Shigeru Ishiba’s ambitious foreign policy agenda—ranging from amending Article 9 and proposing an Asian NATO framework to strengthening the Japan-US alliance and exploring nuclear sharing—faces significant hurdles amid domestic political setbacks and regional skepticism. While Japan remains a critical player in the Indo-Pacific, Ishiba’s goals will require careful navigation of constitutional constraints, alliance dynamics, and the complexities of regional diplomacy.

The removal of a despised dictator brings a moment of euphoria for Syrians. But the future is uncertain as relations between rebel factions and external actors remain complicated.

Australia needs strategic reindustrialisation. The days of secure supply chains and geopolitical stability have begun to erode, and Australia is without a plan. 

This week in Australian foreign affairs: Albanese and President of the Republic of Nauru David Adeang sign Nauru–Australia Treaty; Australia-Papua New Guinea Bilateral Security Agreement enters into force; Marles in Melbourne for the Australia-Malaysia defence ministers’ meeting, and more.

Sudan’s peaceful transition was cut short by the eruption of a devastating war in April 2023. Too many peace initiaitves however have proved counterproductive, and what is needed is far from being provided. 

Competing development models in the Indo-Pacific highlight tensions between US-led openness and China’s revisionist socialism. Their impact on regional stability and the potential for cooperation through shared goals like sustainability and human security is all encompassing, highlighting the need to rethink state-to-state relations.

Assad’s fall has dismantled Iran’s Axis of Resistance, severing critical ties to Hezbollah and undermining Tehran’s regional ambitions. Can Iran adapt to a redefined Middle East where its influence is no longer assured? 

When Donald Trump becomes the US’ 47th president on 20 January 2025, one of his foreign policy tasks will be setting the trajectory of his administration’s security partnership with Japan. This may be subject to some complications.

The Pacific is​​, as former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described in 2018, a region where “we have special responsibilities” and where “we are connected as members of a Pacific family​.​”​ Curiously, this impassioned rhetoric did not stop Morrison from taking on a senior role at a deep-sea mining fund investing millions of dollars in experimental deep-sea mining projects in the Pacific.  

Slick by Royce Kurmelovs is a compelling exploration of how the fossil fuel industry has managed to maintain its dominance in Australia over several decades. This enduring influence persists despite clear evidence that burning fossil fuels is driving the rise in greenhouse gas emissions and fuelling climate change.