The focus of last week’s elections was undeniably the presidency, but numerous down-ballot races and initiatives also made history.  With six states and Washington DC approving drug legalisation measures, America appears to be losing its war on drugs, and that’s a good thing.

As chief cabinet secretary in the Abe administration, Suga Yoshihide was adept at recommending the right people for the right cabinet posts. What do Prime Minister Suga’s cabinet picks tell us about his foreign policy?

Small, student-led protests against the current Thai government, the present constitution, and the monarchy began to occur across Thailand in the middle of this year.  The protests have grown dramatically in the past two months. Whether these protests will be fruitful in altering the current structure of governance remains questionable. 

This was the year that Vietnam was poised to make progress on its rise as a regional leader. Under the auspices of Vietnam’s ASEAN chairmanship, a breakthrough in global trade has been achieved despite rising protectionism and a global pandemic.

COVID-19 has hit Latin America with unimaginable force. In a region marred by structural inequalities and a huge gap between rich and poor, the pandemic could work, in practical terms, as a genocide of the poor.

25 August 2020 marks the third year of displacement for the people of Rakhine State, who continue to seek refuge in Bangladesh. The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the tough living conditions in the camps in Cox's Bazar and worsening any prospect of returning to Myanmar.

The tribal areas of Pakistan have played a critical role in the security of the country since Partition, particularly since the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001. Dr Farooq Yousaf’s book illustrates while militant activity has diminished in recent times, the law-and-order situation in the tribal areas remains precarious.

The International Court of Justice rendered a judgment last week that may have slipped under the radar at this heady time of year. This judgement has fascinating implications for the practice of international diplomacy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit developing communities in ways which further highlight the need for data and evidence that can help them rebound better from the impact. Australia has an important role to play in supporting regional recovery.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the global trend of tighter restrictions on foreign investments. The introduction of a new EU-wide foreign investment screening framework opens a new chapter in EU’s external relations with third states.

This week in Australian foreign affairs: Australia taking China to the WTO; Morrison confident on Australia reaching emissions target; Moraitis appointed to Office of the Special Investigator; and more.