One part of China's Belt and Road Initiative is a high-speed train project from Kunming, China through Southeast Asia to Singapore. This project suggests that China's partner countries can have substantial agency and shape projects to suit their own interests.

Violence has erupted across Northern Ireland as tensions between the Protestants, Unionists, and Loyalist and the Catholics, Republicans, and Nationalists intensify. The region has struggled towards reconciliation, and only with effort from the UK government and the EU will conflict subside.

This week in Australian foreign affairs: two-way Trans-Tasman travel bubble announced, Exercise La Perouse kicks off, the Services Exports Action Plan and Australia India Business Exchange are launched, and more.

The Iran-China bilateral 25-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was signed in Tehran by foreign ministers Javad Zarif and Wang Yi on 27 March. The agreement highlights political, strategic, and economic winners and losers.

Cheap and readily available access to the internet has revolutionised the way we communicate. For governments, the internet is an unresolved point of contention between freedom and civil order.

COVID-19 has brought about feelings of loneliness, increased homelessness, and a decline in mental health. The experiences of housing cooperatives in Central American countries show how a collective response can minimise the impact of a pandemic.

Myanmar’s post-coup crisis unequivocally demands the application of R2P principles. However, internal dynamics are ultimately more likely to prove decisive than even the most robust available external measures.

The increasing availability of COVID-19 vaccines coupled with the desperation to revert to normalcy has seen vaccine diplomacy turn into vaccine wars with rapid speed. Countries should be encouraged to centralise production and distribution as it is the only way to protect humanity.

Like with any multinational event, politics is always affecting Eurovision. This can be seen in no better example than the interactions between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the contest.

Crisis simulations prepare Australian decision-makers for a wide range of challenges and crises. The Australian Crisis Simulation Summit creates an opportunity for future national security leaders to strengthen Australia’s capacity to respond to security challenges.