Tuberculosis: a good news story from PNG with thorns
A campaign in Western Province seems to be achieving its goals, but TB is a disease that thrives on poverty.
When implementation falls behind research: the case of CVE
More research into countering violent extremism is required in Australia.
Russia a reluctant driver in the Syrian war
Moscow is averse or incapable of assuming the mantle of ultimate arbiter in Syria.
Aid and development links: CAR crisis, Kenya politics, and Mumbai slums
Links and stories from across the aid and development sector.
Improving education quality in Indonesia is no easy task
Indonesia’s education problem is a matter of politics and power.
Echoes of Mao as Xi Jinping ends term limits
Xi’s centralisation of power harks back to darker times in China.
Weekend catch-up: FONOPs, space stations, Antarctica, and more
The week that was on The Interpreter.
Joyce and the leadership churn: better get used to it
This may be the new normal for Australia: more frequent leadership changes, minority governments, and shorter incumbencies in government.
The depressing sameness of the fight for Ghouta
The media should focus as much on armed groups among civilians as Syrian and Russian atrocities.
The Belt and Road to nowhere: China’s incoherent aid in Papua New Guinea
Ten canneries were to be built to capture more value from tuna caught in PNG waters. A decade later, there are no canneries.
India’s rivalry with China, from the mountains to the sea
During the Doklam crisis, New Dehli apparently tried to send a signal to Beijing with its nuclear missile submarine.
Moon versus Abe and the contest for America’s ear
North Korea policy is seen by some Japanese media as a debate with a South Korean stooge.
The hidden epidemic in the shanty towns of Honiara
Diarrhoea is a killer in Solomon Islands, and climate change will only increase its danger.
Migration and border policy links: global compact negotiations, Italian village life, and more
Links and updates from across the migration and border policy field.
“Global Britain” on the line in the South China Sea
Joint freedom of navigation patrols by the UK and France would be more convincing to a regional audience.
Unblocking money flows in the Pacific
A crackdown on terrorist financing has had unintended negative consequences in developing countries.
Pacific Islands links: Cyclone Gita clean-up, tuberculosis in PNG, and New Caledonian referendum
Links and stories from around the Pacific by The Interpreter team.
International vulnerabilities and opportunities for Australia’s universities
Universities need to accept their vulnerability to internationalisation in order to prepare students for the future.
Seven quick takeaways from Julie Bishop’s speech at King’s College London
The most important foreign policy speech in a year hints how Australia's view has evolved in a short time.
Rules of thumb for women leaders in the Pacific, and beyond
A new study reveals the unique pressures faced by women in Pacific politics, with lessons for female politicians everywhere.
Defence exports and the Arms Trade Treaty – is Australia missing in action?
Increasing arms sales to countries with records of human rights and gender-based violence is not in the spirit of the ATT.
France: more bucks for your bang
A boost to defence spending is a signal France is prepared to lead on major European and global security challenges.
Vietnamisation in space: America withdraws from ISS
Could this be the beginning of the end for the US sending humans into space?
Aid and development links: the cost of a job, traffic in megacities, and more
Links and stories from across the aid and development sector.
China and the military balance
Is it only a matter of time before China replaces the US as the predominant military power in Asia?
Sex, Russia ties, and guns debate – what Turnbull takes to Washington
The Prime Minister will need to field awkward questions on his US trip this week.
Collaborating with China in Antarctica
Countries should seek to foster scientific cooperation in the areas of ocean and climate research.
Weekend catch-up: Pyongyang at PyeongChang, Malaysian election, cobalt in the Congo, and more
The week that was on The Interpreter.
How Australia crossed a line in the Timor Sea
Canberra had evidence supporting Indonesia’s claim in maritime boundary negotiations – yet buried it.
Central banks changing of the guard
While the tradition of central bank independence is relatively new, the idea has held firm.
Sensitivity as Indonesia grapples with a measles outbreak in Papua
An epidemic might be the focus but illustrates a long-term problem across eastern Indonesia.
Economic diplomacy brief: Maldives showdown, selling infrastructure and feeding India
Economic news from across Asia.
Migration and border policy links: Yemen, life on Manus Island, and more
Links and updates from across the migration and border policy field.
Indian Ocean base race: India responds
Access to naval facilities in Oman could see a greater Indian naval presence in the Persian Gulf.
Jonghyun and depression in South Korea
The death of a K-pop star has focused attention on the high rate of suicide in South Korea.
Pacific Islands links: Cyclone Gita, mines and independence, an African judge in PNG
Links and stories from around the Pacific by The Interpreter team.
Assessing global threats
“Killer graphics” are Donald Trump’s preferred method of digesting intelligence.
Malaysia’s election – electric and exhausting
Politicians might talk political tactics and leave the public bored, but a real contest is brewing.
Olympic détente just another North Korean deceit
While cheerleaders dance in PyeongChang, officials in Pyongyang are pushing ahead with a nuclear and ballistic missile program.
Climate change and security and why it’s so hard
The security implications of climate change must become part of Australia’s long-term Asia-Pacific policy.
Sanction busting, North Korea–style
China has cracked down on cross-border trade to win extra leverage over its neighbour.
Aid and development links: future of US aid, Oxfam under fire, the meaning of resilience, and more
Links from the aid and development field.
What to expect at the Melanesian Spearhead Group summit
A Gordian knot of challenges awaits the first MSG leaders meeting in two years.
Israel strikes Syria, loses a fighter, and maybe something more
Iran breached a red line by sending a drone into Israel airspace, and the response was swift.
China’s cobalt conundrum in Congo
Joseph Kabila’s power grab and violence in Congo may disrupt China’s vital cobalt supply.
Weekend catch-up: the cost of bases, Indonesia crime, and a fond farwell
The week that was on The Interpreter.
Tech’s unhealthy future
If a popular narrative emerges equating deeper engagement with unhealthy tech addiction, Facebook will not be able to avoid confronting it.
Punitive measures: Indonesia’s new draft criminal code
Talk of criminalising homosexual acts and prison terms for adultery has many Indonesians worried.
Review: Asia on a knife-edge
A newly released book by John West takes a guarded view of the world’s most promising region.