The role of cyberspace in contemporary grand strategy is undeniable. US–Russian relations are now plagued by debates of online influence operations, while China is formulating plans to become a ‘cyber superpower’. As the strategic significance …
The idea that ‘Spain is different’ drove generations of romantic travelers across the Pyrenees to see for themselves, their imaginations stirred by visions of vibrant women and charming bandits. But Spain is no longer just …
The recently released national risk assessment on money-laundering and terrorism financing in Australia’s non-profit organisation (NPO) sector found that the risk of terrorism financing has fallen from high to medium, compared to the regional terrorism …
During Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Australia in March, Australia and China signed a ‘Declaration of Intent’ to accelerate a review of the provisions governing services trade and investment in the bilateral China–Australia free trade …
I was interested to see a new approach to submarine procurement pitched by Hugh White and Michael Keating last week. They got quite a bit of media coverage, as tends to be the case for …
Returns show a high percentage of Iraq’s estimated eight million Kurds turned out to vote in a referendum on independence for the Kurdistan Region and other areas of the country with a substantial Kurdish population. …
Sea state HMAS Adelaide has docked in Malaysia, where it will remain until 5 October, as part of the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2017 Joint Task Group. The Adelaide left Jakarta on 26 September and headed to …
Navy Chief Tim Barrett has warned that Australia’s new surface warship and submarine force must be powerful enough to strike blows to deter a distant enemy from attacking Australia. In his address to ASPI’s annual …
An Australian in the United States is branded on the tongue. The moment you speak, the accent reveals all. They know you’re not from around here. In previous decades, the question was usually whether you …
It’s Labour Day here in Canberra, so The Strategist team is taking a short break. We’ll be back tomorrow with the usual program of analysis and commentary.
This week, Kurds in northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence for the country’s Kurdistan Region. With some 30 million Kurds divided among four states (Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran), nationalists argue that they …
The world Saudi women can finally drive. However, on a day that should have been celebratory for feminists driving the campaign (pun intended), the government silenced their voices by demanding that they not comment on …
When Foreign Minister Julie Bishop launched Australia’s bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in 2015, gender equality and indigenous people’s rights were two of the five ‘pillars’ of the campaign. …
US President Donald Trump’s first address to the United Nations General Assembly will be remembered, above all, for its bizarre language, and its descriptions of North Korea as ‘depraved’, Iran as ‘murderous’, and Cuba and …
Finally, after four months of fighting, the latest news from the southern Philippines city of Marawi indicates that the Armed Forces of the Philippines are close to regaining control of the city from Islamic State …
While a non-binding international call for action on the oceans may be seen as having little political importance for the Australian government, we’re a nation ‘girt by sea’: any movement in the governance of the …
The beat Chinese policing, Australian rules The Australian Federal Police and Immigration Department have entered into a new agreement with China’s police agency, the Public Security Bureau, on cooperation between the agencies. The agreement clarifies …
Myanmar’s military has lately been engaged in a brutal campaign against the Rohingya, a long-marginalised Muslim ethnic minority group, driving hundreds of thousands to flee to Bangladesh, India, and elsewhere. The international community has rightly …
Adelaide has been lucky enough to host the 68th annual International Astronautical Congress, the world’s premier space policy and technology event. It was an ideal setting for the Turnbull government to announce an early finding …
As Julie Bishop recently stated in a major speech on Australia’s relations with the Pacific islands, the region is ‘of great importance to Australia’ as ‘our nearest geographic neighbours’. Reflecting the region’s proximity, Australia has …