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Published daily by the Lowy Institute

  • 12 Sep 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • Australia
    • Australian Foreign Aid
    • Sex and Gender

    Finding a place for youth leadership in Australia’s new International Development Policy

    Helen Berents , Katrina Lee-Koo
    Young people will be central to addressing regional challenges so their meaningful inclusion must be ensured.
  • 11 Sep 2023
    • China
    • India
    • G20

    India pushes China to the margins of the G20

    Ian Hall
    New multilateral agreements unveiled on the sidelines of the forum show how New Delhi has been working hard to curtail Beijing’s strategic influence.
  • 11 Sep 2023
    • Russia
    • Ukraine

    Ukraine has Moscow in its crosshairs but that shouldn’t make us squeamish

    Tennyson Dearing
    Don’t be fooled by Putin’s bluster. Giving Russia impunity by limiting destruction to Ukraine is no way to win the war.
  • 11 Sep 2023
    • Asean
    • Southeast Asia
    • Australia
    • Australian trade, investment & economy

    In Australia’s big play in Southeast Asia, mobilising the private sector is critical

    Georgie Skipper
    A stand-off over perceived risks and rewards has long hampered Australia’s economic engagement in the region but a new strategy marks a strong step forward.
  • 11 Sep 2023
    • Malaysia

    Malaysia at 60: One country, three visions

    James Chin
    Islamist rule, the secular status quo or a state within a state – the future of Malaysia looks shaky.
  • 8 Sep 2023
    • India
    • G20

    The G20 spectacle and the domestic imperatives of Modi’s global ambitions

    Sanya Dhingra
    The underlying ideological drivers of Hindu nationalism can also be seen amid the fluttering flags and motorcades.
  • 8 Sep 2023
    • United Kingdom
    • Review

    Boris Johnson: Does distance really lend enchantment to the view?

    Mark Pierce
    A recent biography on the former PM reveals a man short on dignity and gravitas, and afraid to make the hard decisions.
  • 8 Sep 2023
    • China
    • India
    • G20

    Ahead of G20, India-China reconciliation fails to launch

    Ankit Tiwari , Sidharth Raimedhi
    Beijing’s actions speak louder than words. By failing to turn up in Delhi, Xi sent a clear signal that China has little enthusiasm for stabilising relations.
  • 7 Sep 2023
    • China
    • China's Economy
    • China's Government

    Is China finally getting serious about hukou reform?

    Henry Storey
    Unless China’s millions of migrant workers gain broader rights, “common prosperity” might turn out to be rhetorical.
  • 7 Sep 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • Australia
    • Australian Foreign Aid

    Does Australia lack strategic imagination on aid and development?

    Soli Middleby , Susan Engel
    A debate on fundamentals is sorely needed but conspicuously lacking.
  • 7 Sep 2023
    • India
    • G20

    Why India keeps a foot in both camps

    Ved Shinde
    Great powers might seek to force a choice but India is showcasing its own – to stop China from dominating, and benefit from Western capital.
  • 6 Sep 2023
    • Indonesia
    • Energy
    • International law

    The sticky case of Indonesia, a seized Iranian oil tanker, and legal jurisdiction

    Dita Liliansa
    An intercepted ship-to-ship transfer raises a series of interlinked questions about sanctions, pollution and the reach of international law.
  • 6 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Indonesia
    • South China Sea
    • Recommendations

    The Fix: Explaining Indonesia’s silence in the North Natuna Sea

    Aristyo Rizka Darmawan
    Your weekly Interpreter feature about issues, resources or helpful distractions that might otherwise be missed.
  • 6 Sep 2023
    • China
    • China's Economy

    China’s troubles may well get worse before they get better

    Roland Rajah , Robert Walker
    There is no straightforward path to escape weak demand and the financial risks from the ongoing real estate bust.
  • 5 Sep 2023
    • Australia in the World
    • Australian Defence Force
    • Defence & Security
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
    • Technology

    Danger Will Robinson: Warfighting robots fast approaching

    Peter Layton
    A swarm of angry Australian-made cardboard attack drones sets the scene for all future conflicts.
  • 5 Sep 2023
    • Bangladesh
    • G20

    Who’s on the guest list? India brings Bangladesh to the G20

    Sadia Aktar Korobi
    Bangladesh is taking its place as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia.
  • 5 Sep 2023
    • Global Economy
    • BRICS

