9 Apr 2019
US bipartisanship on Asia
Look beyond the reality show coverage of the Trump presidency, the bipartisanship on regional initiatives is striking.
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9 Apr 2019
Domestic politics drive Malaysia’s abrupt global court U-turn
Politicking to protect rights of Malaysia’s hereditary rulers has dashed plans to join the International Criminal Court. -
9 Apr 2019
Can technology save ASEAN’s food supplies from climate change?
A pressing need to feed a big population with little agricultural land and shirking fish stocks could spur innovation. -
8 Apr 2019
Closing the umbrella? The verdict on democracy in Hong Kong
A case against a group of non-violent protestors will be read as a comment on China’s one country, two systems approach. -
8 Apr 2019
The useful myth of central bank independence
If Alan Greenspan was “the Maestro”, then Fed chair Jay Powell needs also play to the orchestra to resist Donald Trump. -
8 Apr 2019
Singapore: a fake news law which is actually very bad news
Human rights groups and big businesses alike fear a new law could have major repercussions, including overseas. -
5 Apr 2019
South Korea: has a female leader’s fall cost women candidates?
In a country already renowned for misogyny, the fall of Park Geun-Hye led to speculation about future female candidates. -
5 Apr 2019
Refugees are educating themselves abroad. Australia should help
A bipartisan border policy would not be undermined by doing more to help stateless people who seek to help themselves. -
5 Apr 2019
Book Review: Utopia For Realists
Bold policy ideas are welcome, so is Rutger Bregman’s “radical” challenge to the supposed wisdom of critics. -
4 Apr 2019
Budget 2019: the race to the bottom for foreign aid
As these cuts continue the downward trend of aid spending, so too does Australia’s decline in international standings. -
4 Apr 2019
Modi’s drive for Brand India
Attracting foreign direct investment to transform India’s sluggish economy has been one of the BJP’s big achievements. -
4 Apr 2019
The limits of Moon Jae‑in’s shuttle diplomacy
The South Korean President is mediating between North Korea and the US yet can only do so much for a reluctant couple. -
3 Apr 2019
The mind-boggling challenge of Indonesia’s election logistics
800,000 polling stations, six million election workers, and the most complicated single-day ballot in global history. -
3 Apr 2019
Japan’s very busy fighter force
Scrambling to intercept roughly three intruders daily, wear on the fleet raises concern about keeping pace with China. -
3 Apr 2019
India’s anti-satellite missile test: also a test for the polity
With an election afoot, controversy has inevitably grown about the timing of India’s successful “hit-and-kill” in space. -
2 Apr 2019
The cost of terror: two tales of country life
The small town of Loxton in South Australia has seen bravery and betrayal, a microcosm of a globalised Islamist threat. -
2 Apr 2019
The frustrated wait for Thailand’s election outcome
The military already stacked the odds in its favour, and suspicion about missing ballots have only compounded doubts. -
2 Apr 2019
A year after US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran digs in
The Trump administration calls it “maximum pressure” but Washington’s ability to further squeeze Tehran is constrained. -
1 Apr 2019
Do you care about Slovakia? You should
Right-wing populists are meant to be on the march, yet one European presidential election bucked the trend. -
1 Apr 2019
The greatest British political crisis of modern times
For all the talk, the Brexit debate has barely moved beyond how to get out of the EU, let alone tackle the big issues. -
1 Apr 2019
As South Korea and Japan pick a fight, don’t expect Trump to care
Washington often been an informal umpire for the depressingly regular spats between Seoul and Tokyo – not this time. -
29 Mar 2019
ASEAN Regional Forum: less might be more
Often dismissed as a “talk-shop”, the significance of this existing forum in a complex and nervous Asia could grow. -
29 Mar 2019
Ignoring international law in the Blue Pacific
Colonised peoples have rights to resources, on land and in the oceans, and this must be recognised. -
29 Mar 2019
Near death on the River Nile
<p>A marathon journey dodging traffic jams and distracted taxi drivers, all to get a feel for the Middle East.</p> -
28 Mar 2019
Economic diplomacy: trade and infrastructure battles in Asia
Australian business is not showing much faith in new free trade deals, meanwhile the Trade Minister debates “left wing”. -
