We’ve recently seen the first jihadist terrorist attack in Manhattan since 9/11, after a bomb injured 29 people in Chelsea and several other devices were found in neighbouring blocks and in New Jersey. But it …
In many Western democracies, this is a year of revolt against elites. The success of the Brexit campaign in Britain, Donald Trump’s unexpected capture of the Republican Party in the United States, and populist parties’ …
On 19 September, Timor-Leste won a minor victory in its ongoing dispute with Australia over rights to resources in the Timor Sea. The UN Conciliation Commission, convened under the Annex V conciliation proceedings of UN …
This year won’t only be remembered by who gets elected to the Oval Office. It’ll also be known as the year the Colombian public rejected a hard-fought peace deal with the leftist guerrilla group, the …
Rodrigo Duterte is a maddening, murderous maverick who’s achieved a weird feat in the South China Sea (SCS)—delivering benefits to both China and the United States. His swing towards China offers Beijing all sorts of …
With 32 days to go we’re rolling, rolling, rolling towards the US election. The read of the week is a reflection on Donald Trump by Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. It was Carter (with his …
The United States has lost two asymmetric wars in modern times: one against the Vietcong in Vietnam, and another against terrorist groups in the Middle East. When its defeat became apparent in Vietnam, the US …
Geopolitics is often seen through a telescopic lens: with intense focus in one spot with the rest entirely out of view. That often seems to happen to nations’ relations with China. The US and China …
It seems like every few weeks we hear a report of an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) lost in a crash somewhere in the world. According to The Washington Post’s Drone Crash Database, the US …
The Beat Turkey’s coup shockwaves reverberate Almost three months have lapsed since Turkey’s failed 15 July coup d’état and its ramifications are still ongoing. On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş announced that the Turkish …
Australia officially launched its candidacy for membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2018–2020 term in October last year. If elected to a seat in the 2017 vote, Minister for Foreign Affairs …
By all accounts, there’s to be another review of Australia’s intelligence agencies in the near future. The ‘major independent review’ will be the third in 15 years and it’s variously reported that the focus will …
US President Barack Obama last week chose to veto legislation that had been passed by both US Congress and the Senate. Citing the national interest, Obama vetoed laws that would allow the families of 9/11 …
The inaugural Australia-US Cyber Security Dialogue was held in Washington D.C., by CSIS and ASPI the week before last. The event, announced by Prime Minister Turnbull and President Obama in January, brought together senior representatives …
The US presidential election on 8 November could have grave implications for Australia’s security. The next US president may retreat into international isolationism. If President Trump wins there could well be serious consequences for our …
People used to think that the most important decisions affecting Europe were made in Paris, Berlin, or Brussels. But in recent months, as the European Union has confronted the refugee crisis, and the Syrian conflict …
The contest for the future of the Asia–Pacific is often treated by analysts and participants as a two-player game. The US and China are trying to ‘lead’ and the ‘winner’ will be the country that …
Sea State Last week was a big one for Australia’s Future Submarine Program, with Lockheed Martin named as the combat system integrator. The selection came alongside the signing of the first operational contract between Australia …
On 4 October 1991, the Parties to the Antarctic Treaty met in Madrid, Spain to sign the ‘Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty’. The Madrid Protocol, as it’s commonly known, put in place …
International law has had its go at the waters of the South China Sea, and what a magnificent splash. The ruling from The Hague on 12 July was surprisingly definitive. As Mira Rapp-Hooper comments: ‘The …