“Over the past two years, natural gas prices have more than doubled. Those of us who use gas every day, such as for cooking and heating our homes, have seen enormous cost increases but many are unsure why. So what has happened? Everything.”
Monique Westcott addresses this burning question. … Continue readingSurging Prices: The Reasons behind Increasing Global Gas Prices
On 11 August 2021, the Monash International Affairs Society hosted an illuminating panel discussion on the world of sports diplomacy and its myriad possibilities as a branch of Australian diplomatic strategy in the Indo-Pacific. In this article, Jerry Nguyen-Schlenker, Winuri de Alwis and Arshiya Merchant review this highly stimulating event and delve deeper into the ideas it presented. … Continue readingMIAS Recap: Sports Diplomacy Event
A the recent G7 Summit, leaders claimed that “Diplomacy is back”. Given that this was the first time in two years that leaders had met in person, the opportunity was seized to discuss what they considered to be the world’s most pressing issues, including vaccine inequity, climate change, global taxes, and current conflicts. Most central to this claim, however, was the announcement of the ‘Build Back Better World’ infrastructure initiative. … Continue readingThe ‘Build Back Better World’ Initiative: Is Diplomacy ‘Back’?
As the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics commenced last night, protests throughout the Japanese capital opposed what many considered to be a risky imposition during a global pandemic. This comes as Japan records over 5,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, a spike which saw spectators banned from Olympic events. This begs the question whether it was wise for the Japanese Government and the International Olympic Committee to continue with the Games. The simple answer is not one based on logic. It has its roots in the romanticism of sports as a uniting force and the need to distract billions from the devastation and gloom they are suffering. … Continue readingTHE WORLD NEEDS IT | THE CASE FOR TOKYO 2020
Climate change has morphed into an abstract ideological issue, seemingly disconnected from everyday life. Sir David Attenborough’s biopic: A Life On Our Planet bridges the chasm between climate change as a concept and climate change as an everyday reality. Opening with the deserted Chernobyl, Attenborough … Continue readingBEARING WITNESS: SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’S ‘A LIFE ON OUR PLANET’
The arrest of high-profile Australian journalist Cheng Lei in China on suspicion of ‘criminal activity endangering China’s national security’ triggered a series of events that was coined by some commentators as a unique diplomatic standoff. This included Australian correspondents, Bill Birtles and Mike Smith, being … Continue readingJOURNALISTS: PAWNS IN A VOLATILE CHESSBOARD?
With countries increasingly utilizing technology well past what would have previously been imagined, it is crucial to understand how this area has expanded and the real concerns that emerge particularly around the area of privacy. Australia is investing in a facial recognition system called “The Capability” and … Continue readingTHE FACE RACE: PITFALLS OF FACIAL RECOGNITION
On December 2018, the Australian government passed the Assistance and Access Act 2018, a controversial law requiring technology companies to allow security agencies and the police to access encrypted messages of Australians. This law is the first in the world to have such reach and … Continue readingDATA ENCRYPTION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT – A STARTLING ADVANCEMENT
Digital currency became an even hotter topic last month when the Libra Association, made of Facebook and 27 partner companies such as Uber, Paypal and Mastercard, announced the new block chain-based “Libra Coin”. The new currency, Libra, will be able to be used for purchases … Continue readingLIBRA: THE NEW COIN ON THE BLOCK
At 1.40pm on the 15th of March, New Zealand saw one of its darkest days since 1990 when Brenton Tarrant, an Australian white supremacist, initiated twin shootings at Mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers. These devastating attacks resulted in fifty people losing their lives and … Continue readingFROM THE ASHES WE RISE, THE LESSONS LEARNT FROM NEW ZEALAND