Donald Trump is an endlessly fascinating political figure for Australians, not just because of the experience of his 2017-2021 presidency, but because of his ongoing role in US politics and the very real possibility that he will return as president in 2025. Bruce Wolpe addresses this situation in a very engaging book that provides important insights into both Trump I and the possibility of Trump II from an Australian perspective. 

Despite its failure to isolate Cuba and overthrow its government, and its near unanimous opposition from the international community, the 62-year old US embargo seems likely to endure into the foreseeable future.   

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how far human health has been securitised, but this is just one event in the long and problematic relationship between the military and medicine. Their relationship is two-way, and modern medicine has influenced contemporary military security as we know it.

The provision of security in Papua New Guinea is a fraught affair. With undisciplined and underfunded state-based structures being placed in authority; how can observers understand the contested security environment of Australia’s closest neighbour?

Israel is expected to win its military war against Hamas in Gaza, but it will not win politically. The challenge for Israel and other key stakeholders is to find a political solution that creates post-war stability, and shapes a long- term peace settlement that is win-win for both Israel and Palestine.

The meeting at San Francisco between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping offers a short respite in the broader strategic conflict that both states have been waging since at least 2017. The friends and trade partners of both nations now have an opportunity to employ middle power diplomacy to advocate for their interests and also the moderation of competition. 

10 October underscores Beijing and Taipei’s different ideological perspectives. For China, the Xinhai Revolution marks its march toward “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,” for Taiwan, Double Ten Day is an exercise of its liberalism and democracy, fostering debate on the importance of developing its own symbolism and identity.

The Indonesian government’s meetings with China underscore a pragmatic approach to relations, where economics and investment is paramount. Missing in the broader dialogue are values, many of which are derided in Beijing. 

The American government is taking advantage of its central position in many global networks to pursue its security interests through “weaponised interdependence,” according to political economists Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman.

US Congressional report argues that Australia’s acquisition of nuclear submarines would actually undercut deterrence of China by depleting the US submarine fleet. With the promise of nuclear submarines becoming ever distant, it may be time to reconsider other options.