Asia
The “unsinkable” island is no substitute
In a recent Interpreter article (Glug, glug, glug: India’s interest in unsinkable aircraft carriers), David Brewster poses an interesting question: is there a cheaper and less…
Exit strategy: will US troops leave South Korea?
The massive Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul has seen a near-continuous presence of foreign military since the Korean Peninsula was annexed by the Japanese in 1910. Prior to that…
India’s Nipah virus outbreak and misleading media
On 20 May, India’s government notified the World Health Organisation of a confirmed outbreak of Nipah virus in Kozhikode, a district in Kerala, after test samples…
Reunification out of reach
The Trump–Kim summit in Singapore was the first step towards persuading North Korea to join the few countries that have relinquished nuclear weapons. It also presents…
The big clean-up in Malaysia
While the world is watching Malaysia, trying to explain the unexpected victory of Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) in last month’s elections, what is actually more important is…
US-China trade: joke’s over
Once entertaining, the Trump administration is becoming unfunny. In less than a week the trade dispute between China and the US has escalated to cover what will quite likely be…
Australia and Germany should work together on China
Efforts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to influence Australian politics have made headlines since 2017. In recent months, similar attempts have been at the centre of…
Selective outrage: Priyanka Chopra and the “Quantico” controversy
It is unusual to apologise for something that did not happen, such as a made-up story. But this is what occurred after “The Blood of Romeo”, a recent episode of the US ABC…
The China puzzle in Asia
China is rising! This remarkable event, which is hardly surprising because the process has been underway for at least forty years, is causing great excitement in…
When Indonesia sits on the Security Council
Indonesia has successfully won its bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council 2019–20, but what is the country likely to achieve?
There…