Explainers and analysis on global events, shared across the Daily Network.
World
The ten-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations is the economic and diplomatic architecture underpinning Australia's most important regional neighbourhood.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
Plastic production has tripled in 40 years. Australia imports tonnes of waste it can't process, while the world struggles to stop the leak into oceans and landfill.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
When a country runs out of foreign currency and cannot pay its debts, the IMF is usually the lender of last resort, and its conditions shape the lives of millions.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
Australia imports nearly all potassium from a few countries, leaving farmers vulnerable to supply disruptions thousands of kilometres away.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
For the first time in human history, the number of older people is outpacing the number of children, and the economic consequences are only beginning to show.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
Diamonds are rare, valuable, and tightly controlled. Understanding who produces them, who buys them, and how the industry stays united tells you how global commodity markets really work.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
From de-icing roads to manufacturing plastics, salt is one of the world's most essential industrial chemicals. Understanding who controls it, how it moves, and where it's mined reveals hidden dependencies that touch nearly every economy.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
When the world's most powerful central bank moves its benchmark rate, Australian borrowers eventually feel it, even though Washington has no authority over the Reserve Bank of Australia.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
Australia mines half the world's bauxite but smelts almost none of it. Here's why that matters for your electricity bill and the nation's economic future.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
Discover how geothermal energy works and why Australia is investing in underground heat technology. Learn about reliable 24/7 renewable power generation.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
A stock market index appears daily in the news as a number going up or down, but what it measures, and what it misses, is less well understood.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
Copper is the wiring of the modern world. As nations electrify, demand is surging-and the metal's supply cannot keep pace. Here's what that means for your power bills, your car, and global economic stability.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
Discover how West African cocoa fermentation methods directly impact chocolate quality and prices on Australian supermarket shelves-months before you buy.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
Two ocean temperature patterns on the other side of the world drive Australia's cycles of drought, flood, and fire with remarkable regularity.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
Salmon farming in distant countries shapes what Australians pay for fish. Understanding the industry reveals why supply shocks ripple across oceans to your dinner table.
The Daily World · 25 July 2026
World
The ups and downs of the Australian dollar shape everything from petrol prices to the cost of an overseas holiday. Here's why.
The Daily World · 19 July 2026
World
Fisheries managers worldwide rely on imperfect data to set catch limits. When estimates fail, entire coastal economies collapse and food security falters across continents.
The Daily World · 19 July 2026
World
Three Southeast Asian nations control most of the world's natural rubber. When monsoons, disease, or geopolitical tension disrupt their harvests, tyre prices rise globally.
The Daily World · 19 July 2026
World
Most of what you buy arrives in a metal box. The world's container ships, ports, and logistics networks form an intricate system that shapes your cost of living, and Australia's ports are becoming a bottleneck.
The Daily World · 19 July 2026
World
From Berlin's cultural institutions to heritage bodies in Cairo, the pressure to root out duplicate and synthetic images from public records is mounting fast.
World News Desk · 5 July 2026
World
Money sent home by migrants now exceeds official development aid and foreign investment in many regions. This quiet flow reshapes entire economies, but also creates new vulnerabilities.
The Daily World · 4 July 2026
World
From copper to coffee to soybeans, Latin America's vast natural wealth shapes its politics, drives its growth, and leaves it exposed to forces beyond its borders.
The Daily World · 26 June 2026
World
The EU is not a country, but it is far more than a trade club: understanding what it actually is explains a great deal about how Europe makes decisions and why those decisions affect Australia.
The Daily World · 26 June 2026