As religiously orientated political actors, Islamist movements are often perceived as ideologically obdurate, especially when faced with having to make compromises in areas that touch on core tenets of their raison d’être. A case in point is the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas.

The AIIA has lost a stalwart of the organisation with the death of Professor Peter Boyce, AO FAIIA.

Conflict along the Sino-Indian border has brought home for India the reality of dealing with a powerful neighbor. An unintended side effect has been the course correction in Indian public discourse of the erstwhile neglect of Chinese politics and foreign policy.

This week in Australian foreign affairs: Payne attending ASEAN meetings, investing $180 million in the Global Partnership for Education, new diplomatic postings, and more.

Australia’s international environment has become more demanding. The operation of the Work Health and Safety Act may raise the bar for the use of diplomats and development staff in some contingencies.

Thailand’s initial response to COVID-19 was applauded internationally, but cracks have begun to appear in vaccine rollouts and new COVID-19 clusters. Throughout it all, the West has supported its ally and is engaging in vaccine diplomacy in the region.

On 4 August 2020 at 18:00, Beirut experienced two explosions emanating from its port in short succession. The second took the lives of over 200 people, injured over 6000 people, and took out infrastructure across the densely populated areas of Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael.

Ireland’s recently won its bid for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council. This success offers insights into how the bitter experiences of colonialism can be recast to build global influence. 

On 18 July 2021, Mandela Day in honour of the leader’s birthday, people in Durban and Johannesburg cleaned up 200 looted shopping malls. The “deferred dream” had gone up in flames.

Many have been preoccupied with the geopolitical tensions exposed by the Coral Sea Cable. This continues a longstanding – and problematic – tradition of treating the islands of the South Pacific as an empty stage on which to play out Great Power conflict.