HISTORICAL FACTS: 19 | History Defined

Are you seeing new ‘service fees’ since the card surcharge ban? Here are the rules

Since Australia’s card surcharge ban took effect on October 1, social media users have questioned new “service fees” and “daily surcharges” appearing on their bills. Some businesses have simply raised their prices.

The Conversation · Oct 6

Spain’s snap election: will Pedro Sánchez’s latest gamble pay off?

On October 5, Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap general election for November 29, bringing the vote forward by 10 months.

The Conversation · Oct 6

NZ’s next government could be a four-party coalition. Get used to the new normal

Going by recent opinion polls, the combined votes of National and Labour in the coming election may be the lowest ever – below 60%.

The Conversation · Oct 6

From food to fuel, AI helps pinpoint how to grow ‘microalgae’ at scale

Microalgae (microscopic organisms that use light and carbon dioxide to grow) can be used to make ingredients and food for animals, pigments and potentially renewable fuels. But growing microalgae efficiently at an industrial scale is difficult.

The Conversation · Oct 6

HIV treatment has transformed lives in the UK, but stigma lingers

Nearly half a century has passed since the first recognised case of Aids in the UK in December 1981. During that time, perceptions of HIV and people living with HIV have been transformed by medical advances and changing cultural attitudes. Yet the stigma created during the early years of the…

The Conversation · Oct 6

How geopolitical tensions tainted the 2026 Asian Games

The 2026 Asian Games in Japan drew to a close on October 4 following two weeks of competition between 45 countries and territories across 43 sports. Despite the official slogan “imagine one Asia”, fragmented regional politics came to the fore as the event unfolded.

The Conversation · Oct 6

Digger channels Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove for the climate crisis – until its twist

Warning: this article contains major spoilers for Digger.

The Conversation · Oct 6

What a Chinese pollution crackdown can teach Canada about carbon pricing

In May, the federal government lowered the planned trajectory for Canada’s industrial carbon price. The system puts a price on greenhouse gas emissions to give companies a financial incentive to reduce their emissions.

The Conversation · Oct 6

What Europe’s EU Inc. framework for boosting competitiveness can and should learn from startup fraud in the US

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union are currently debating EU Inc, draft legislation seeking to establish a single set of rules for starting, operating, and growing a business across EU member states. The proposed framework is designed to make business registration and operation within the EU…

The Conversation · Oct 6

Protest later or push for better planning now? 7 actions South African voters can take before local elections

Every local government election season, South Africans are handed the same menu. They hear from councillor hopefuls that they will repair potholes, stop water outages and power cuts, and improve refuse collection. Politicians campaign on service delivery as though it were the only job of local government. It isn’t.

The Conversation · Oct 6