As the general elections in India were underway from April to June 2024, the country was also grappling with severe heatwaves, highlighting the critical need for effective climate policies. As the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, India’s climate strategy is at a critical juncture, balancing ambitious international commitments and domestic imperatives.

Reducing Chinese influence in Indonesia's nickel industry, crucial to the EV supply chain, poses significant challenges to the country's battery-grade nickel production. This move could deter future Chinese investments and diminish essential technology transfers, impacting Indonesia's competitiveness in the global clean energy market.

There’s a defence Artificial Intelligence (AI) race underway. This effort across 25 countries ranging from the giant to the very small is detailed in a new open-access publication, The Very Long Game, on which this post draws. I wrote the Australian chapter.

Young people in the Pacific want to be active, positive partners contributing to their communities. If Australia is genuine about partnering with the region to see a thriving Blue Pacific, the perspectives of young people must be thoroughly understood and considered, and opportunities for youth to contribute to decision-making must be encouraged.

Australia is recognised as a leader in implementing comprehensive biosecurity measures, as outlined in the Australian Biosecurity Act 2015 and the National Biosecurity Strategy Implementation Plan 2022-2032. Despite their proactive approach, these efforts face challenges due to insufficient funding, which threatens the effectiveness of their protective measures against invasive species and diseases.

Australia must awaken a spirit of enquiry and zest about our region and the belief that out destiny as a nation rests there.

Donald Trump is now having his lead whither before him as the fresh and young face of Kamala Harris steps forward for the Democrats. It is Trump’s to lose, and any continuation of current tactics are unlikely to be unhelpful.

On 6 July, the 14th Dalai Lama turned 89, having lived for the last 65 years in exile in India. The Dalai Lama is the physical embodiment of the Tibetan nation and his advancing age brings forth urgent questions for the future of the Tibetan struggle.

This week in Australian foreign affairs: Marles and Keough attend the Indian Ocean Defence and Security Conference in Western Australia; Wong responds to Israeli settler violence in the West Bank; Conroy congratulates Australian Olympians heading to Paris; O'Neil responds to CrowdStrike IT outage, and more.

The leaders of India and Italy reaffirmed mutual commitments to global affairs and shared strategic interests at the 2024 G7 Summit. Their collaboration on economic, technological, and security dilemmas set a promising precedent for future cooperation.