Max Walden
@maxwalden.bsky.social
Journalist with the ABC’s Asia Pacific Newsroom. PhD from Melbourne Law School. Bad opinions are my own
Reposted by Max Walden
UN official describes monthlong polls as 'illegitimate', while ASEAN regional bloc says it will not certify the vote.
Myanmar holds final election round, military-backed party set to win
UN official describes monthlong polls as 'illegitimate', while ASEAN regional bloc says it will not certify the vote.
www.aljazeera.com
January 25, 2026 at 4:30 AM
UN official describes monthlong polls as 'illegitimate', while ASEAN regional bloc says it will not certify the vote.
Reposted by Max Walden
⚠️ Confirmed: Metrics show a significant decline to internet connectivity in #Greenland with high impact to capital Nuuk. The incident comes amid reports of a city-wide power outage of unknown cause 🔌
January 25, 2026 at 1:53 AM
⚠️ Confirmed: Metrics show a significant decline to internet connectivity in #Greenland with high impact to capital Nuuk. The incident comes amid reports of a city-wide power outage of unknown cause 🔌
Hours after the Bondi terror attack, neo-Nazi accounts joined other users in talk of marching on Sydney’s well-known Lakemba Mosque “to settle things” www.theage.com.au/national/sec...
Far-right threats to kidnap Albanese, post bombs to mosques, secret chats reveal
Apparent threats, including a recording of a man being offered $10,000 to rent a van and kidnap Anthony Albanese, were posted in an online chat room run by March for Australia organisers.
www.theage.com.au
January 25, 2026 at 2:22 AM
Hours after the Bondi terror attack, neo-Nazi accounts joined other users in talk of marching on Sydney’s well-known Lakemba Mosque “to settle things” www.theage.com.au/national/sec...
As of 11:15am on Sunday, Melbourne's air quality was rated as the seventh worst in the world for major cities, according to air quality website IQAir www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Air quality in Melbourne rated seventh worst in world due to bushfire smoke
A health warning is issued to Melbourne residents as the city is covered in smoke from a bushfire burning in the Otways, in Victoria's south-west.
www.abc.net.au
January 25, 2026 at 12:55 AM
As of 11:15am on Sunday, Melbourne's air quality was rated as the seventh worst in the world for major cities, according to air quality website IQAir www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Reposted by Max Walden
Exclusive: Australian supermarkets are increasingly charging customers for fresh produce by the item, rather than by weight, in a strategy that is leading to “wild volatility” in pricing with some items more than 50% more expensive, new analysis shows.
The capsicum paradox: new Australian supermarket pricing a ‘massive transparency fail’ for customers
Exclusive: Comparison of online ‘per each’ price of 15 fruits and vegetables against price per kilogram found ‘completely arbitrary’ price variations
www.theguardian.com
January 24, 2026 at 9:19 AM
Exclusive: Australian supermarkets are increasingly charging customers for fresh produce by the item, rather than by weight, in a strategy that is leading to “wild volatility” in pricing with some items more than 50% more expensive, new analysis shows.
Reposted by Max Walden
If you think about this too much you cry. Great one from Nikkei
Foreign workers flee to Phnom Penh after mass exits from scam compounds asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/so...
Foreign workers flee to Phnom Penh after mass exits from scam compounds asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/so...
Foreign workers flee to Phnom Penh after mass exits from scam compounds
Indonesians, Chinese, South Asians and Africans are trying to leave Cambodia
asia.nikkei.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:49 AM
If you think about this too much you cry. Great one from Nikkei
Foreign workers flee to Phnom Penh after mass exits from scam compounds asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/so...
Foreign workers flee to Phnom Penh after mass exits from scam compounds asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/so...
Reposted by Max Walden
The Australian Centre for International Justice has formally requested a police investigation into Israel's president for alleged incitement to genocide. He is expected to visit to Australia next month.
Lawyers request AFP probe into Israeli president as Australian visit looms
The Australian Centre for International Justice has formally requested a police investigation into Israel's president for alleged incitement to genocide. He is expected to visit to Australia next month.
www.abc.net.au
January 23, 2026 at 8:38 AM
The Australian Centre for International Justice has formally requested a police investigation into Israel's president for alleged incitement to genocide. He is expected to visit to Australia next month.
Reposted by Max Walden
🏥 Afghan mothers seek hospital help for malnourished children
The United Nations is warning that millions in Afghanistan will experience acute malnutrition this year. At a nutrition centre in Herat, an average of 315–320 malnourished children are admitted each month, Doctors Without Borders say.
The United Nations is warning that millions in Afghanistan will experience acute malnutrition this year. At a nutrition centre in Herat, an average of 315–320 malnourished children are admitted each month, Doctors Without Borders say.
January 23, 2026 at 9:40 AM
🏥 Afghan mothers seek hospital help for malnourished children
The United Nations is warning that millions in Afghanistan will experience acute malnutrition this year. At a nutrition centre in Herat, an average of 315–320 malnourished children are admitted each month, Doctors Without Borders say.
