Should we be worried about politicisation of Australia’s foreign policy and security? It’s never been a politics-free zone, but there is a dangerous populism entering the debate.

The only times that foreign policy has been a significant issue in contemporary presidential elections have been during wars or major international crises. But to say that foreign policy is electorally less important than domestic policy is not to say that it is unimportant.

The current state of global affairs in light of the pandemic has raised questions on how international relations may change in the post-COVID 19 world. It is essential to speculate how Australia's role and relations with its friends may evolve in these times.

In a region long beset by political strife and interstate rivalries, Somaliland stands out as a beacon of hope in the Horn of Africa. It remains stable, relatively democratic, and broadly functional.

Since the start of the Trump era, the United States and the Western world has finally begun to wake up to the threat of online warfare and the attacks from Russia. The question no one seems to be able to answer is: what can the West do about it?

With its enormous economic power, China is now a global political and military force engaged in an ideological struggle with the West. This new authoritarian power is using democratic systems to undermine democracy in pursuit of its global ambitions.

What we call different parts of the world - Asia, Europe, the Middle East - seems innocuous. But the name of a region is totemic: a mental map that guides the decisions of leaders and the story of international order, war, and peace.

As the fight against COVID-19 rages across the world, a different battle is taking place in the South China Sea.

Every generation of Australian thinkers and policy-makers grapples with the conceptual and practical aspects of engaging Asia. From 2020, a volatile and uncertain strategic environment - profoundly and rapidly re-shaped by the global pandemic - will present new and difficult questions for us all.

The circular economy aims to minimise waste and keep materials and products in circulation for as long as possible. It is increasingly regarded as a promising model for driving sustainable and resilient economic growth in both developed and emerging economies.