Richard Maude returns (Part 1), and Darren in the Beirut blast.

This week in Australian foreign affairs: Morrison’s COVID-19 vaccine deal, humanitarian aid to Beirut, RIMPAC 2020, the Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting, and more.

Proximity matters, and so too do acute political and socioeconomic inequalities. These are the twin premises of this fascinating collection of essays on Australia’s borderland with Papua New Guinea and Indonesia in Torres Strait.

The decision to suspend Australia’s extradition treaty with Hong Kong is in compliance with international law. It is also a prudent move to protect the national interest.

Consulate closures & deteriorating US-China relations; AUSMIN; and the Defence Strategic Update.

The government is about to invest billions in yet more military hardware. Yet with the rise of "nontraditional threats," people are actually feeling increasingly insecure.

The long saga of WikiLeaks continues. He now faces extradition to the US to be tried for espionage, and Andrew Fowler's third update of his book completes the record to 2020.

This week in Australian foreign policy: Morrison’s phone call with Trump, concerns about Russian intrusion into COVID-19 vaccine development, and changes to international student visas.

ABC journalist Stephen Dziedzic on reporting Australian foreign policy, media-government relations, and the Wolverines.

The pandemic’s impact has varied across the Middle East, but infections are rising again. The virus is unlikely to be contained quickly, and that will limit Australia’s ability to reopen its borders and economy.

This week in Australian foreign policy: an Australia-Japan summit, concern about China's new security law, and a WHO Independent Panel on COVID-19.