    Building bigger BRICS

    Stephen Grenville
    Reports of the death of the dominant US dollar have been greatly exaggerated.
  • 4 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Africa

    Coup d’État in Gabon: Oil, champagne, and China’s geopolitical opportunity

    Cornelia Tremann
    Local dynamics might be a primary cause of strife, but France’s loss is China’s possible gain.
  • 4 Sep 2023
    • China

    Under Xi, the Party is winning but China is losing

    Denny Roy
    Rather than solving problems in foreign relations or the economy at home, a host of new headaches are emerging.
  • 4 Sep 2023
    • China
    • Climate change
    • United States

    Climate justice: friendshoring, China’s supremacy and America’s IR Act

    Michelle Lyons
    The goal of ensuring equitable outcomes through the energy transition must be global.
  • 1 Sep 2023
    • China
    • North Korea
    • Russia

    Can North Korea play off Russia against China?

    Khang Vu
    Pyongyang might have designs to take advantage of an increasingly desperate Moscow, but power rests with Beijing.
  • 1 Sep 2023
    • Afghanistan
    • Terrorism

    Can the Taliban contain Islamic State in Afghanistan?

    Nadeem Ahmed Moonakal
    Concerns are growing about spillover attacks further into the region.
  • 1 Sep 2023
    • Philippines
    • Australia
    • Australia's Economy
    • Australia's Trade
    • Australian Defence Force

    The Philippines and Australia: A new golden era of strategic relations?

    Richard Javad Heydarian
    Canberra’s defence ties with Manila have gone from strength to strength. Now it’s time to step up economic linkages.
  • 31 Aug 2023
    • Aid & Development
    • Australia
    • Australia's Economy
    • Australian Diplomacy
    • Australian Foreign Aid

    Economic diplomacy: Spirit of Australia charts a fresh course

    Greg Earl
    The government is fashioning a more interventionist economic leg to the new amity between its aid policy, regional diplomacy and military spending.
  • 31 Aug 2023
    • Russia

    Russia: The mafia as the state

    Munira Mustaffa
    Prigozhin’s death is only the latest example of an enigmatic fusion of formal governance and clandestine networks.
  • 31 Aug 2023
    • Climate change
    • Human rights
    • Pacific Islands

    Cultural security in the Pacific: Why it matters for regional security

    Anna Naupa
    Of all the complex and evolving threats to the region’s cultural heritage, climate change remains the most calamitous.
  • 30 Aug 2023
    • Europe
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
    • International law
    • United Nations
    • War Crimes

    Europe’s last war

    Ian Kemish
    Remembering the Bosnian conflict of 30 years ago to compare how the world responds to Russia’s war on Ukraine today.
  • 30 Aug 2023
    • Pacific Islands
    • Recommendations

    The Fix: Talking about the Pacific

    Jessica Collins
    An Interpreter weekly feature about issues, resources or helpful distractions that might otherwise be missed.
  • 30 Aug 2023
    • Indonesia

    Enduring lessons for Indonesia from a wandering scribe in Europe

    Warief Djajanto Basorie
    The famed journalist Adinegoro sent reports in the 1920s that captivated his homeland and hold a potent message for today.
  • 29 Aug 2023
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • Thailand

    Cambodia, Thailand and dealing with China: The more things change…

    Jitsiree Thongnoi
    New prime ministers might be in the job, but don’t expect any big shifts in approaches to Beijing.
  • 29 Aug 2023
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Review

    A compelling voice for rethinking Australia’s national security

    Gareth Evans
    Sam Roggeveen’s Echidna Strategy rightly challenges Australia to act as a diplomatic powerhouse, not a military one.
  • 29 Aug 2023
    • Australia
    • Australia and Climate Change
    • Climate change
    • Environment

    Climate change: Counting the costs and opportunities

    Ryan Neelam
    Australia needs to think beyond the price of transition and move quickly to become a renewable energy superpower.
  • 28 Aug 2023
    • Asean
    • Indonesia
    • Environment

    Weeks of living dangerously in Jakarta, all over again

    Muhammad Ersan Pamungkas
    Air pollution is crippling Indonesia’s capital just as the country prepares to host regional leaders.
  • 28 Aug 2023
    • Southeast Asia
    • Pacific Islands
    • United States

