Yesterday marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the World War I. The century since has been dominated by four big geopolitical storylines. First, the US displaced Great Britain as the global hegemon and …
The emerging era of great-power competition shapes as a hot peace. ‘Hot peace’ is a better label for what the world faces than ‘new cold war’, not least because we’re well short of an icy …
The Great War, 1914–18, was the most convulsive, tragic and defining event in Australian history. Its sacrifices bequeathed the bond of nationhood. But such sacrifice left the young country fractured by politics, religion and class, …
Overnight, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Australian Brigadier Cheryl Pearce, on promotion to major general, as the next force commander of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Cyprus (UNFICYP). It’s a significant decision …
The world Kicking off in the US with the 2018 midterm elections, the ‘blue wave’ seemed more like a strong ripple as the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives but the Republicans retained …
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has given an expansive speech about Australia’s strategy for the South Pacific. And he’s backed his words with new resources—some $2 billion in funding for infrastructure and $1 billion in financial …
With the establishment of the Australian Space Agency on 1 July this year and the growth of Australia’s space industry, the future has arrived for many Australian space advocates. A critical mass of participants, initiatives …
The numbers are stark and brutal. Out of a population of five million, more than 60,000 Australians were killed in the First World War and at least 137,000 more were wounded. But the statistics don’t …
In this podcast Madeleine Nyst talks to Michael Shoebridge on the connections between human rights and global security, and Donald Trump’s pick for the role of US ambassador to Australia. Also in this episode, Danielle …
The beat Restoring voting rights in Florida An estimated 1.5 million Floridians will be eligible to vote again after the state’s legislature passed Amendment 4, changing the felon voting laws. Florida was one of three …
Considering Australia had only 45 seconds to deliver its recommendations on China’s human rights situation at the UN review of the country’s record in Geneva yesterday, our diplomats managed to pack quite a lot in. …
Australians have told us they want to do more of their business with government online. They are also demanding the same levels of simplicity, security and convenience that they enjoy from their banks, airlines or …
The revival of the Australia–India–Japan–US security quadrilateral (informally known as the Quad) is anticipated to be a key plank of the ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’ strategy. In theory, deeper cooperation among four powerful democracies with …
Not so long ago, the media consensus was that the Democrats would ride a ‘wave’ akin to the Republican routs in 1994 and 2010. Back then, the party under Bill Clinton and Barack Obama had …
Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr has been nominated by Donald Trump to be the new US ambassador to Australia. He will need to be ‘confirmed’ by Congress before he takes up the appointment, a process that …
The UN debates women, peace and security The month of October marked 18 years since the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on the women, peace and security agenda. At the annual Security Council …
On a visit to Beijing in October, I was often asked whether US Vice President Mike Pence’s recent harsh criticism of China marked the declaration of a new cold war. I replied that the United …
The United States looks set to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The treaty, signed in 1987, prohibits the US and Russia from deploying ground-launched ballistic and cruise nuclear missiles with a range …
I admire the sophistication and drive of the Chinese state in manoeuvring within Australia’s federal system of government to secure official sign-up to President Xi Jinping’s signature geostrategic and economic initiative—the Belt and Road Initiative. …
Sea state The British ministry of defence has released a detailed report and footage of last month’s dangerous ‘interaction’ between the USS Decatur and a Chinese Luoyang-class destroyer near the Spratly Islands. In response, US …