|
When a US submarine torpedoed and sunk the Iranian warship IRIS Dena about 40 nautical miles off Sri Lanka this week, you might have wondered: is that legal? And who was obliged to pick up the survivors?
Naval studies expert Jennifer Parker explains how the law of naval warfare applies to this strike, and why the navy of Sri Lanka – not the United States – ended up rescuing the 32 Iranians who survived.
“It is also unlikely,” she notes, “that the crew of IRIS Dena would have immediately known they had been struck by a submarine-launched torpedo. Such a torpedo would typically be fired from very far away, beyond the detection range of a ship’s hull-mounted sonar.”
Meanwhile, as the US and Israel continue their bombing campaign, the Iranian regime has once again cut off internet access for most of its population. As Amin Naeuni explains, it’s incredibly rare for a government to disconnect its own population from vital information during a major military crisis – and the results could be fatal.
And finally, with many Australians filling up and hitting the road for a long weekend, Samantha Hepburn looks at what the war is doing to fuel prices – and whether Australia could run out.
|
|
Sunanda Creagh
Senior Editor
|
|
Jennifer Parker, The University of Western Australia; UNSW Sydney
These rules have developed over centuries as states sought to regulate the conduct of conflict at sea while still allowing navies to operate effectively.
|
Amin Naeni, Deakin University; Dublin City University
Most civilians in Iran have no idea when and where US and Israeli bombs will fall.
|
Samantha Hepburn, Deakin University
Soaring world crude oil prices have direct impact at the bowser. Australia is not well insulated from price shocks.
|
Best reads this week
|
Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University
Ali Khamenei’s son is known less for speeches or religious authority than for his influence and the networks he’s built behind the scenes.
|
Mark Edele, The University of Melbourne
A greater fail is hard to imagine.
|
Bianca Baggiarini, Deakin University
Questions about ethical AI may go out the window when democratic norms are collapsing.
|
Claudia Young, The University of Melbourne
No longer confined to social media feeds, the misogynistic ‘red pill’ worldview is now being amplified on Australian broadcast television.
|
Sara Meger, The University of Melbourne; Kate Reynolds, The University of Melbourne
An Australian study of anti-feminist attitudes shows up to 30% of boys surveyed expressed agreement with various forms of violent extremism.
|
TC Weekly podcast
|
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Labor is expected to be returned in power in a landslide. But the election is also the first test of One Nation’s ability to turn its surging popularity into seats.
|
Gemma Ware, The Conversation
Simon Mabon talks to The Conversation Weekly podcast about how the evolution of the relationship between Iran and its Gulf neighbours.
|
Our most-read article this week
|
Andrew Thomas, Deakin University
By using its drone and missile arsenal on its neighbours, Iran is telling the region, and the world, the regime will not go quietly.
|
In case you missed this week's big stories
|
-
Andrew Thomas, Deakin University
Khamenei will largely be remembered for the profound weakness his leadership brought the Islamic Republic.
-
Andrew Gawthorpe, Leiden University
Iranian attacks are degrading the interceptor stocks of the US and its allies.
-
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
In 2003, Labor was strongly against the Iraq war. But more than 20 years later and in power, Albanese has had to do a different sort of political calculus.
-
Stella Huangfu, University of Sydney
The rise in the oil price so far complicates the outlook, but does not resemble past energy crises.
-
Nick Bisley, La Trobe University
This begins with an honest recognition of the changing direction of US policy, stated plainly and directly to the Australian people.
-
Jack Anderson, The University of Melbourne
Current geopolitical uncertainty means the Winter Paralympics’ opening ceremony is attracting attention for the wrong reasons.
-
Shalini Arunogiri, Monash University
Starting a GLP-1 drug was linked with a 14% overall reduced risk of new substance use disorders and a lower risk of harm for those with existing use disorders.
-
Leonora Risse, Queensland University of Technology
Despite signs of progress, men are still almost twice as likely to be in the highest-earning income bracket.
-
Liam Burke, Swinburne University of Technology
Paramount’s A$156 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discover benefits Donald Trump, Netflix and some of the richest men in Hollywood. That’s about it.
-
Denis Muller, The University of Melbourne
The fact their partnership lasted that long invites a reflection on the contradiction between the kind of society we say we want and the kind of media we prize.
|
|
|
|
|
Koala populations
“It's most encouraging to read about the apparent population resilience of koalas despite (or perhaps because of) low genetic variability. However, this doesn't seem to be an uncommon phenomenon. Typically, many invasive animal and plant species around the world commence from very small populations and, therefore, tiny genetic bottlenecks, but this doesn't impede their abilities to increase rapidly and spread over wide geographic areas. Rabbits in Australia are surely a prime example, attributed to 13 animals released in Victoria in 1859, but have developed sufficient genetic variability to develop resistance to diseases like myxomatosis and calicivirus.”
Alex Nelson, Alice Springs NT 
Sydney’s radio bubble
“The Kyle and Jackie O radio show has generated much attention and controversy. Its demise has even earned coverage here in The Conversation. But it seems to me to be a peculiarly Sydney phenomenon. Sydney tastes are distinctly different to the rest of the country. And magnifying this is the fact that most of Australia’s media is headquartered there so the work and profile of presenters past and present like Sandilands, Laws and Jones is greatly exaggerated. The rest of the country scarcely knows these people, let alone cares.“
Richard Goodwin, Doubleview WA
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.
|
| |
|
|
|
The Conversation AU/NZ
Melbourne Victoria, Australia
•
Full Time
|
|
|
|
|
Featured Events, Courses & Podcasts
|
| |
