In May of this year, over three years after its international debut, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) was no longer a ‘public health emergency of international concern’. While acknowledging the continued severity of the risks associated with COVID-19, Dr. Tedros, WHO’s … Continue readingLESSONS UNLEARNT – PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AFTER COVID-19
In the heart of Shandong province, Zibo’s streets are filled with a smoky allure. Barbecues have become a symbol of cultural resistance against the societal pressures of post-Covid China. This ‘BBQ City – Zibo‘ phenomenon contrasts sharply with ‘Runology,’ a term encapsulating the yearning of … Continue readingThe Dialectics of Discontent: A Glimpse of Reality through Societal Phenomena in Post-COVID China
At first glance, Chechnya — the small Russian republic in the Northern Caucasus region — appears an unlikely candidate for substantial involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The republic is barely 0.1% of Russia’s total area, and contains less than 1% of Russia’s population. Perhaps even less likely is a scenario in which Chechens fight in Ukraine on both sides. Yet both situations are now playing out. To understand why, we must understand how Chechnya’s current religious and geopolitical circumstances developed. … Continue readingWHY CHECHENS ARE FIGHTING FOR – AND AGAINST – RUSSIA IN UKRAINE
‘Until July this year, the Pacific Islands Forum was a little known intergovernmental organisation that advocated for cooperation between, and the interests of, its Pacific nation members. Yet with the Forum’s 2022 Meeting, held in the Fijian capital of Suva, having just concluded (its first in-person meeting since 2019), it has shed its tag of “little known”.’
Nicholas Butler discusses the achievements and controversies that defined this year’s especially significant Pacific Islands Forum. … Continue readingSuccess with some Setbacks: The 2022 Meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum
“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
Australia’s relationship to the Pacific has been a complicated one, to say the least. We are one of the largest powers in the region, with a huge landmass relative to our neighbours, a developed economy, and powerful allies in the U.S. and the U.K. Compared to some of our closest neighbours such as the Solomon Islands, we are a whale amongst minnows. Yet if we expand our view out from our “backyard” to the broader Indo-Pacific, we see Australia is dwarfed by some serious powers. India, Japan, South Korea, China, and the U.S. are all exerting influence in the region and Australia is doing its level best to maintain its own interests amongst these. … Continue readingKISSING UP AND KICKING DOWN: AUSTRALIA IN THE PACIFIC
The word ‘election’ brings about dread in society. From the tiresome campaigns to a myriad of meme-worthy moments, we cannot help but become resentful of them by the time a victor has been declared. We in Australia have only just gone through the arduous process … Continue readingFrench Elections | Macron’s Real Test Still to Come
At the beginning of 2022, in the Indian state of Karnataka, Muslim students of a junior college who wore a hijab to classes were denied entry on the grounds that it was a violation of the college’s uniform policy. In the following weeks, protests on the issue were met with counter-protests from Hindu students, demanding to wear saffron scarves (the colour is seen as a Hindu symbol). Ultimately, the dispute was considered by the Karnataka High Court, where they determined that the restrictions on hijabs should be upheld. The decision was criticised inside India and internationally, by the likes of the Human Rights Watch, and by human rights activists such as Malala Yousafzai.
… Continue readingHINDU NATIONALISM – A NEW INDIA
Does India offer Australia’s greatest hope of secure diplomatic and economic integration in the Indo-Pacific?
In light of the recently signed Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, and both countries’ souring relationship with China, Nicholas Butler explores this fundamental question and its ongoing implications. … Continue readingAustralia-China Tensions: India to the Rescue?
‘Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has stunned the world and left many of us reeling as scenes of horror and destruction are emerging from Eastern Europe. As we near the fourth week of the military conflict, a peaceful resolution for both countries still looks unlikely. NATO and its allies have remained resolute in imposing economic sanctions to oppose Russia, rather than engaging militarily.’
Sneha Ramanan takes a look at the purpose and actual effect of these sanctions. … Continue readingSanctions, Sanctions, Sanctions: What Are They and What Exactly Do They Achieve?