Former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr sues New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters for defamation over AUKUS comments. The defamation action comes as a chagrined Peters took what looked like a step back from AUKUS in recent speeches. The undiplomatic discord between Australia’s former Foreign Minister Bob Carr and New Zealand’s current Foreign Minister Winston Continue reading »
International Relations
Thousands of people from countries around the world have joined the war against Palestinians. The US recently threatened to impose sanctions on Netzah Yehuda, an Israeli army unit established around 25 years ago to integrate ultra-Orthodox men into the military. While the prospect of sanctions against this unit might appear to be a positive development, there are concerns that the Continue reading »
Three things: China is winning from Gaza; China growing at 5 per cent now is better than China growing at 7 per cent a decade ago; and Australia’s biggest China lie is that we’re spending half a trillion dollars on boats to protect our sea lanes. The Gaza angle first. There is a regular pattern Continue reading »
Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare’s Ownership, Unity and Responsibility (OUR) Party. The party won just 15 of 50 seats in last month’s election. But Continue reading »
Russian claims to Crimea based on historical ownership, language or the illegitimacy of past decisions are weak. They provide no justification for its invasion and annexation or continued possession of Crimea. Several myths about Ukraine and Russia’s invasion keep doing the rounds. One such zombie thesis is the idea that Crimea is historically and rightfully Continue reading »
On Sunday 28 April, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced $100 million in military aid to Ukraine. It was said to raise Australia’s support to $1 billion in support of Ukraine’s attempt to counter “Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion”. I have hitherto addressed the issue of the “morality”, at least, of Russia’s invasion: Ukraine: The other Continue reading »
Israel: Hey Joe, just letting you know Hamas has retaliated to our decades long Occupation and repression and have broken through the prison gates and attacked Israelis. Go figure. US.: Here’s your chance. It’s going to be a tough media manipulation, but we’ll do our best. Good luck. Israel: We’re going to bomb the shit Continue reading »
In a failing quest to maintain its ‘primacy’, the US has cast China, Russia and Iran as global villains. The US intelligence community recently released its annual threat assessment, which focuses on worldwide threats to the country’s national security. The document reflects the collective analyses and insights of the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Continue reading »
In Northeast Asia a system of confronting military alliances – US/Japan/South Korea/Philippines vs China/Russia/North Korea – gradually takes shape, calling to mind nothing so much as the alliance system constructed in Europe in the decade leading up to 1914. The one today is no more likely to lead to peace and regional cooperation than was Continue reading »
The regimes in Israel and Palestine both claim to be victims in the violence that engulfs them. Interpreting the situation through “victimhood” assists in understanding the human forces that arise from age-old conflicts and that continue to cause so much horrific suffering. Pope Francis is calling on people of goodwill to raise their voices for Continue reading »