International Relations

Tough road for Asia's women activists
On 3 March, Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said, 'We must use the celebration of International Women's Day to highlight the plight of women still fighting for freedom…
Julie Bishop goes to Tehran
To everyone's surprise, it was announced on Monday that Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop intends to travel to Tehran in April 2015. The visit isn't about the nuclear…
New Zealand's UN Security Council debut: Peace in the Middle East
One of Australia's last acts on the UN Security Council was to vote against a resolution being brought by the Palestinian Authority. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel…
What I got wrong in 2014, and what I got right
January should be called pundit accountability month. On websites such as this, we make all sorts of predictions and forecasts, or we identify structural trends or leadership…
Lima climate conference: Slow movement on Planet UNFCCC
As haggard negotiators left the UN climate change conference in Lima in the early hours of Sunday morning, many observers noted the contrast between the political acrimony that…
Myanmar police force needs more foreign help to reform
Two years ago, I wrote that the Myanmar Police Force (MPF) was gradually being recognised as a large, increasingly powerful and influential organisation that, in a more…
East Timor, Australia and the 'Timor Gap'
Tom Allard recently reported in the Sydney Morning Herald that Australia and East Timor are ready to restart talks on the maritime boundary between the two countries, with all its…
Iran nuclear negotiations: A negative non-failure
This morning it was announced that the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5-1 have been extended for another seven months; or to be specific, another four months to reach…
A successful summit still leaves Abbott miffed
Commentary
A successful summit still leaves Abbott miffed
A successful summit still leaves Abbott miffedMike CallaghanAustralian Financial Review16 November 2014Please click here for the online text.Mike Callaghan
Why the Iran nuclear talks are mostly not about nuclear weapons (part 2)
Part 1 of this two-part series here. I would argue that, for the Obama Administration, a nuclear deal with Iran is central to its recalibration of America's policy and posture in…