3 Aug 2018
South Korea’s first “human rights president”
Moon Jae-in’s unwillingness to speak up for the vulnerable is disappointing, given his record on human rights.
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2 Aug 2018
Drones, clones, and camera phones
How the use of surveillance technology balances civil liberties and public safety depends on the government in charge. -
2 Aug 2018
Economic diplomacy brief: infrastructure and trade
US–Japan–Australia infrastructure cooperation, ADB circumspect about China’s BRI, and more. -
2 Aug 2018
India: don’t blame WhatsApp for the lynch mobs
In a climate of hate, vigilantism has been allowed to run amok, and the perpetrators of violence enjoy impunity. -
2 Aug 2018
ASEAN might not be the way
Several Southeast Asian nations fall short of adhering to a “rules-based order” and may not be the hedge against China. -
1 Aug 2018
China’s “rule of law in international relations”
No one is much paying heed but understanding this concept might be key to comprehending a China-led international order. -
1 Aug 2018
Aid links: dealing with data deluge, more
Fighting pessimism, measuring success, and other stories from the aid and development sector. -
1 Aug 2018
NZ and Australia: Big Brothers or Distant Cousins?
New Zealand needs to stamp an identity on its new Pacific policy. -
1 Aug 2018
Against female genital mutilation in India
A petition campaign has sparked debate on a cruel practice too long ignored in India’s Dawoodi Bohra community. -
1 Aug 2018
Managing the release of convicted terrorists
Australia is trialling new rehabilitation programs that balance the rights of convicted terrorists with public safety. -
31 Jul 2018
The new US–Japan–Australia infrastructure fund
Without significant resources, the initiative risks looking like an attempt to challenge China, and falling short. -
31 Jul 2018
When friends disagree: New Zealand and Australia
While New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been on leave, a new chapter in trans-Tasman relations has begun. -
31 Jul 2018
Sri Lanka failing on human rights
A new UN report on protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country makes for depressing reading. -
31 Jul 2018
Perspectives on “rules-based international order”
Three fault lines – nostalgia, challengers, and alternatives – seem to divide views on the global politics catchcry. -
30 Jul 2018
Julie Bishop’s new Timor-Leste chapter
Tension remains between Australia and its neighbour despite the minister’s optimistic words. -
30 Jul 2018
BRICS and mortar
<p>Against a backdrop of instability, BRICS is gaining currency and, potentially, influence.</p> -
30 Jul 2018
Imran Khan as Pakistan’s Prime Minister elect
Seen either as an outsider or a military puppet, the former cricket hero will lead a country in crisis. -
30 Jul 2018
North Korea: repatriating fallen Americans
Hopes are high of returning home the long-lost war dead, but commemoration and remembrance are emotionally charged. -
28 Jul 2018
Weekend catch-up: satire explaining the US, more
Rebuilding Marawi, a dam collapse in Laos, Trump emulating Putin, and more: the week that was on The Interpreter. -
27 Jul 2018
Bomb, bomb Iran
Bombing Iran has been spoken of, allegedly planned and threatened for years, but there is no sign it is about to occur. -
27 Jul 2018
China: vaccines and rumours from Zhongnanhai
Amid whispers of possible infighting, President Xi Jinping remains powerful while Premier Li Keqiang seeks gains. -
27 Jul 2018
Kazakhstan steps into the sun
Kazakhstan is forging a leading role in Central Asia, with Moscow slow to recognise the country is eluding its grasp. -
27 Jul 2018
Business aid and aiding business
A growing recognition is that business value can be measured by being accountable to non-financial stakeholders. -
26 Jul 2018
Cambodia’s election: where the numbers lie
Strings of numbers that appear in social media comments are portentous in Cambodia’s stifled political climate. -
26 Jul 2018
The Sabah question
<p>The Philippines and Malaysia are sparring over territory as Manila looks at a change to country’s constitution.</p> -
26 Jul 2018
