We live in troubled times, with pessimism clouding even the most prosperous parts of the planet. Many are convinced that the international order is falling apart. Some fear that a clash of civilizations is imminent, …
After last year’s shock US election result, many critics of Donald Trump had hoped he would grow into the presidency and heed its reasonable conventions. Not so. After more than six months, his administration has been …
The beat Maduro flexes his muscles After four months of street protests about the Venezuelan government, another bloody episode of clashes between protesters and state power occurred on Sunday. Several people were killed in the …
Over the last decade, India’s progressive economic and military development has resulted in a strategic rebalancing of the geopolitical and security dynamics shaping power relations in South Asia. As China continues to expand its influence, …
Freedom of navigation patrols have become a high-profile component of the West’s opposition to Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. But freedom of navigation isn’t really the core interest. Navigators have no difficulty …
Big-data analytics and machine-learning algorithms have been key drivers for a number of high-profile developments over the past year. Data was used by Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo first to smash through the AI winter, and then …
The place Russia occupies in the political maelstrom in Washington, the recent sanctions bills in Congress and Putin’s cuts to the American diplomatic presence in Russia are driving the US’s relationship—and hence the West’s relationship—with …
North Korea’s determination to acquire an intercontinental missile capability continues to alarm US officials and experts. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson noted that last week’s missile test—now acknowledged to be an ICBM—‘represents a new escalation …
It’s been a big week in cybersecurity. The twin giants of #infosec conferences, Black Hat and DEF CON, has just wrapped up in Las Vegas, and a DefCon Beijing beta event has been announced. The …
Responses to the federal government’s announcement two weeks ago that it’s expanding the ADF’s role in domestic counterterrorism (CT) responses were quickly subsumed by public discussion about the new Home Affairs portfolio. But with public …
Last week, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel interrupted his holiday on the North Sea to respond to Turkey’s jailing of a German human-rights activist. Gabriel warned German tourists about the dangers of visiting Turkey, and …
If you are having trouble keeping up with the story, here’s what happened since the last episode of White House Days of Our Lives: The Mooch lasted barely 10 days as White House communications director …
In May 2017, a band of militants connected to the Maute group (MG) attacked and laid siege to the city of Marawi in the southern Philippines after security forces attempted to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, the …
Sea state This year’s parades and celebrations for Russia’s annual Navy Day had a distinctly global feel. Events were held across Russia, and even at the Syrian port of Tartus. The celebrations aim to ‘revive …
On 14 July, Indonesia released its new official map. During the press conference, Havas Oegroseno, Indonesia’s deputy coordinating minister for maritime affairs, highlighted several changes to the old map, including the renaming of the waters …
If much of the commentary on the recent announcement of a new Home Affairs portfolio has been misleading, that’s largely because the government has issued only broad statements about its intentions. In the press release …
The recent six-month mark of Donald Trump’s presidency serves as a reminder not only of how little his administration has accomplished domestically, but also of how his meandering foreign policy has created a geopolitical landscape …
The list of crises plaguing the Middle East is growing. In Yemen, a civil war rages amid an uncontrollable cholera epidemic. In Jerusalem, religious violence is intensifying, while in parts of Iraq and Syria, sectarian …
Senator John McCain walked back into the US Senate last week and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. It was an unexpected event, as all knew of the terrible diagnosis of cancer of …
When a new institutional beast rises up in the Canberra jungle, peer at it through the usual lenses: people, policy, politics and power. Then ask the key questions: Who wins? Will it work? Can it …