During the 17 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Australia’s intelligence agencies have gained not only a massive boost in resources but also a corresponding prominence in public policy and the political debate. Today barely …
Moves to develop a US space force, which is being strongly pushed by President Donald Trump, are quietly gathering pace, even though funding for the force has been pushed back a year. A draft of …
How Australia acts to protect its public square from foreign interference in the digital age will be a defining issue for our country—and for democracies the world over. Australia has already been a canary in …
Progress report: Australia’s National Action Plan The government has released its third progress report on the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2012–2018. The report affirms Australia’s continued leadership in promoting the …
The gun barrels had barely cooled after fighting in South Sudan a year ago when a tentative truce coincided with the arrival on Juba’s streets of Chinese workers in their high-vis vests. In cars or …
Australia’s international broadcasting effort in the Asia–Pacific is at its lowest-ever level. These are the worst of times for Australian international TV, which is 25 years old this year. And these are the hardest of …
The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918, volume I, The story of ANZAC from the outbreak of war to the end of the first phase of the Gallipoli campaign, May 4, 1915, …
The world It’s well known that China is always on the lookout for opportunities to extend its reach. The New York Times went to Patagonia to investigate where Latin America sits on Beijing’s list of …
The recent collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam in Laos shows Southeast Asia’s vulnerability to natural disasters and highlights the importance of emergency preparedness, safety regulation, and sustainable development planning in energy security policies. It …
As the Defence Department prepares to spend $10–15 billion buying the modern equivalent of the armoured knight, in the shape of 450 infantry fighting vehicles, it risks committing the army’s future to a capability with …
Good policymaking, including strategic policymaking, requires a number of steps. There has to be an objective reason why the government should or shouldn’t act. The options then need to be identified and assessed for efficacy, …
In this podcast, we discuss the recent AUSMIN meeting and the state of the US alliance, ‘free speech panic’, judicial changes in Poland and the latest cyber news including the controversy surrounding the government’s My …
Anyone watching Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony to Congress in April following the Cambridge Analytica scandal would be forgiven for thinking US politicians shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near tech policy. The questions the mostly grey-haired representatives fielded …
The beat New US centre to promote safe drone use The Police Foundation in the US has established a Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Public Safety, to help law enforcement agencies make informed decisions …
When you order ham and eggs, you can be sure the pig is committed. The chook, well, it’s interested, but not like that pig. The same could be said about the Pacific region. Some nations …
In October 2016, before the US presidential election, I suggested that Australia was entering a foreign-policy crisis period—given the relative decline of American power in the Asian region, the likely withdrawal of the US from …
The People’s Liberation Army turned 91 today amid the Chinese media’s self-congratulatory cacophony. To be sure, China has a lot to be proud of—the PLA has become one of the most powerful militaries in the …
After Pakistan’s recent election, Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party are now forming a new government. As usual, it will be greeted by an economic crisis. A trip, cap in hand, to the …
On 1 July, the Australian Space Agency, led by Dr Megan Clark AC, officially opened for business. In the May 2018 budget, the Australian government allocated $41 million over four years to fund the establishment …
For very good reasons, maritime security concerns, particularly those centred on the South China Sea, have featured prominently in ASEAN member states’ individual and collective agendas over the last decade. The 10 ASEAN nations face …