Europe’s low carbon price hit Australia’s budget last week in a big way. Erwin Jackson from the Climate Institute explains why, and looks at what might happen next.

UNESCO has held off putting the Great Barrier Reef on its endangered list — for now. Crikey intern Sasha Petrova finds out why the reef’s in trouble and what the next steps are.

There’s an almighty row brewing over how superannuation is taxed. What on earth are they talking about? Crikey intern Ben Westcott walks us through how super taxes work and what could change.

Would recognising local government in the constitution protect essential services or undermine states’ rights? Public policy and governance expert Stephen Bartos answers Crikey’s questions.

The government is proposing changes to the Native Title Act — but some say it has missed an opportunity to make the Act much fairer. Former native title lawyer Sarah Burnside explains.

A Federal Court decision on DNA patents threw up some interesting questions on what is and isn’t intellectual property. Patent and trademark attorney Glen Gordon explains the implications.

Who is Eddie Obeid, and why is his family now embroiled in a corruption scandal that goes to the heart of NSW politics? Crikey’s courtroom scribe records the history and argues why you should care.

Jonathan Marshall found himself part of the Alan Jones story amid confusion over what publishing rules applied. Crikey intern Sally Whyte breaks down the journo code.

A raid to find rogue Afghan army member Hek Matullah by combined Australian and Afghanistan forces resulted in two civilians being killed. Priscilla Pho talks to an expert about rules of engagement during war.

It looks like state and federal governments will not be binning plans for more cash-for-containers schemes, with Tony Burke announcing support for a national program. Aicha Marhfour examines how a scheme would work.

China imposed a ban on fishing in contested territorial waters in the South China Sea yesterday, as its long-time battle with the Philippines over the territory heated up. Scott Barnes asks the experts to explain the historical tensions.

Four thousand human genes have already been patented and Melissa Parke and Bill Heffernan want to ban all patents on human genes. Scott Barnes asks the experts on why these patents are so controversial.

Since early April the Large Hadron Collider has been back up and running in the hope of discovering the answers to some of science’s most elusive questions. So what’s it looking for, asks Dylan Barber?

Ten Chinese nationals are currently based on a ferry docked in Darwin after sending a distress signal for Australian Customs officials to collect them after running out of food en route to New Zealand, where they plan to seek asylum.

Derryn Hinch revealed he was told by doctors that the new liver may be infected with HIV or hepatitis before his surgery. Do many patients get offered risky organs? asks Bianca Kerr.

Mining giants as well as some state governments are threatening to take the tax to the High Court, claiming that it discriminates against states and will unfairly cost businesses. Bianca Kerr asks constitutional law experts how the High Court fight would go.

Yesterday around 100 troops, led by former Colonel Yaura Sasa, took the commander of the Papua New Guinea armed forces, General Francis Angwi, hostage. How unstable is the country, asks Adrian Dowie?

But how does one enforce an international agreement? It’s more than 20 years since the Kyoto Protocol was first implemented, how far have we come with implementing and policing these global agreements?

After a lengthy trial, Dr Conrad Murray has been sentenced with committing the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson. But what’s the difference between voluntary and involuntary, asks Harrison Polites?

What are the laws around occupying and protesting in Australia? And when can police remove protesters?

Could the Australian stock market be fitted with a “kill switch”? Reports suggest ASIC will propose that mandatory emergency brakes be fitted to high-speed, high-volume, and occasionally highly irrational High Frequency Trading (HFT) systems to prevent a United States-style “flash crash”. So what is it, and how would it work? Crikey asked Pepperstone Trading CEO Owen Kerr […]

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen announced an increase in the amount of bridging visas given to asylum seekers to clear out the crowded detention centres. But how do they work?

The Australian dollar is the world’s fifth most traded currency and goes up and down, up and down.

Last week drug company CSL wrote to hospitals, advising them to start rationing an intravenous form of penicillin. But will it increase superbugs and what are they anyway? Crikey intern Greg Foyster investigates.