    Indo-Pacific strategy: Uniting all the players on the board

    Saba Sattar
    Trouble in the Pacific shows that an aligned approach across the sub-regions is essential in the contest with China.
  • 28 Aug 2023
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • Cyber Security
    • Cyber Warfare
    • Emerging Threats
    • Multilateral Institutions
    • United Nations
    • United States

    Australia and the UN: A new agenda for peace

    Adam Bartley , Charles T. Hunt , Aiden Warren
    Multilateral responses to the threats of new and emerging tech – from AI warfare to bioweapons – are crucial to success.
  • 25 Aug 2023
    • Russia

    With Prigozhin gone, what next for the Wagner Group?

    Isabella Currie
    It’s a job few might want, but lacking a chief will make Russia's relations tricky in the countries where the group still operates.
  • 25 Aug 2023
    • Germany

    Whether on Russia or China, clearly Baerbock is driving Germany’s change

    Ian Kemish
    It might seem surprising it’s been the leader of the German Greens, with its pacifist traditions, who has pushed so hard for a more hawkish stance.
  • 25 Aug 2023
    • Australia
    • Australian Defence Force
    • Australian Navy
    • Defence & Security
    • Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament
    • United Kingdom
    • United States

    The social licence for AUKUS has not yet been earned

    Peter K. Lee , Alice Nason , Sophie Mayo
    Convincing Australians that nuclear-powered subs are needed, and worth the $368 billion price tag, is a hard sell.
  • 24 Aug 2023
    • Australia in the World

    “Australia’s future to 2063” and debating the world beyond the horizon

    Daniel Flitton
    How much value does the nation gain from peering into a crystal ball?
  • 24 Aug 2023
    • Australia in the World
    • Sex and Gender

    Australia showcased gender equality on the pitch. Now let’s try it on budget policy

    Ramona Vijeyarasa
    This government has the opportunity to get serious about gender responsive budgeting by upskilling its ministries.
  • 24 Aug 2023
    • Russia

    Prigozhin is dead, but Putin is still weakened

    Matthew Sussex
    It is important to remember that Putin personally and publicly gave the Wagner chief guarantees about his safety.
  • 24 Aug 2023
    • Southeast Asia
    • Australia
    • Global Economy
    • Technology

    Cash is king, no more

    Hilman Palaon
    Digital payments have transformed Australia, but global financial infrastructure for a cashless society still has some catching up to do.
  • 23 Aug 2023
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    Cracking the code: How intelligence and cyber reshaped Australian statecraft

    John Blaxland
    A richer story is told by placing signals intelligence in historical and contemporary context.
  • 23 Aug 2023
    • Recommendations

    The Fix: How we tell stories about ourselves

    Michelle Lyons
    Your weekly Interpreter feature about issues, resources or helpful distractions that might otherwise be missed.
  • 23 Aug 2023
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    The curious tales of defectors to North Korea

    Gabriela Bernal
    Why would anyone choose to live in or return to a repressive hermit state? The answers are complex and include regret.
  • 22 Aug 2023
    • China
    • India
    • BRICS

    India’s hesitation as China pushes for BRICS expansion

    Ankit Tiwari
    New Delhi and Beijing have competing visions for adding new members and where the organisation will focus.
  • 22 Aug 2023
    • Cambodia
    • Australia in the World

    Cambodia's democracy deficit: Australia's role and responsibility

    Gareth Evans , Gordon Conochie
    Have we done enough to support human and democratic rights in a country where they are perpetually under attack?
  • 22 Aug 2023
    • Bangladesh
    • Myanmar
    • Migration
    • United Nations

    Remember the Rohingya, for disease hasn’t forgotten them

    Arunn Jegan
    After six years, supposedly temporary camps now resemble slums. How long can the world turn away?
  • 21 Aug 2023
    • Pacific Islands
    • Papua New Guinea

    Putting a PNG stamp on security

    Meg Keen , Mihai Sora
    As world players jostle for influence, the price of admission may be stronger economic engagement.
  • 21 Aug 2023
    • China – Belt and Road Initiative
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Nepal
    • Sri Lanka

    India doubles down on regional connectivity to counter China

    Henry Storey
    New Delhi has big advantages in its South Asia infrastructure push – even if outspending China isn’t one of them.
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