World

Adrian Esterman, University of South Australia Compared to many other countries around the world, Australia and New Zealand have done an exceptional job controlling COVID-19. As of May 7, there were 794 active cases of COVID-19 in Australia. Only 62 were in hospital. The situation in New Zealand is similar, with 136 active cases, only two of whom are in …

Ian Lowe, Griffith University Documentary maker Michael Moore’s latest offering, Planet of the Humans, rightly argues that infinite growth on a finite planet is “suicide”. But the film’s bogus claims threaten to overshadow that message. Planet of the Humans is directed and narrated by longtime Moore collaborator Jeff Gibbs. It makes particularly contentious claims about solar, wind and biomass (organic …

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s no such thing as business as usual. To find out how businesses on the ground in Asia are working in a new environment, last week, the Asia New Zealand Foundation surveyed more than 100 of its business stakeholders across Asia, from Cambodia to South Korea. In this quick snapshot, entrepreneurs and business people gave their …

Hassan Vally, La Trobe University To understand the spread of COVID-19, the pandemic is more usefully viewed as a series of distinct local epidemics. The way the virus has spread in different countries, and even in particular states or regions within them, has been quite varied. A New Zealand study has mapped the coronavirus epidemic curve for 25 countries and …

Tony Walker, La Trobe University Australia’s relationship with China is fractured. Arguably, this is the worst moment in Sino-Australian relations since Gough Whitlam normalised ties on his election in December 1972. The Chinese saying “kill the chicken to frighten the monkey” would seem applicable in Beijing’s reaction to Australia’s push for an investigation into the operations of the World Health …

As the human and economic cost of the COVID-19 epidemic continues to reveal itself across the globe, in some quarters the blame game has already begun. Liam Finnigan suggests now is not the time to beat any drum demanding China take responsibility for the pandemic.  In what initially appeared to be a casual interview on TV3’s  AM Show, the US …

Chris Tyler, UCL and Peter Gluckman Most people think or at least hope their government is doing a good job in the face of COVID-19, according to the polls. But there can be no doubt that governments around the world were ill-prepared for this pandemic. Country after country has been locking their citizens in their homes to slow the spread …

Meru Sheel, Australian National University; Charlee J Law, Australian National University, and Danielle Ingle, Australian National University Recent headlines have suggested COVID-19 can spread up to four metres, drawing into question the current advice to maintain 1.5 metres between people to prevent the spread of the virus. The news was based on a study conducted in Wuhan, China, and published …

  Andrew Linden, RMIT University and Warren Staples, RMIT University The economic heart attack induced by COVID-19 has revealed an ugly truth – many very large companies have too little cash to ride out sharp downturns. Cash flow variability, and the inability to retain earnings to buffer that variability, is one of the most common reasons small businesses fail. Because …

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland gives shares her views on why she believes businesses shouldn’t go back to normal after the Coronavirus pandemic. Today there is an eerie silence across the globe. Bustling cities have gone quiet and highways that were once jammed with bumper to bumper traffic, are empty. In homes, thousands of families are anxiously awaiting a phone call …