Global Issues

Russia’s shadow tanker fleet runs into trouble
Russia’s shadow tanker fleet runs into trouble
Barring new evasive techniques by Kremlin technocrats, the rapid rise in Russia’s shadow tanker fleet since the Ukraine war may be reversing as pressure is brought to bear on…
Australia’s nuclear energy debate doesn’t have to be partisan
Australia’s nuclear energy debate doesn’t have to be partisan
Australia is investing billions of dollars as part of its AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines program. It will take years to be delivered. The enormous cost of this program contrasts…
Non-state actors and the phantom of asymmetry
Non-state actors and the phantom of asymmetry
The sunny days of free-riding are receding. In some form or another, most countries have leeched off American power for the last three decades. The preponderance of US military…
TikTok’s unwanted viral moment shows Singapore-China confusion hasn’t changed
TikTok’s unwanted viral moment shows Singapore-China confusion hasn’t changed
TikTok has shot to prominence for its short – regularly viral – videos. So there was no little irony when the platform also helped to catapult views of a heated exchange last week…
One year into the Indonesia and Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnerships
One year into the Indonesia and Vietnam’s Just Energy Transition Partnerships
A year after announcing Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), Indonesia and Vietnam were back at COP28 climate negotiations in Dubai, with investment plans to bring the…
Pacific Islands: Spillover threats from transnational organised crime
Pacific Islands: Spillover threats from transnational organised crime
Is the Pacific prepared for a potential spillover of transnational organised crime from Southeast Asia? This question has become more pressing in recent days following two massive…
Golden passports and visas: Two sides of the coin
Golden passports and visas: Two sides of the coin
Last week, Australia quietly axed a business visa scheme, which included a controversial Significant Investor category – colloquially known as a “golden visa” that targeted…
Visa-free travel: A chance to reignite the Pacific voyage
Visa-free travel: A chance to reignite the Pacific voyage
Voyaging is a fundamental part of the Pacific. It ties Pasifika peoples, cultures and economies together across thousands of years of history. The tradition of voyaging remains…
Practical steps to alleviate Papua New Guinea’s unemployment crisis
Practical steps to alleviate Papua New Guinea’s unemployment crisis
Papua New Guinea’s turmoil isn’t over. A vote of no confidence hangs over Prime Minister James Marape, with an imminent challenge to his position expected on the floor of…
Can China use offshore wind to break its reliance on foreign LNG and coal?
Can China use offshore wind to break its reliance on foreign LNG and coal?
A worldwide scramble for energy supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has intensified China’s quest for energy security. The nation is doubling down on all forms of…