The September 2023 announcement designating Townsville as the hub for armoured vehicles and Army attack and medium-lift aviation triggers a sense of déjà vu—about Plan Beersheba. This strategic shift, a direct outcome of the 2023 …
In a sold-out stadium in Miami on 21 March 2023, watched by a record audience worldwide, Shohei Ohtani, Japan’s talisman player, threw out the final pitch against US star player Mike Trout. Trout, Ohtani’s former …
Australia’s support for the deployment of international fibre-optic cables in the South Pacific is a relatively recent development. Prior to 2017, the Australian government’s support for digital development in Pacific island countries (PICs) was focused …
According to Defence, investment in northern Australia is needed to help it achieve a robust national posture against threat from Australia’s northern reaches. And for northern Australian communities, especially in the Northern Territory, this is …
Diplomacy used to be the prerogative of national governments, handled by a small group of leaders, officials, diplomats, and militaries. The acceleration of globalisation and interdependence since the 1970s led to the emergence of …
Millions or even billions of separate interactions, decisions, and transactions occur daily across our nation. If we could ever get above all that dynamism, we’d no doubt marvel at the sheer complexity of modern Australia. …
Nowhere in Australia are population and skills shortfalls more apparent than in the north which is heavily dependent on overseas migration to sustain both, and to boost the region’s contribution to national security. It is …
In August, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek signed off on a 50-year extension to the permit for the Gregory Crinum coal mine, 60 kilometres northeast of Emerald in Central Queensland. This decision provoked outrage from climate …
As the strategic environment continues to darken, the defence force built by Australia in the decades after the Vietnam War is being completely reconfigured. Long gone is the reliance on light infantry combat capabilities that …
For many decades, Japan has looked favourably on Australia as a reliable producer of gas and coal. Japan’s long-term investments in Australia undoubtedly were a product of our natural endowment, but also the reliable and …
The Northern Territory government often compares the proximity of Darwin to Asian and Australian cities. To be sure, Asia is very close to Darwin, with Dili just one hour’s flying time away. An often-used government …
On 17 November, SpaceX made a second attempt to launch its fully reusable launch vehicle, Starship Superheavy, from the company’s Boca Chica launch site in Texas. The first launch (video here, with launch at 44:48), …