Despite Trump and Khamenei seemingly reaching a "no war" agreement, the situation is extremely volatile. Domestically, while Trump may have won domestic bragging rights for his assassination of Soleimani, he will win very few political points.

What should the world - especially the West - expect from the rise of China? An important first step is to get used to hearing a distinctively Chinese voice on international issues.

At the end of 2019 the World Economic Forum (WEF) released its latest Global Gender Gap Report. Japan always ranks well on health and education, but the rankings for economic and political participation bring its overall ranking down. In the latest report, Japan has dropped from number 110 to number 121 of the 153 countries surveyed. Recent controversies on gender equity point to the necessary directions for reform.

What stance should the US take in its dealings with China in the South China Sea? Considerations such as China’s threat potential and ideological factors are important determinants.

There are 2.5 billion video gamers across the world, and a June report indicated they will spend $152.1 billion on games this year. It’s no surprise that the Hong Kong protests have spread to the world of gaming.

As the Pacific Pivot gathers momentum, it is time for more breadth in Pacific security analysis and more sustained effort to invite women to be part of negotiations. And it is time that those devising this security architecture reacquaint themselves with our government’s promises to Pacific women.

Hugh White’s new book, How to Defend Australia, recommends Australia double defence spending and consider nuclear weapons. Both are highly problematic, as is Australia’s insular and opaque military and security decision-making.

While territorial disputes in the South China Sea are hotly debated in international relations, they hold relatively little weight in the grand scheme of China’s security concerns.

With Aung San Suu Kyi in The Hague defending her government against genocide charges, there is hope Myanmar will take further steps to comply with international law and address the structural issues behind the Rohingya crisis.

The opening of the Kartarpur Corridor allowing Indian Sikhs to travel to a sacred Sikh site within Pakistan looks like a positive step in Indian-Pakistani relations. However, there may be ulterior motives.