On Sunday the 2nd of June UQ Students for Palestine activists packed up their tents after a month-long encampment that took place at the heart of the University of Queensland's Great Court. Over the past several weeks the campus has hosted rallies, and sit-ins and been witness to some of the biggest student activism events seen in Australia in recent decades.

Have you ever heard of a theory making the rounds in online forums and news outlets for the past few years relating to the rise of Artificial Intelligence and bots on the internet? Well it’s called the Dead Internet Theory, and you might wonder what exactly does it mean? Did the internet ‘die’ and evolve into something we don’t recognise or is there something sinister involving AI and bots?

4ZZZ's Toni Pankaluic discussed the Dead Internet Theory as well as Artificial Intelligence with Dr Jake Renzella a Lecturer of Computer Science and Director of Studies for Computer Science at the University of New South Wales.

Over the past few years Australia has seen steadily rising road tolls. The Australian Road Safety Foundation aims to counter this trend, and yesterday held Fatality Free Friday for this cause. 4ZZZ journalist Catherine Strohfeldt spoke with the foundation's Russel White, as well as with TMR Assistant Director in Road and Rail Safety Policy and Research, Darren Mulholland, for an overview of the event and kinds of behaviors and hazards leading to the increasing toll.

Some of us have experienced friends or family who all of a sudden contracted sepsis or have even experienced it ourselves. Sepsis seems to onset quickly and can be deadly. How do you know it’s coming on? When do you go to your GP versus call an ambulance? Is sepsis reversible?

With women’s security and domestic violence advocacy at the forefront of the public consciousness, many are calling on the government to to increase funds for support initiatives, service centres, and shelters. However, in Caboolture it is already the fourth year that community-led fundraising event, Red Ride, is kicking off.

Ever find yourself listening to that favourite song? Or tuning into your favourite playlist when things get hectic and you just want some stress relief? Well, there's a reason for that! And it turns out that listening to music is indeed the best medicine. 4ZZZ's intrepid reporter, Anita Diamond, interviewed Dr Amanda Krause (James Cook University), who conducted a recent study on listening to music to cope with everyday stressors.

Love them or hate them, plant-based meat alternatives are here to stay. With increasing concerns about budget, sustainability, and nutrition, Food Frontier has released an aggregate report on the industry and its path forward, including the place these food products have in everyday Australians' diets. 4ZZZ Journalist Catherine Strohfeldt spoke with Dr Simon Eassom of Food Frontier on the topic.

At midday on Monday the 29th April, UQ students, activists and union members pitched up their tents in the Great Court in solidarity with Gaza. Inspired by the universities across Australia and the world, organisers Lauren Nook and Will Sim spoke to students, union members, local politicians and families on what this encampment meant, their demands and expectations for the following days. 4ZZZ Journalist Stephanie Felesina covered the beginnings of the encampment and followed the protest from the Great Court to UQ's Boeing Centre. 

As cost of living pressures persist well into 2024 with little sign of relief, tertiary student advocacy bodies are calling upon the government to ease the pressures of so-called placement poverty. Particularly, these bodies, including student unions and activist groups, are looking to the upcoming Federal Budget and Government response to the Universities Accord as an opportunity for the Commonwealth to support its nations future teachers, nurses, and allied health professionals, among others.

Last year, the West African nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger established the 'Alliance of Sahel States', a new mutual defence pact in response to political disputes with regional organisation, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

These three countries are located in the Sahel region of West Africa which borders the the Sahara Desert. For over a decade the region has seen much political as well as security instability… and as a consequence the Sahel countries’ elected governments were toppled in military coups. In early 2024, the three juntas led-states declared their withdrawal from ECOWAS.

To learn exactly why these states decided to leave and what potential ramifications does this new alliance hold for the region, 4ZZZ's Toni Pankaluic spoke with Dr Muhammad Dan Suleiman, International Relations Academic at WA's Curtin University and a West Africa security analyst.