Healing the divide

The Australian government has to find ways to help heal the growing domestic disunity caused by the ongoing middle-east conflict.

1923…2024?

A new book on Hitler’s first attempt to seize power in Germany “offers a powerful reminder that even strong democracies, if they are continually undermined from within, may eventually collapse into authoritarianism.”

Iran gambles on war

Iran has waged war against Israel through proxy terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah for years, but the barrage of missiles it launched directly against Israel will invite massive retaliation, and perhaps threaten the regime itself.

Taiwan belongs in the United Nations

Accepting Taiwan into the United Nations would acknowledge its economic and strategic importance and signal global opposition to Communist China’s plans to invade and annex the thriving island nation.

Championing women’s rights in Afghanistan

Meryl Streep’s speech at the UN General Assembly about the myriad ways the Taliban is rolling back the rights of women in Afghanistan was a powerful reminder that Western withdrawal from the country shouldn’t mean we abandon its people.

Israel will forever shine bright

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered this defiant speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, 2024, underlining Israel’s determination to defend itself from those who aim only to destroy it.

The inhumanity of human shields

Foreign Minister Penny Wong was right to champion a new declaration for the protection of humanitarian personnel at the U.N. but the initiative will only be effective if it tackles the threat posed by Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups who use aid workers and other civilians as human shields.

The new antisemitism

A new book outlines how Israel’s action to defend itself against terrorist groups determined to destroy it has rekindled a broader swathe of anti-semitism across the world.

First they take Geneva, then they take New York

Liberal democracies have been complacent about the infallibility of institutional power, failing to recognise that institutions are only as strong as the determination of their most active members.

A games for the Z generation

The Olympics have always evolved over time and are now dropping some long established sports and adding new and unconventional activities in the hope of appealing to younger people.

Who wants to host the Olympics?

It’s hoped the new bidding system for hosting the Olympic Games will counter the declining appeal of the games and the decreasing number of candidate cities.

Security at the Olympics

The recent attack on the French rail network highlights the terrorist threat to the Paris Olympics, and the French authorities are taking strong steps to prevent further disruption.