When Donald Trump becomes the US’ 47th president on 20 January 2025, one of his foreign policy tasks will be setting the trajectory of his administration’s security partnership with Japan. This may be subject to some complications.

The Pacific is​​, as former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described in 2018, a region where “we have special responsibilities” and where “we are connected as members of a Pacific family​.​”​ Curiously, this impassioned rhetoric did not stop Morrison from taking on a senior role at a deep-sea mining fund investing millions of dollars in experimental deep-sea mining projects in the Pacific.  

Slick by Royce Kurmelovs is a compelling exploration of how the fossil fuel industry has managed to maintain its dominance in Australia over several decades. This enduring influence persists despite clear evidence that burning fossil fuels is driving the rise in greenhouse gas emissions and fuelling climate change.

The Pacific Islands' voting patterns on Palestinian self-determination reveal the complex interplay of geopolitics, development incentives, and shifting religious dynamics. The rise of Evangelism, intertwined with Christian Zionist theology, has increasingly influenced foreign policy decisions, underscoring the cultural and demographic transformations shaping the region's stance on global issues.

Last month in October, Mozambique once again went to the polls to elect a new president and parliament that will rule the country for the next five years. Since winning its independence through the 11-year Mozambican War for Independence in 1975, the ruling party—the Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (FRELIMO)—has dominated every election.

Conflicts across the globe illustrate the devastating humanitarian consequences when urban areas become theatres of war. The use of explosive weapons in these environments carries numerous implications for civilians, including children. What is being done at the international level, and what further action can states take? 

In Canada First, Not Canada Alone, Chapnick and McKercher make a renewed case for understanding Canada’s place in world politics as a principal power. This book explores Canada's evolving role in global politics, highlighting the country's efforts to balance leadership, independence, and alliance-building while navigating historical legacies and modern challenges

This week in Australian foreign affairs: Marles, Wong, and Farrell in Singapore for the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee; Marles and Wong in Auckland for ANZMIN; Wong in Malaysia for Australia-Malaysia Annual Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and more.

A new European Commission – the executive arm of the European Union, which proposes and implements EU law – has just been approved, starting the second term of Ursula von der Leyen as the Commission’s President. Amid external pressures, the rise of populist parties and political fragmentation, can her Commission provide much-needed leadership and direction for Europe?

Despite promising to learn from the events of 7 October, Israeli strategists keep repeating the same dangerous errors. Whatever gains tactical proficiencies and self-confidence have provided for Israel to date, these are no substitutes for sound strategic thinking.