9 Oct 2019
Bougainville’s predicament, independence or not
Whatever path Bougainville follows after next month’s referendum, human development is its most urgent priority.
-
-
8 Oct 2019
Is the Qatar blockade ruining the country’s sporting goals?
<p>The tiny Gulf nation wants to be a world stage for sport, but a regional boycott isn’t helping.</p> -
8 Oct 2019
US shift on Syria puts Canberra in a bind
Trump’s announcement may or may not be followed through, but it has serious implications for Australia either way. -
8 Oct 2019
The next phase of the Belt and Road: Podcast out now
In Episode 11 of Rules Based Audio, we take a look at the next phase of the Belt and Road Initiative from two sides. -
7 Oct 2019
Monday is a public holiday
Take a perch. Today is a public holiday and publishing will be light. -
7 Oct 2019
The decline of US global leadership: Power without authority
It is breathtaking just how quickly Donald Trump’s recklessness has eroded the US position in the world. -
4 Oct 2019
Scott Morrison strikes an anxious and inward-looking tone
The PM’s Lowy Lecture warning of “negative globalism” is strange, given multilateral institutions are presently so weak. -
4 Oct 2019
Afghanistan: Water management for peace
Formalising agreements with neighbouring countries over water usage will go a long way towards preventing conflict -
4 Oct 2019
Can the Pacific Islands be insured?
High exposure to natural hazards puts Pacific Island countries at heavy risk. Insurance could help them cope. -
3 Oct 2019
Democrats and impeachment: A leap of faith
Americans have grown increasingly polarised over the past 30 years, but perhaps this is a way back from the abyss. -
3 Oct 2019
Poles apart: The long shadow of US-China competition
National rivalry should not get in the way of cooperation to stop the greatest threat to polar regions – climate change. -
3 Oct 2019
Can the ICC bring justice to Myanmar?
An investigation of crimes committed in Myanmar would be a historic undertaking, but many hurdles remain. -
2 Oct 2019
Impeachment will stabilise US foreign policy
Despite all the bluster, Donald Trump’s effect on foreign affairs has been too shallow to last beyond him. -
2 Oct 2019
Jumping at shadows: The great Aussie conspiracy to bring down Donald
Australian spies among three US treaty-allies in an elaborate plot to derail the Trump campaign? Yeah, that’ll fly. -
2 Oct 2019
Pacific links: the big switch, sun-warmed mobile phones, more
The diplomatic recognition issue between China and Taiwan rolls on, plus other stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
2 Oct 2019
Violence in Papua could get worse
A province now awash in cash has spurred a migrant influx and given new sources of income to the independence movement. -
1 Oct 2019
In Sri Lanka’s election, bumps ahead
A former president’s brother leads the pack, trailed by an assassinated president’s son. -
1 Oct 2019
PNG: Has education policy reform worked?
The ambition to improve the quality of teaching and provide free education has not entirely matched reality. -
1 Oct 2019
An educated idealist is still a believer
Samantha Power’s memoir is no reflection in despair but instead a continuing call to action in support of rights. -
30 Sep 2019
India’s RCEP reticence
Eliminating various tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade must be balanced against domestic needs. -
30 Sep 2019
With Pacific step up, a chance to step in
Australia can help strengthen partners’ understanding of the Pacific, as a counter to China’s growing reach. -
30 Sep 2019
Book review: Common enemies
A look at law-enforcement cooperation between Australia and Indonesia will interest experts and curious observers alike. -
30 Sep 2019
Myanmar: postage stamps and political signals
A new set of stamps by Myanmar Post again draws controversy over “national races” labels to categorise the population. -
27 Sep 2019
Jacques Chirac and the Pacific
The French president’s engagement with the country’s overseas territories leaves a legacy of promise and betrayal. -
27 Sep 2019
Undeclared air strikes: Between war and peace
Israel has pioneered attacks with no apparent owner, and now others have taken up the tactic. -
27 Sep 2019
A US view on Australia’s role in the Indian Ocean
