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. 

Ryan Walter is Associate Professor in the history of political thought at the University of Queensland. https://polsis.uq.edu.au/profile/1366/ryan-walter 

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.

Saran Chantakitwattana graduated from the Australian National University with a Master of International Relations. His research interests are the Middle East, WMDs, and […]

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.