North Korea’s ongoing, violent history of ignoring even the most basic global rules makes Pyongyang almost impossible to trust.

The release of the 2017 Low Institute Poll, MBN replaced by MBS, Shinzo Abe's domestic situation, PNG's national elections and more.

Australia has a perfect right to form associations, groupings, dialogues and alliances with whomever it chooses. But wise statecraft does not deal only with entitlements and rights.

This week's links also include an infographic of the world's smuggling routes and an exploration of ambivalence in Asia toward refugees.

It takes a brave or foolish person to predict the outcome of a PNG election. Here goes nothing.

To really unleash economic growth, Russia would need institutional reforms that take on entrenched interests, rent-seeking and corruption.

A drop in support for democracy, particularly among the young, may reflect rising expectations of what a democracy should be able to do.

A ‘cascade’ of countries flowing from Taipei to Beijing isn't likely any time soon. Nonetheless, the question remains – who’s next after Panama?

We concentrate on the costs and ignore the benefits refugees bring to Australian society and economy.

The saga is a reminder of the international governance system's failure to produce a satisfactory procedure for international bankruptcy.

There is no indication that Trump’s invitations to Southeast Asian leaders were preceded by diplomacy that would resolve the underlying issues in the bilateral relationships.

Will the O’Neill government ‘be remembered by the people of Papua New Guinea as the most decisive, action packed, transparent and accountable Government the nation has ever had’ as asserted in the Alotau Accord?

Today’s announcement that Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has shuffled the line of succession in favour of Mohammed bin Salman is surprising but not unexpected.

Five months into the Trump administration, a surge of progressive outrage has hardly translated into electoral momentum for the Democrats.

The announcement yesterday implies that Australia has decided it no longer has the political will to apply air power in the fight against ISIS in Syria.

The 2017 Lowy Institute Poll finds Australians have reacted to global events in a typically pragmatic way. But they are troubled about the direction of the world and divided about the way our own nation is travelling.

The most startling and truly new development is the emergence of the importance of Lee Hsien Loong’s wife, Ho Ching.

This model forces decision-makers to compare the pre-emptive costs of intervention against the cost of restorative intervention.

Barring some ‘parliamentary incident’ there will be no national elections in Italy until next year, probably in March.

Both of the successful candidates referred to the need for unity among all loyalists and for dialogue with independence groups.

There has been yet another spate of US-China incidents involving US intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance probes.

Critics say the aggressive approach to the anti-conspiracy legislation underlines a creeping, somewhat authoritarian tone in the government.

Policymakers need to develop responsive and fair migration frameworks that address and balance the needs of capital, workers and the nation.

little consideration was given to what US position would be in relation to the SDF when the Syrian government tries to reassert sovereignty in areas cleared of IS.

The view that India is reluctant to engage Australia in a multilateral naval setting because it is wary of Canberra’s strategic credentials lacks merit.

The shock created by Macron’s election is on a par with that of Barack Obama in 2008. The expectations are as high – which means he is bound to disappoint.

Corbyn shocks, proposed changes to the citizenship test, what's so risky about Chinese altruism, and more.

The Bill proposes to give the Minister an array of discretionary powers to refuse an application for citizenship.

The well-trodden path to economic success that enabled hundreds of millions of workers to move from farm to factory and then into higher value services jobs may no longer be an option.

Disinformation has become big business and a new Wired essay argues the battle over public opinion is now as much in the comment threads as on the front pages.

The US Commander of the United Nations Command in South Korea, General Brooks, wants to 'revitalise' it.

This week's links also include the Australian government's settlement deal with asylum seekers and airlines' role in fighting human trafficking.

There is a parallel in how SOEs burst into the mining industry after 2007 and how new Chinese donors have burst into the political and university scene.

A trial would have shed light on a detention regime that has thus far remained shrouded in deepest secrecy.

The US presence is tactical and temporary, a fact fully appreciated by those who are there for the long term.

Much of what lies within ‘Chinese’ borders today was not so long ago a mosaic of very separate, very non-Chinese states.

The limitations of resilience, elections in PNG, the UN Oceans Conference and more.

If things break bad for Trump, you can expect at least two consequences for US policy toward the Asia-Pacific.

These tragic events demonstrate a very unfortunate combination of a moral obligation system in which loyalty is due only to those closest to you, and a fundamental lack of trust.

Geopolitical and economic rivalries can see projects of questionable value get pushed through without proper assessment of financial and economic viability.

This offer is just the latest example of cooperation between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

The new scheme that replaces the 457 visa program will narrow the pathway to permanent residency without addressing the problem of exploitation.

A global transformation is taking place almost unobserved by policy-makers and statisticians.

There were calls last year for better protection of investor rights so the private sector can participate in fair competition with SOEs.

A division between politics and economics, especially the biggest firms, end the constant temptation provided by developmentalism.

For the next few months, with the exception of the Brexit negotiations, Britain will be engaging in an act of introspection unprecedented in most of our lifetimes. The world will have to wait.

Technocratic, non-ideological leaders like Theresa May and Hillary Clinton are tempted to think you can take the politics out of politics by striving for consensus.

A US meeting with an ally that didn't lead to fireworks, diplomatic ructions in the middle East, a Belt and Road sceptic and the new space race; it was another busy week on the Interpreter.

Look out for the Weekend Catch-up, and for analysis of the shock British election result.