Chinese organised crime in Southeast Asia thrives on fraud, drug and human trafficking and technological exploitation, with Myanmar serving as a key hub. Despite crackdown, these operations persist, necessitating urgent regional and international intervention.

The Australian government has lost the trust of the Australian people, and the social contract has begun to break down. Australia needs a new plan to get it back on track, but can the Labor Party deliver on what will be a difficult and challenging program? 

For the majority of Austrians, voting for the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ)—known for its numerous scandals and close ties to (Neo-) National Socialism—used to be socially unacceptable; moreover, its supporters were overwhelmingly male. The last parliamentary election demonstrates that this is not the case anymore.

The US bid to confront China will further deteriorate Sino-US political relations, making arms control all the more difficult. Understanding how Chinese leaders frame the issue, while toning down the rhetoric, is likely to go further toward developing mutual security in arms control negotiations. 

Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, was the 39th president of the United States. His period in office is bookended by the political carnage of mid 1970s America, left by the earlier Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford presidencies, and the Hollywood style of Ronald Reagan from 1981. Carter’s term is largely overlooked and often derided, yet he had some important success.

Strategic minilaterals like the Quad, AUKUS, and TSD exemplify flexible security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, balancing between governance and military alignment. While unlikely to evolve into formal alliances, their growing integration positions them as adaptable coalitions for regional stability and crisis response

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's meeting with Vladimir Putin in October, and his absence at the Ukraine Peace Summit in June, raises critical questions about the role of international organisations in addressing conflict: Is the UN a moral arbiter, or should it prioritise dialogue, even with those who perpetrate violence?

East Asian states adopt varied strategic responses to China's rise—balancing, hedging, or bandwagoning—driven primarily by geography, democracy, and historical identity. These factors shape threat perceptions and policies, underscoring a complex regional landscape influenced by proximity, political systems, and collective memory.

In October 2024, four key Southeast Asian countries became partners of BRICS, making the organisation much closer to home for Australians. So why have Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam put themselves on a path to membership?

Despite escalating geopolitical tensions, India and China maintain a paradoxical relationship of economic interdependence. This dynamic reveals a delicate balance where strategic competition coexists with pragmatic cooperation, driving global supply chains and sustaining mutual economic benefits.