2024 will be the most significant year for democracy. All points lead to a broader democratic recession, though more than a few surprises are to be expected. 

For a long time, India’s academic and foreign policy circles have suffered from a “blind spot” on Myanmar, despite the country being an important neighbour for India. Finding a “Myanmar Consciousness” in Indian strategic thought and scholarship is a concept which remains the core thesis of the book.

On Tuesday afternoon an air raid alert text message was sent to every phone in Taiwan. The political response from the three major parties on how they would handle national security if elected was perhaps expected, but perhaps even more telling was the reaction from the public.  

2023 revealed a quiet but booming relationship between Taiwan and Indonesia, and 2024 looks to be similarly robust. More educational exchanges, more technology collaboration projects, and more Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan are planned.

Australia has big plans for renewable energies. Its diplomacy has symbolised to the world that it is open to change, but further investment in grid and energy capabilities is still lacking. 

However a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is achieved, neither punishing Benjamin Netanyahu nor patronising a non-elected Palestinian administrative entity will produce tenable post-war governments. The only viable path will be one that is paved with political legitimacy.

While the precarious relationship with the People’s Republic of China often dominates the Taiwan elections, another issue of equal importance has demanded further attention: the future of LGBTQIA+ rights in Taiwan.

China draws lessons from the past mistakes, cooling down tensions with the United States just one month before the Taiwan presidential elections in January 2024. For Taiwan, however, China’s military exercises inch closer.

The war in Gaza has resumed with Israel recommitted to the destruction of Hamas, unimpeded by a proposed UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, which the US alone vetoed on 8 December. But despite this, the US is pressing hard for a “day after plan,” a two-state solution that delivers long term regional stability and peace.

After months of speculation, three political parties have officially announced their candidates for the 2024 presidential election in Taiwan: the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Kuomintang (KMT), and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP).

Australians are increasingly at risk of disinformation campaigns, many of which have rapidly escalated on social media platforms like TikTok in recent years. A serious discussion needs to be had on the unfettered influences these platforms can have and how their worst effects can be mitigated.