The United Nations is warning that millions in Afghanistan will experience acute malnutrition this year. At a nutrition centre in Herat, an average of 315–320 malnourished children are admitted each month, Doctors Without Borders say.
Police are investigating a letter sent to a Sydney mosque threatening the death of Middle Eastern and Aboriginal Australians and political figures.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
'Abhorrent' letter threatening violence on Australia Day investigated by police
The note, seen by the ABC, incited violence against several groups, including Middle Eastern communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and a number of political figures from Labor, the Green...
www.abc.net.au
January 23, 2026 at 3:04 AM
Police are investigating a letter sent to a Sydney mosque threatening the death of Middle Eastern and Aboriginal Australians and political figures.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Reposted by Max Walden
"Even though a settlement has now been reached, the case illustrates how legal systems can be weaponised to intimidate journalists beyond national borders," — Michael Altman Rosen-Lupu, Head of Asia-Pacific at PEN International
Read this article from ABC Australia ⬇️
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Read this article from ABC Australia ⬇️
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Australian retiree's detention in Thailand a warning, lawyer says
Rights groups slam Thai authorities' detention and legal proceedings against Australian writer Murray Hunter, after Malaysia's communications regulator submitted a criminal defamation complaint.
www.abc.net.au
January 22, 2026 at 4:01 PM
"Even though a settlement has now been reached, the case illustrates how legal systems can be weaponised to intimidate journalists beyond national borders," — Michael Altman Rosen-Lupu, Head of Asia-Pacific at PEN International
Read this article from ABC Australia ⬇️
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Read this article from ABC Australia ⬇️
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Reposted by Max Walden
Two Chinese men who allegedly produced and shared an AI-manipulated photo of two pandas displaying homosexual behavior have been detained.
The detentions come amid a broader crackdown on gay rights in recent years. https://wapo.st/4r0IWK1
The detentions come amid a broader crackdown on gay rights in recent years. https://wapo.st/4r0IWK1
January 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Two Chinese men who allegedly produced and shared an AI-manipulated photo of two pandas displaying homosexual behavior have been detained.
The detentions come amid a broader crackdown on gay rights in recent years. https://wapo.st/4r0IWK1
The detentions come amid a broader crackdown on gay rights in recent years. https://wapo.st/4r0IWK1
What we know about the landslide at Mount Maunganui in New Zealand www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
What to know about a major landslide in the 'Gold Coast of New Zealand'
A young girl is among those missing after a landslide hit a popular campsite south-east of Auckland.
www.abc.net.au
January 22, 2026 at 7:04 AM
What we know about the landslide at Mount Maunganui in New Zealand www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Reposted by Max Walden
Reposted by Max Walden
Six monarchs, three ex-Soviet apparatchiks and a leader sought by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes — those are among the inaugural members of the US president’s rival to the UN, which he is expected to unveil at Davos. ft.trib.al/acCThWH
January 22, 2026 at 5:36 AM
Six monarchs, three ex-Soviet apparatchiks and a leader sought by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes — those are among the inaugural members of the US president’s rival to the UN, which he is expected to unveil at Davos. ft.trib.al/acCThWH
Retired Australian academic Murray Hunter has avoided jail in Thailand after a criminal defamation complaint was lodged against him by Malaysia's communications regulator.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Australian retiree's detention in Thailand a warning, lawyer says
Rights groups slam Thai authorities' detention and legal proceedings against Australian writer Murray Hunter, after Malaysia's communications regulator submitted a criminal defamation complaint.
www.abc.net.au
January 22, 2026 at 3:25 AM
Retired Australian academic Murray Hunter has avoided jail in Thailand after a criminal defamation complaint was lodged against him by Malaysia's communications regulator.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Hand stencils found in an Indonesian cave have been dated to at least 67,800 years ago.
The team behind the discovery suggest the location of the find provides more evidence that Australia's first people arrived around 65,000 years ago. www.abc.net.au/news/science...
The team behind the discovery suggest the location of the find provides more evidence that Australia's first people arrived around 65,000 years ago. www.abc.net.au/news/science...
Hand stencils discovered in Indonesia are world's oldest-known rock art
Faint ochre outlines of hands thought to be at least 67,800 years old are the oldest rock art yet discovered. Archaeologists say the discovery of the Indonesian cave art backs up estimates of when hum...
www.abc.net.au
January 22, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Hand stencils found in an Indonesian cave have been dated to at least 67,800 years ago.
The team behind the discovery suggest the location of the find provides more evidence that Australia's first people arrived around 65,000 years ago. www.abc.net.au/news/science...
The team behind the discovery suggest the location of the find provides more evidence that Australia's first people arrived around 65,000 years ago. www.abc.net.au/news/science...
Reposted by Max Walden
For the fifth consecutive year, more than 300 journalists were behind bars at year-end, according to CPJ's #2025PrisonCensus. China, Myanmar, and Israel were the leading jailers of journalists on the census date of December 1, 2025, followed by Russia and Belarus.
