Although most eyes in Australia have been on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s visit to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump, it’s not the only game around. This week, thousands of dignitaries and diplomats …
Since the creation of the Bretton Woods system 75 years ago, countries have been coming together in pursuit of global public goods, giving rise to both the international trading system and a global financial safety …
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s White House visit crowns a sustained and disciplined execution of the MacArthur manoeuvre on President Donald Trump. Employing the MacArthur method involves embracing the power of America while displaying enthusiasm for …
In this episode, Genevieve Feely chats with Tess Newton Cain to unravel the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tuvalu. Non-resident ASPI fellow Sofia Patel returns to Australia to discuss gender and counterterrorism, PhD life, and …
The world An attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities knocked out over 5% of the world’s daily crude oil production on Saturday. See Al Jazeera for the evidence put forward by Saudi Arabia accusing Iran …
Suddenly, opinion polls find that Ukrainians are more optimistic about their future than are citizens of most other countries. That will come as a surprise to many, given Ukraine’s manifold challenges. And yet it is …
Despite the best efforts of law enforcement agencies, regulators, international government organisations, diplomats and a complex framework of multilateral legislative and cooperative arrangements, the cost of financial crime and money laundering globally and regionally remains …
At long last, Israel has taken a step back from the religious nationalist abyss into which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been leading it. In the 17 September parliamentary election, the country’s second in five …
It is an enigma worthy of the genius of an Arthur Conan Doyle or an Agatha Christie. What is indisputable is that a ‘murder’ has been committed: Saudi oil installations in Abqaiq and Khurais have …
The beat Canadian intelligence officer accused of espionage The director-general of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s intelligence unit has been charged with obtaining and storing classified information with the intent of sharing it with a …
After World War II, Asia emerged from years of conflict and centuries of colonialism. The United States quickly became the main guarantor of regional security, signing bilateral defence treaties and establishing preferential trade and investment …
With many drug users making the shift from heroin to methamphetamine and crystal methamphetamine (‘ice’) over the past decade, Australians know there’s an addiction problem here that could become significantly worse. Increasing use of synthetic …
ASPI has previously noted that we have come to take precision in modern warfare for granted. But weapons alone cannot achieve precision effects. Precision relies upon a large, often invisible infrastructure that develops the targeting …
Protests continue to rock Hong Kong. Throughout the summer—and now pressing into autumn—demonstrators have blocked city streets, shut down the airport and fought running battles with police. Sparked by an anti-civil-liberties bill, the unrest is undergirded by shifts …
The news that drones were likely employed in a major attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities at Abqaiq over the weekend has highlighted how unmanned aerial technology can be exploited by state and non-state actors …
We live in the eternal now—a condition which makes it difficult to recall even what happened last week. So readers will be forgiven for not recalling the fine detail of a document published by the …
Sea state The UK Ministry of Defence has named Babcock International as the preferred bidder of a £1.25 billion (A$2.27 billion) contract to build five Type 31 frigates for the Royal Navy. The vessels will …
The Antarctic Treaty System is a consensus arrangement that has been in place for more than 50 years. It worked well in the 1960s, when nuclear weapons were seen as the key to global security. …
The US Air Force Space Command has just released a thought-provoking report, The future of space 2060 and implications for US strategy. As the title suggests, it’s looking ahead to the possible ‘space futures’ that …
Japan’s relationship with South Korea is not amicable at the best of times. Yet in recent months it has entered a rapidly descending diplomatic spiral of unprecedented depth and scope. Mounting bilateral friction over the …