POTUS does a Putin
<p>When a US president’s policies are indistinguishable from the KGB heirs’, the world is indeed turned upside down.</p> -
26 Jul 2018
Egypt’s new media law is ahead of the curve
The regime has unabashedly claimed that what is up is down and what is black is white. -
25 Jul 2018
Trump and the rebirth of satire
When Nazis proudly march in America’s southern cities, do we really need comedians to point out how bad people can be? -
25 Jul 2018
Laos dam collapse and stress on the Mekong
The dam collapse in Laos once again focuses attention on the massive expansion of hydropower in the Mekong Basin. -
25 Jul 2018
Pacific links: betel nut danger, Nauru mine, more
China’s “Peace Ark” sails to Vanuatu and other stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
25 Jul 2018
The future of work
“Zero-sum competition”, “distributional”, and “gig” jobs are what most of us can look forward to. -
25 Jul 2018
Facebook and Vietnam’s new cybersecurity law
The social media platform is an American commercial legacy, adapted by locals for politics, and now mistrusted. -
24 Jul 2018
Seeing is believing: Pyongyang has kept a promise
Satellite images show North Korea is indeed dismantling its rocket engine test site as was pledged in Singapore. -
24 Jul 2018
Trade: the US should be isolated, not accommodated
Donald Trump has consistently implemented his threats around “unfair trade” – and the best thing to do would be nothing. -
24 Jul 2018
India: a “major power” still below its potential
Despite ranking fourth in the Asia Power Index, to leap the gap, India may need to rethink the “cost” of alignment. -
24 Jul 2018
Chinese chimera: the real concern with the BRI
Beneficiaries should be wary of the gap between Beijing’s rhetorical promises and the reality of its investments. -
23 Jul 2018
The US shadow over India’s Iran policy
<p>Washington’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran has created a test for New Delhi’s relations with Tehran.</p> -
23 Jul 2018
Taiwan and Australia’s refugee treatment deal
The Taiwanese have expressed mixed attitudes towards arrangements for the medical treatment of asylum seekers on Nauru. -
23 Jul 2018
A travel notebook to Marawi City
A heady mix of suffering and desperation has left the Philippines’ city even more vulnerable following the brutal siege. -
23 Jul 2018
Russia’s disinformation game in Southeast Asia
Russian arms sales get all the attention, but Moscow’s campaign to undermine trust is a real threat in the region. -
21 Jul 2018
Weekend catch-up: Trump Putin on a show, more
Statelessness, Global Britain, and Indian demographics: the week that was on The Interpreter. -
20 Jul 2018
Xi Jinping, Senegal, and China’s West Africa drive
Beijing is seeking to consolidate influence in a historically French-dominated region. -
20 Jul 2018
A blueprint for India–Australia economic relations
The strategic convergence between the countries is not matched by strong economic and commercial relations. -
20 Jul 2018
The many voices of Hong Kong
Chief Executive Carrie Lam has backed down from a disparaging and hostile stance towards using English. -
20 Jul 2018
Myanmar’s fourth estate
The trial of two Reuters reporters is a sign of a withering local press and the rise of social media rumourmongering. -
19 Jul 2018
Economic diplomacy brief: India ties, Labor on BRI
Infrastructure wars in Asia, a Japan-Europe deal, and the Varghese India report got a surprisingly low-profile launch. -
19 Jul 2018
“Poor old” China meets “poor young” Africa
Population ageing in China opens a new window for African development – and the wider world should pay attention, too. -
19 Jul 2018
North Korea also an intelligence test for Trump
<p>Pyongyang, always keen observers, are seeking to bypass the US bureaucrats and appeal directly to Donald Trump.</p> -
19 Jul 2018
What has gone wrong in Cambodia?
In 1993 the international community allowed Hun Sen to remain the dominant political force, as he still is today. -
18 Jul 2018
India’s demographic timebomb
Without a manufacturing base to provide mass employment, the country faces potholes on its growth journey.