In this episode, ASPI’s Genevieve Feely speaks to Robert Baird of Tatoli ^[1] news agency in Timor-Leste about political developments in the country, including the challenges posed by a failed budget and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Senior ASPI staff Kelsey Munro and Michael Shoebridge then discuss the protests in Hong Kong and the US, noting the parallels and differences between the two movements, and what they mean in terms of the global contest between authoritarianism and democracy.

And the head of ASPI’s counterterrorism program, Leanne Close, speaks to the International Association of Chiefs of Police President Steven Casstevens, about police reform in the US in light of the protests, and how systemic issues can be addressed to rebuild trust and support between police and their communities.