Global Issues
The acid test: legal moves to force action on climate change
The call for a global response to the impact of climate change and especially the threats posed by sea-level rise for small island states has been constant and growing…
Link start-ups ecosystems to build influence in Southeast Asia
In 2019, Indonesian President Joko Widodo surprised many when he appointed 35-year old Nadiem Makarim as Minister for Education and Culture. Makarim had risen to prominence as the…
Australia should have more public holidays – but make them civic and secular
The events that we choose to designate public holidays say a lot about who we are and what we believe in as Australians. So, as Osmond Chiu rightly argued last week in The…
Towards meaningful Quad cooperation on intelligence
The Quad has a lot on its plate. The informal grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the United States began modestly, but stepped up its ambition two years ago, with regular…
Undue suspicion of Chinese Australian scientists slows progress
With technological competition now at the centre of the geostrategic rivalry between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, scientific exchange and collaboration…
The hard road to justice for Russian war crimes
As evidence of and investigations into war crimes committed by the Russian military during the invasion of Ukraine continue to be reported, consideration has also been applied…
Our public holidays should reflect Australia’s multicultural make-up
Australia is without a doubt an increasingly diverse and pluralistic country. The recent 2021 Census found that a majority of the population are now migrants or the children of…
Crossing the carbon border
In 2023, climate rules in international trade become real.
With the introduction of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), trade rules based on the…
Pop culture politics: How to Interpret 2022
Missed the headline? Hollywood star Angelina Jolie is stepping down after more than 20 years as ambassador for the UN refugee agency. It’s fine, because India’s celebrities are…
Covid-19: from crisis to closure?
Covid-19 is still making people sick. As of December 2022, according to the World Health Organisation, there had been more than 645 million cases and 6.6 million deaths from the…