The world Mexico voted, and The New Yorker has an in-depth profile of newly elected president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. AMLO, as he’s referred to, has a plateful of work in front of him now, …
Following the landmark Trump–Kim summit, analysts quickly began speculating about what could realistically be achieved in the way of denuclearisation. A scenario where North Korea freezes its nuclear program and reduces, but doesn’t entirely eliminate, …
In his last week as chief of the Australian Army, Angus Campbell delivered a speech hosted by ASPI at the Australian War Memorial in which he described General John Monash’s planning for the Battle of …
The case against Huawei’s participation in bidding for the 5G network in Australia appears to be based on incomplete information, at least as far as the public record allows us to judge. For a full …
On 18 January, admirals from Australia, India, Japan and the US sat together on stage at the high-profile Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. Their presence reflected the shared strategic assessment that China has become a …
The beat Assassinations and arrests in the Philippines Two Philippine mayors, Ferdinand Bote and Antonio Halili, were assassinated by snipers during separate incidents in just two days. Halili, who gained notoriety for parading drug suspects …
The 2002 science fiction thriller 28 Days Later, depicting the effects of an outbreak of a virulent genetically engineered plague, was described as the first great apocalyptic movie of the new millennium. The film’s narrative …
On last week’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, most nations took the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to an international society free of illegal drugs. Police from London to Washington, Canberra to …
The 2016 Defence White Paper stated that the nine new future frigates will be ‘optimised for anti-submarine warfare’. According to the Turnbull government, they will be ‘one of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare frigates’. It …
What will these five countries bring to the table? South Africa, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, Belgium and Germany will be non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for 2019–20, after receiving the required majority of …
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government haven’t had a good couple of weeks. After a tortuous, deeply divisive and increasingly acrimonious debate, Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU)—conservative coalition partners for almost 70 …
Alliances have long been formed as a response to traditional rivalries and modes of warfare. The US–Australia partnership had such origins 100 years ago, and has proved to be successful, reliable and durable. We now …
Welcome to ‘The Strategist Six’, a feature providing a glimpse into the thinking of prominent academics, government officials, military officers, reporters and interesting individuals from around the world. 1. The freeing of most of Iraq …
Some have argued that the US–Australia alliance exists simply out of inertia or, worse yet, sentimentality. Shared sacrifice and longstanding habits of cooperation may play a role, but they’re not the basis upon which sovereign …
Sea state The Royal Navy’s HMS Montrose shadowed two Russian warships as they traversed the English Channel. The frigate tailed the two Steregushi-class corvettes as they progressed off the Danish and Dutch coasts before slowly …
At 3.10 on the morning of 4 July 1918, three brigades of Australian infantry carried out a successful attack on the German positions outside the village of Le Hamel on the southern banks of the …
President Donald Trump’s disdain for alliance commitments suggests that we might be heading into a new era in geopolitics—an era characterised by a post-alliance US. While US allies will be hoping fervently that that isn’t …
Last week, the Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation and the Griffith Asia Institute co-hosted a Philippines–Australia Track II dialogue in Manila, focusing on the security dimension of the relationship. It brought together academics, …
Remote Antarctica is becoming more accessible. Tourist numbers down south have grown significantly, along with calls for greater regulation. China’s Antarctic program is moving ahead: it will build its fifth research station on Inexpressible Island …
Transatlantic relations have seen brighter days. It’s no secret that there are several points of disagreement among the allied countries, even beyond security and defence topics. Recently, different stands on trade (the White House’s steel …