The ongoing genocide in Gaza forces us to confront an uncomfortable reality: why does the West seem to prioritise some conflicts while others, particularly in Africa, go unnoticed? It raises a critical question: does race…does colour influence how Western nations choose where to focus their attention and resources? Take Israel, for example. It achieves significant Continue reading »
International Relations
A major new report has detailed the “extraordinary economic opportunity” for Australia to replace its coal and gas exports with decarbonised commodities, and reap six to eight times more than the typical revenues it earns from fossil fuels, and help other major economies to meet their own climate goals. But renewed calls for Australia to Continue reading »
‘Joe Biden allows Ukraine to use long-range US-supplied ATACMS missiles on targets in Russia, prompting threat of world war’ – so runs the ABC headline of 18 November. Serious stuff, not to be lightly discounted, and yet perhaps what we are seeing is primarily performative politics, viewed through the smoke of uncertainty and reflected in Continue reading »
Exceptional courage and commitment is needed to spend decades pursuing freedom for your people and to do so with few resources against considerable odds. Ali Kazak has shown courage and commitment. As the key educator and advocate for Palestine in Australia, he has been running up steep sand hills with false history and Israeli tanks Continue reading »
As the novelty of Donald Trump’s win wears off, we have moved beyond the superficialities of the views of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ambassador Kevin Rudd about the Trump agenda and persona. And we are recognising that the fate of AUKUS is but one of the international issues that face us with Trump Redux. Continue reading »
When Hong Kong’s policy makers were formulating the offence of foreign interference endangering national security, they did not operate in a vacuum. International models were examined, and they heavily influenced the final product. They included the National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Amendment) Act 2018 of Australia, now incorporated into the country’s Criminal Code Act Continue reading »
The APEC Peru agenda has been hijacked by the spectre of a Trumpian attack on its foundational principles. China provides the only viable counterbalance. APEC Peru is a unique opportunity to prepare for the global trade disruption that commences on January 20 when Donald Trump formally becomes the 47th President of the United States. The Continue reading »
John Whitbeck’s plea for sanity – UN Membership for Palestine Now, 14 November 2024, should not be put into the too hard basket. At present, of course, the State of Palestine has only non-member observer status, having failed in an application for full member status in 2011. Whitbeck cites only three international instruments in advancing Continue reading »
In this exclusive interview with Alexey Pavlovsky, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Australia since 2019, he shares his insights on the complex dynamics between Russia, Ukraine, and the West, as well as his reflections on Australia’s stance in the ongoing conflict. You have been Ambassador to Australia since 2019. What interested you about Continue reading »
There’s a new, stark reality we must face: Donald Trump’s victory will push the Earth system further down a perilous path towards three degrees Celsius of global warming or more, with catastrophic consequences for human civilisation and the environment. This moment requires clarity about the existential nature of the climate threat to humanity’s future; and Continue reading »