Read more 👇
cpj.org?p=554905
Read more 👇
cpj.org?p=554905
Journalist jailings imperil a free press worldwide amid reports of life-threatening prison conditions: CPJ - Committee to Protect Journalists
China, Myanmar, and Israel lead jailers of journalists in 2025 New York, January 21, 2026 — For the fifth consecutive year, more than 300 journalists were behind bars at year-end, according to a new r...
cpj.org
January 21, 2026 at 3:12 PM
For the fifth consecutive year, more than 300 journalists were behind bars at year-end, according to CPJ's #2025PrisonCensus. China, Myanmar, and Israel were the leading jailers of journalists on the census date of December 1, 2025, followed by Russia and Belarus.
Read more 👇
cpj.org?p=554905
Read more 👇
cpj.org?p=554905
The Committee to Protect Journalists @pressfreedom.bsky.social says it has documented 206 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza since the start of the war
Palestinian health officials said an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian journalists travelling in a car on assignment to film a displaced persons camp in central Gaza.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Children and journalists among 11 people killed by Israel in Gaza
According to Palestinian medics, two boys aged 10 and 13 were among those killed on Wednesday in the latest violence which threatens to undermine a fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
www.abc.net.au
January 22, 2026 at 12:07 AM
The Committee to Protect Journalists @pressfreedom.bsky.social says it has documented 206 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza since the start of the war
Palestinian health officials said an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian journalists travelling in a car on assignment to film a displaced persons camp in central Gaza.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Children and journalists among 11 people killed by Israel in Gaza
According to Palestinian medics, two boys aged 10 and 13 were among those killed on Wednesday in the latest violence which threatens to undermine a fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
www.abc.net.au
January 22, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Palestinian health officials said an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian journalists travelling in a car on assignment to film a displaced persons camp in central Gaza.
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Reposted by Max Walden
In Davos speech, Trump repeatedly refers to Greenland as 'Iceland'
In Davos speech, Trump repeatedly refers to Greenland as 'Iceland'
DAVOS: US President Donald Trump repeatedly made an apparent gaffe in a speech on Wednesday (Jan 21) to world leaders assembled in Switzerland by referring to "Iceland" several times instead of his much-coveted Greenland, with the White House furiously denying any confusion on his part.The 79-year-old Republi
www.channelnewsasia.com
January 21, 2026 at 11:05 PM
In Davos speech, Trump repeatedly refers to Greenland as 'Iceland'
The coalition between the Liberal and National parties, the conservative opposition, has split for the second time since Australia's federal election in May last year
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Coalition splits for second time since election after Nationals walk out
David Littleproud says the Nationals have been put in an "untenable" position and are not willing to serve in a shadow ministry led by Sussan Ley.
www.abc.net.au
January 21, 2026 at 11:56 PM
The coalition between the Liberal and National parties, the conservative opposition, has split for the second time since Australia's federal election in May last year
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
On the National Day of Mourning for Bondi victims, Sydney rabbi shares rituals behind how Jews grieve and heal
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
The power of one small mitzvah as Jewish community heals after Bondi
Amid the National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio shares what mourning looks like in Jewish culture, from the resonance of stones at gravesi...
www.abc.net.au
January 21, 2026 at 11:36 PM
On the National Day of Mourning for Bondi victims, Sydney rabbi shares rituals behind how Jews grieve and heal
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Reposted by Max Walden
Tetsuya Yamagami pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Mr Abe as he stood surrounded by security, media and supporters in 2022.
Breaking: Man sentenced to life in prison for assassination of Japan's Shinzo Abe
Tetsuya Yamagami pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Mr Abe as he stood surrounded by security, media and supporters in 2022.
www.abc.net.au
January 21, 2026 at 4:48 AM
Tetsuya Yamagami pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Mr Abe as he stood surrounded by security, media and supporters in 2022.
Reposted by Max Walden
Minneapolis residents have joined a church-run effort to donate groceries to immigrant families who fear being caught in public by federal agents. What started with a couple of hundred deliveries a week has quickly swelled into a vast operation involving thousands of volunteers. trib.al/1qT1xMw
January 20, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Minneapolis residents have joined a church-run effort to donate groceries to immigrant families who fear being caught in public by federal agents. What started with a couple of hundred deliveries a week has quickly swelled into a vast operation involving thousands of volunteers. trib.al/1qT1xMw
Reposted by Max Walden
A Minnesota man told Reuters he felt fear, shame and desperation a day after ICE officers broke down his door with guns drawn, handcuffed him and dragged him into the snow wearing shorts and Crocs. reut.rs/4pPCx3x
January 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM
A Minnesota man told Reuters he felt fear, shame and desperation a day after ICE officers broke down his door with guns drawn, handcuffed him and dragged him into the snow wearing shorts and Crocs. reut.rs/4pPCx3x