Canberra’s diplomatic, legal, and military approaches to management of the Indian Ocean will be vital for US interests. -
27 Sep 2019
Stalemate leaves Rohingya refugees trapped
Nearly all want to go home, but Myanmar won’t grant the protections they need, and Bangladesh is out of goodwill. -
26 Sep 2019
The Pacific and a “third option” to the independence question
Bougainville or New Caledonia could chart their own course with “flexible sovereignty” – but that might not be enough. -
26 Sep 2019
Economic diplomacy: Tourism power, defining China, and Vietnam jackpot
Badly behaving Australians in Bali don’t always make good ambassadors – but perhaps their numbers help send a message. -
26 Sep 2019
Ghani vs Abdullah: The contest to be Afghanistan’s president
Ghani’s ranks are depleted with the exodus of erstwhile influential allies, but he remains a frontrunner with Abdullah. -
26 Sep 2019
An impeachment drama intrudes on Trump’s three-act foreign policy
From running on autopilot to hyper-aggressive, the President now seems intent on deal-making – without constraints. -
25 Sep 2019
Malaysia’s dangerous racial and religious trajectory
<p>Identity politics has turned inflammatory as Malaysia’s former ruling party tries to claw back support.</p> -
25 Sep 2019
Book review: Hidden histories of Australia’s cameleers
A historian retraces the links between South Asia and Australia, uncovering a rich and complex legacy. -
25 Sep 2019
Israel’s Arabs awaken to their electoral power
Arab Israelis have been slow to realise their potential pivotal role in the nation’s politics. That’s changing. -
25 Sep 2019
Aid links: Plastics in paradise, five lessons for education, more
Links and stories from the aid and development sector -
25 Sep 2019
The sharp sword: China and the drone threat to Australia
Combat drones could loiter over targets for hours longer than a crewed aircraft, posing a very different type of threat. -
24 Sep 2019
The Marawi siege and after: Managing NGO-military relations
Tension between civil society groups and the armed forces built during the 2017 crisis – but it need not stay that way. -
24 Sep 2019
What’s so strategic about baby-food?
China will often want a far larger ownership stake in Australian enterprises than we are comfortable with. -
24 Sep 2019
Syria: the disgraceful stain left by the UN Security Council veto
The General Assembly has a chance to act in the interests of peace in the face of Russian and Chinese intransigence. -
24 Sep 2019
North Korea under Kim Jong-un: Podcast out now
Washington Post Beijing bureau chief Anna Fifield talks about ordinary life, elite politics and nukes in North Korea. -
24 Sep 2019
Micro-loans raise major questions in Cambodia
Studies show microfinance increasingly harming those it claims to help, while defenders cry “fake news”. -
23 Sep 2019
Remembering Timor – a soldier’s view
Personal connections matter and can have a lasting influence 20 years on. -
23 Sep 2019
Solomons and Kiribati snub Taiwan for China – does it matter?
In shifting allegiances, two Pacific nations reaffirm China’s rising profile, but their own challenges remain the same. -
23 Sep 2019
Trump, Morrison, the media, and hearing what you want to hear
The danger for journalists in normalising dealing with the President applies just as much to his bilateral counterparts. -
23 Sep 2019
Canada’s Indo-Pacific pivot
Canada has long looked across the Atlantic but the pull of the Pacific flank is growing stronger. -
20 Sep 2019
Habibie’s lasting legacy for Indonesia
In his brief time as president, BJ Habibie enacted economic and democratic reforms that endure to this day. -
20 Sep 2019
National identity cannot be separated from the climate of the times
Stubborn transnational problems – especially global warming – pose a particular challenge for Western democracies. -
20 Sep 2019
INTERFET and the defence of Australia
The 1999 mission shaped not only Timor-Leste’s recent history, but also Australia’s post–Cold War trajectory. -
20 Sep 2019
To take – not retake – “Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir”
Is this just more chest-beating by India’s politicians, or speculation we should take seriously? -
19 Sep 2019
China-Taiwan: Solomon Islands’ switch and a “new normal”
Should the US and Australia really be surprised that Pacific nations see China filling a vacuum?