Australia's relationships in the Pacific. "How the Australian government responds to this decision may influence the levels of support it receives from the region," he said. "Current sentiment is broadly positive. However, dissent has come from respected sources, such as the Pacific Elders Voice." Uncle Pabai Pabai and Uncle Paul Kabai said they were shocked and heartbroken after the decision, but vowed to continue pushing to protect their islands. "I'm feeling very emotional," Uncle Pabai Pabai told AAP after the decision. "I wasn't thinking we'd lose this case ... I'm very heartbroken." Griffith University Law School professor Susan Harris Rimmer said the decision was indeed a heartbreaking outcome. She urged the federal government to pass human rights legislation that would allow for the right to a clean, healthy and safe environment. "The United Nations Human Rights Committee has already ruled that rights have been breached by Australia in relation to climate impacts in the Torres Strait," she said."Australia is running out of time for the kind of incremental advocacy and protest that Justice Wigney noted was the only current avenue for reform."