28 Mar 2019
Indian elections: cinema as an instrument of propaganda
<p>A string of silver screen features offers a powerful way to shape politics and damage opponents. </p> -
28 Mar 2019
Stockholm Syndrome: social media can shape China’s foreign policy
Social media is sometimes deployed as a weapon but public attitudes can – and have – cut both ways for Beijing. -
27 Mar 2019
The case to prosecute “jihadi brides” at home
<p>Women played a key role in ISIS – while there are dangers, countries have a responsibility to see justice done.</p> -
27 Mar 2019
Pacific links: Tsai’s island travels, new in Niue, more
Indonesia’s interests in the neighbourhood, Vanuatu’s economy, and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
27 Mar 2019
Mobilising Defence in the “fourth industrial revolution”
Information technology advances could revolutionise supply chains and logistics – if the ADF can seize the chance. -
27 Mar 2019
Remembering Rwanda: small mercy from the horror of Kibeho
Twenty-five years ago, Australian peacekeepers saw the tragic aftermath when the killing did not stop with the genocide. -
26 Mar 2019
The strategic consequence of the Chagos Islands legal dispute
When Britain leased Diego Garcia to the US to become a Cold War military base, did it have sovereign rights to do so? -
26 Mar 2019
The battle to resource the US National Defense Strategy
Shifting the money to match US objectives in the Indo-Pacific is still proving to be a challenge. -
26 Mar 2019
Taking transitional justice to Cambodia’s youth
Decades after Khmer Rouge, reparations could not be afforded to its victims. So justice is looking at Cambodia’s youth. -
25 Mar 2019
The Mueller illusion
What the long investigation has really exposed is more of the same old politics at play. -
25 Mar 2019
Film Review: The Wandering Earth
The film makes us think about the way in which civilisational differences can lead to new forms of artistic expression. -
25 Mar 2019
Reset required for DFAT-AusAID integration
The promised magic to align aid with interests hasn’t actually materialised as power has shifted from the old aid club. -
25 Mar 2019
The “satellite clause” for North Korea’s rockets
If North Korea does launch another satellite, will this really be an act to cover another missile test? -
22 Mar 2019
Australia–India ties: closing the gap between intent and action
The potential of this relationship is often overshadowed by a severe lack of enthusiasm and episodes of prejudice. -
22 Mar 2019
Australia’s PNG gateway: far north Queensland
The far-north will be key to closer cross-border ties and Cairns hosted the Australia-PNG Emerging Leadership Dialogue. -
22 Mar 2019
The sudden interest in Modern Monetary Theory
It’s often said there is no such thing as a free lunch, and issuing cash is not a limitless source of funding. -
22 Mar 2019
Christchurch enters a nightmare peculiar to our times
A different kind of monster stalks our age, but the public still has a choice whether to submit to his wickedness. -
21 Mar 2019
Who bears responsibility for the children of ISIS?
There are 70 Australian minors affiliated with ISIS in Syria. Yet there is no policy or direction on repatriation. -
21 Mar 2019
Australia-Turkey: Erdogan’s bitter legacy in present-day history
The intemperate outburst over Christchurch is more a product of Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule. -
21 Mar 2019
Indonesia: look beyond quotas for gender representation
Gender quotas are a popular means of affirmative action but the number of female parliamentarians remains meagre. -
21 Mar 2019
Getting the right data is step one to address Pacific problems
Much of the information needed to tackle regional challenges already exists – gathering this data is key. -
20 Mar 2019
Rahul Gandhi: a reluctant leader’s bid to topple India’s Modi
He’s hoping to pull off a miracle but the Congress Party’s promotion of Priyanka Gandhi could betray a weakness. -
20 Mar 2019
The K-Pop sex and drugs scandal sweeping South Korea
It started with Big Bang and has spiralled into an ever-widening controversy, with privilege and misogyny at the heart. -
20 Mar 2019
Aid links: cyclones, “confusopoly”, collaboration, more
Links and stories from the aid and development sector. -
20 Mar 2019
Why reciprocity matters: the US Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act
China’s days of treating the US as a peer and expecting special treatment at the same time appear to be running out.