Diplomacy
Remembering Martin Indyk, an American diplomat with Australian sensibilities
Martin Indyk was an accomplished negotiator, a creative diplomat, a brilliant scholar and a founding Board member of the Lowy Institute.One of the missions that Sir Frank Lowy…
Shakespeare as life coach
Surely every serious reader agrees with Hamlet, that Shakespeare’s plays hold “a mirror up to nature”, thus revealing “the very age and body” of us and our times. Although Fintan…
Does democracy still matter in the ‘New Cold War’ between the US and China?
Robin Niblett, a former director of British think tank Chatham House, has published a new book that has received high praise from notables such as Hillary Clinton, Kevin Rudd and…
Diplomacy at a funeral
The helicopter crash that killed Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi came almost two years after Japan’s former prime minister Abe Shinzō was gunned down on the election campaign…
Commentary
US allies are already worried about another round of Trump
Originally published in The Atlantic.
Julian Assange: Some consular cases are more equal than others
The presence at Julian Assange’s final court hearing in Saipan of Australia’s two most senior diplomatic heads of mission – Stephen Smith, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom,…
Hope for gold: The value in the Olympics
Hosting the Olympics does not come cheap. The cost of the upcoming Paris Games is estimated to be at least €9 billion (A$14.5 billion).Against the cost proponents of the Olympics…
How to broaden the political gene pool
Book review: But What Can I Do? By Alastair Campbell (Penguin, 2024)Alastair Campbell’s new book is a bestseller across Britain not just because he writes well but also because…
Bonjour Bill? The endless speculation about political postings
As opposition leader a decade ago, Bill Shorten took off for his first official overseas visit. His destination left Labor hardheads privately bemused.Shorten chose to jet off to…
India is totally slaying influencer diplomacy
The “influencer” economy has become a big business in the social media age. Recognising the power of digital reach, the Indian government hosted its first national creators award…