Triumph of the autocrats?

Positive outcomes in the battle against COVID-19 may favour those who see strong government as desirable in its own right, but the upsurge in volunteering and group solidarity in many countries may point to a more optimistic future.

Australia should invoke the ANZUS treaty

Scott Morrison has called the ANZUS Treaty ‘the single most important achievement’ of the Liberal Party in any term of government. He can now use that achievement to show solidarity in the fight against COVID-19.

A new world in the making

The world will be different after COVID-19 and our leaders will have to put the same effort, energy and resources into our international dealings as our ongoing domestic challenges.

Geo-politics on planet virus

We’re still in the early days of what might prove an 18-month battering of the international order, and aggressive states such as China and Russia may look to exploit western weakness with audacious power-grabbing moves.

Pandemics and power politics

Coronavirus will have political ramifications we cannot yet see or imagine. Let us hope that this horrific pandemic brings out the best in the international community, rather than the very worst.

Advancing women’s rights around the globe

In 2016, Sharman Stone decided not to recontest her seat in the federal parliament, preferring instead to work in new ways to advance the rights of women around the world.

Coronavirus shock will cascade through the Indo-Pacific

Now that the coronavirus has escaped from China, societies, governments and international institutions around our region must brace for a wave of economic and other problems in its wake.

World Bank in the dock over corruption

The World Bank is being accused of suppressing a study which showed that a great deal of aid to the poorest countries is stolen by corrupt officials and salted away in foreign bank accounts.

The push and pull in Australian-Indian relations

The India–Australia strategic partnership has grown rapidly over the last few years, driven by shared concerns about China’s rise and its strategic implications for the Asia Pacific order.

Jokowi’s visit shows the power of personal diplomacy

There always will be ample scope for conflict in Australia–Indonesia relations, due to different political and cultural priorities, but when conflict does arise, the ability of leaders to talk frankly and limit the fallout can prove pivotal.

The circus moves on

The impeachment trial of President Trump has ended with his exoneration. Without question the process has damaged the American political system. It won’t break it, but it will test it.

Russia and China’s assault on international human rights

Russia and China have waged a decade-long campaign to dismantle the global human rights order, setting an example which despots and aspiring dictators around the world are only too happy to follow.