As 2017 limps out and 2018 edges in, here’s Old Dobell’s almanac of the times, trends and twists of history.

As 2017 draws to a close, Australia's "intractable" refugee question remains unanswered. With Australia's international image—not to mention the refugees

The past 12 months were proof that the threat of nuclear weapons persist in the post Cold War world. However,

This was a year in which cartographers, among others, were put on notice as the world's borders came under threat.

In October, Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop MP told the 2017 AIIA National Conference that the Australian government was

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong told the 2017 AIIA National Conference that Australia needed to shift its foreign

In 2017's changing maritime security environment, the 50th anniversary of ASEAN saw the group hold its first multilateral naval exercise.

This week, after an acrimonious campaign including allegations of foreign interference, Catalonians are voting in crucial regional elections. While pro-independence

The US National Security Strategy released by the Trump administration this week comprehensively outlines the country's approach to security threats

On 17 December Bhutan celebrated its National Day. But while its location gives the country an other-worldly landscape, its position

Despite the pressures from Syrian refugees and a briefly missing prime minister, Lebanon has gone from strength to strength in

The sacking of the Indonesian armed forces chief earlier this month signalled the displeasure of Indonesia's popular President Joko Widodo.