Facebook: A short guide for ambassadors
My research into how diplomatic missions use Facebook has identified four forms of communication that Ambassadors can attempt.'Dizzy with Success': What Putin thinks of the Trump ascendancy
Putin must now be tempted to suspect that God is a Russian; or at least on the side of his righteous and much maligned compatriots.US FONOPs: Game on again in the South China Sea
The selection of Mischief Reef raises the question as to what particular freedom of navigation the US was seeking to exercise.G7: A European summit with a global agenda
At international meetings of this kind, especially with China absent, the views of the US still tend to be hard to resist.Tsai passes first-year test, but challenges loom
Relations with China are chilly but have not descended into conflict, US relations are stable, and there has been some promising global outreach for Taiwan.Migration and border policy links: Dutton's fake refugees, resettlement, disaster displacement and more
This week's links include Australia's crackdown on 'fake refugees', US officials on Manus Island, and working to pre-empt disaster displacement on Myanmar and Vanuatu.TPP: With one down, can 11 stand?
There is a hard road ahead to bring the TPP11 into force. Our best hope is that Japan’s leadership on this issue continues.Denying terrorists freedom of association
A broader use of Australia’s ‘declared areas’ legislation should be considered.Australian refugee policy: Twists in the tale
In the late 1970s, when deciding how to respond to asylum seekers arriving by boat, the government said Australia had a commitment to provide 'sanctuary to genuine refugees within its territory'.Pacific links: Churches and climate change, PNG election, Fiji and Clause 24, and more
This week's links include the role for religious leaders and churches in climate change strategies, PNG pollies taking to social media, and the end of RAMSI on the Solomons.Beyond the legend of Kokoda
Reviewing an absorbing new collection of essays from an impressive array of former soldiers, military historians, and academics.No honeymoon for South Korea’s post-election security posture
Even under revitalised leadership, there are significant geopolitical and domestic constraints on Seoul’s room for manoeuvre with North Korea.Indonesian democracy: Down, but not out
Jakarta's governor Ahok has been jailed for blasphemy, but that doesn’t mean Islamists are on the march in Indonesia.No, wait! Globalisation makes a comeback
The G7 meeting comes at a time when economic globalisation is widely said to have stalled, if not moved into reverse, but there is plenty of data that suggests otherwise.Review: 'By More Than Providence', by Michael Green
A magisterial volume, destined to be the authoritative work on US strategy toward Asia for many years to come.Countering China’s submarine operations in South Asia
If India does not move to protect its equities, South Asia could soon fall under the sway of China's rapidly expanding maritime power.Europe’s mixed views on China’s Belt and Road
In recent years China has demonstrated its ability to divide Europeans by creating new entities such as the 16+1 mechanism.Why Trump’s Middle East trip matters to Australia
Regardless of whether Australian forces are enlisted in any anti-Iran campaign, there is a risk that our troops, aircraft or ships in the Middle East may find themselves targeted in any Iranian retaliation.Capital flows to emerging economies: Still unresolved
Perhaps practical policy-makers might be tempted to cut the Gordian knot by imposing capital controls, especially for short-term volatile capital inflows (leaving characteristically-stable foreign direct investment untouched).
What's happening at the 
