Australian Outlook
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The Nuclear Ban Cometh … Unfortunately
By Dr Rod LyonIt appears increasingly likely a nuclear weapons ban treaty will come into effect later this year. Australia has not taken part in negotiations and has been criticised for undermining early discussions. So, what if any change will the agreement...
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Cuba’s Bipolar Engagement Offers Opportunity For Australia
By Fernando RodriguezThis week, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop visited Cuba to promote Australia’s growing commercial interests in the Caribbean island nation. The visit is a sign of recent advances in Cuban diplomacy. No longer hampered by the...
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Trump Repealism Rolls Back Obama’s Cuba Reforms
By Dr Ruth AdlerDonald Trump's push to repeal many of the Obama administration’s foreign policy initiatives has extended to the landmark lifting of the embargo against Cuba. Will the new hardline approach be effective in achieving its goal of encouraging...
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Modi’s Landmark Visit to Israel
By Dr Ashok SharmaNarendra Modi's visit to Israel this week is the first ever by an Indian prime minister. It's a result of India's pragmatic new foreign policy towards Israel, one based on its strategic interests and no longer dependent on its Palestine...
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What Does China Want from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank?
By Dr Jeffrey WilsonThe Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a controversial new player in infrastructure finance. Early indications are that it is a far less threatening institution than its critics have alleged. The establishment of the Asian Infrastructure...
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What Has RAMSI Achieved?
By Roderick BrazierAfter 14 years the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands has drawn to a close. The initiative has been widely praised. So, what has been the outcome? In the wake of five years of ethnic tensions and a coup in 2000, the problems...
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Succession Uncertainty in Oman Threatens the Switzerland of the Middle East
By Will McEniryIn the increasingly unstable Middle East, the one country that has maintained its neutrality has been Oman. But new uncertainty about the sultanate's leadership succession means there is a risk it may not remain the valuable backchannel...
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What Future for Kurdish Autonomy
By Sam BrennanOn 25 September 2017, Iraqi Kurdistan will vote on an independence referendum likely to increase tensions across the region. Meanwhile, across the border in northern Syria, the status of the autonomous Kurdish Rojava region is looking...
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Blood Shed Over Italy’s Blood Rights
By Chiara De LazzariAmidst a massive influx of immigrants, Italy is reconsidering its citizenship laws. The move to amend the blood rights principle has the support of the pope and the prime minister but it has conservatives up in arms. The recent significant...
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Reading Room: Australia’s American Alliance
By reviewer Dr Adam LockyerThere is no doubt that the appearance of the latest edited volume by Peter J. Dean, Stephan Frühling and Brendan Taylor, Australia’s American Alliance, is a timely contribution. But how timely? The surprise election of Donald Trump as the 45th...