Australia’s smoking rate falls to historic low as illicit tobacco use rises
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Australia’s universities are under renewed scrutiny after a week of hearings in Melbourne on anti-Semitism, campus unrest and how institutions responded to complaints from Jewish students and academics. The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has put pressure on vice-chancellors to explain where protest ends and hate speech begins, and whether the sector did enough to protect students.
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In today’s email:
Universities face scrutiny over anti-Semitism as royal commission wraps hearings
Australia’s smoking rate falls to historic low as illicit tobacco use rises
U.S. Strikes on Iran Intensify as Gulf Tensions Rise
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Universities face scrutiny over anti-Semitism as royal commission wraps hearings
As a royal commission completes a week of hearings in Melbourne, Australian universities are pressured to explain how they handled anti-Semitism on campus. The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has been examining the experiences of Jewish students and academics, along with university responses to complaints and campus unrest.
The Australia Israel and Jewish Affairs Council said university leadership allowed anti-Semitism to flourish “almost unchecked” and urged institutions to accept accountability and commit to reform. The hearings have focused attention on the line between legitimate protest and hate speech, especially amid tensions over the war in Gaza.
Monash vice-chancellor Sharon Pickering told the commission she had not fully appreciated “how thinly buried anti-Semitism was in our society”.
Monash took a stricter approach than many other universities, expelling external protesters and banning chants during campus demonstrations. The issue has also prompted broader policy discussion, with new racism standards expected to require institutions to define anti-Semitism more clearly. The commission’s work could sharpen pressure on universities and the federal government to adopt more formal rules and enforcement measures.
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Australia’s smoking rate falls to historic low as illicit tobacco use rises
Daily smoking in Australia has fallen to a historic low, but more smokers are turning to illicit tobacco, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s latest national drug survey. The survey found daily smoking among people 14 and older dropped to 5.6% in 2025, down from 8.3% in 2022-23.
More than two-thirds of Australians 14 and older have never smoked, and overall nicotine use also declined, according to the report. Cancer Council Australia said decades of policy, including plain packaging, higher taxes and public education campaigns, have driven smoking to among the lowest levels in the world.
But the survey also found 34% of smokers reported recent use of illicit tobacco, up from 16.7% in 2022-23. Public-health advocates said the figures point to a need for stronger enforcement and licensing, not lower tobacco taxes.
The debate now centres on whether the government should double down on regulation or reconsider the tax settings that critics say are feeding the black market.
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U.S. Strikes on Iran Intensify as Gulf Tensions Rise
The United States launched another wave of airstrikes against Iran on Thursday, deepening a six-night campaign as explosions were reported in several Iranian cities and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz thinned to a trickle. Tehran warned the waterway was an “unbreakable red line” as both sides showed little sign of backing down.
The latest strikes began around 9:30 p.m. local time, U.S. Central Command said, with the military saying the attacks were intended “to further degrade Iranian military capabilities”. CNN reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Ahvaz, Iranshahr, Qeshm Island and Hamidiyeh County, though it said it could not independently verify the claims.
The conflict is now reverberating through one of the world’s most important energy routes. CNN said MarineTraffic data showed just three vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, down from an average of about 110 a day before the war.
The White House downplayed renewed pressure on fuel prices, calling the jump in oil costs temporary. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump’s energy policies had helped prevent a bigger increase, while CNN reported the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.94, according to AAA.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States of committing “war crimes” by targeting civilian infrastructure and defended its own attacks on neighbouring Arab states as self-defence. The ministry said U.S. strikes on a mineral water plant in Dehloran and a maritime traffic control centre in Chabahar amounted to violations of international law.
A regional expert quoted by CNN warned the collapse of ceasefire talks risked a longer conflict with no clear exit. “If such a minimal understanding cannot hold between the two sides, there’s no way you can put a floor under these tensions,” Ali Vaez, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, told CNN.
Trump has renewed threats to strike Iranian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants, while Iran has warned that any move against the Strait of Hormuz would cross a red line. Neither side has publicly signalled a return to negotiations, leaving the region on edge as the fighting widens.
The escalation has also spread beyond Iran. CNN reported that Iran’s drone attacks caused material damage in Kuwait, where the defence ministry said it intercepted 32 “hostile drones” in its airspace since dawn Thursday.
The standoff has become a test of military resolve, diplomatic leverage and the security of global energy supplies. With strikes continuing and shipping still slowing, the conflict shows little sign of easing
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