Having a chair at the UN Human Rights Council is a privilege to many countries, and Australia is the first Pacific nation to achieve this goal. However, Australia’s presence at the Council has not been matched by a resolve to eliminate domestic and international human rights abuses.

The recent coup d’état in Mali exposes the country and the wider region to the burgeoning threat of jihadi terrorists. But it also provides an opportunity for the installation of a new, democratically elected government to further peace and stability.

Without satellites, military operations are functioning in the blind.  The Outer Space Treaty needs revisiting, and legal boundaries and norms must be established as states continue to build their space programs.

Russia is well-aware that it is no exception to China’s hegemonic ambitions. To effectively constrain China, the United States and its allies and partners must recalibrate their engagements with Russia.

The world appears to have jumped to Lebanon’s aid after the Beirut blast. However, the actual crisis is much longer and more complex than is being recognised. 

The UK’s lack of progress in trade talks with the US or the EU makes a deal with Australia more appealing than ever. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s domestic political woes will make him keen for a win to show the public – providing opportunities to advance Australian objectives.

Egypt has, for decades, monopolised the use of the Nile river. With Ethiopia's relentless pursuit of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project and questioning of Egypt's hegemony, both sides have adopted competing securitisation rhetorics to legitimise their cause. 

Amidst an increase in COVID-19 cases, Macron and his government face the challenge of rebuilding French economic capacity lost during the height of the pandemic. 

On paper, it appears that China has the means to forcibly reintegrate Taiwan.  However, there remain several very real obstacles in Beijing's way should it attempt to do so.

Following the Black Death, a cultural Renaissance allowed for a complete reconstitution of all known aesthetic conventions. When contemplating a post-COVID Renaissance, we should strive toward refinement rather than reconstruction.