One of the most surprising announcements this week has been the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Barack Obama. Even the White House seemed surprised when it handled the announcement from Scandinavia. I think that the decision was premature. He may yet turn out to be a worthy recipient but only time will tell. There were certainly other potential awardees and so there was no shortage of candidates. It is not that Obama was such an obvious front runner. The decision has been controversial across the political spectrum. Even the people who supported Obama in 2008 are dubious whether... Full article »

Tags: America, Asia, peace

The Melbourne Cup is the horse race that stops a nation. This year's race will attract even more interest than usual because of one of the horse owners: Chechnyan President Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov has been compared with "Stalin" because of his treatment of political opponents. A person making this comparison, courageous human rights journalist Anna Politkovskaya, was coincidentally shot dead a few weeks later in Moscow. (She risked her life offending powerful interests in Russia). Allegations against him have been filed at the European Court of Human Rights. But he has not been found guilty of any crime. Chechnya is... Full article »

Tags: Asia, conflict, sociology, sport

The Indonesian Government has confirmed the death of Noordin Mohamed Top. He was south-east Asia's most wanted person. He was the mastermind behind a string of terrorist attacks. The Government has been cautious about claiming his death because he was suspected of being killed only a few weeks ago - only for the Government to find out that he had eluded the security forces. This time the Government was taking no chances with premature claims. It would have been useful for him to have been captured alive and then interrogated. After all, he had successfully evaded capture or killing for... Full article »

Tags: Asia, security

This week marks the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II so what better time to review this book which looks at Japanese Intelligence gathering during the late 1930's and through the 1940's. The author Ken Kotani's Japanese origins along with his international education (MA in war studies from Kings College, London) allowed him to gain access to some of Japan's war veterans. Many veterans still live under a cloud of fear that the USA will conduct investigations into their signals intelligence and put them on trial. Kotani reviewed the methods and depth of intelligence gathering strategies used... Full review »

Posted by: Webeditor at 9:58 AM Comment

Tags: Asia, media, reviews, security

Australia has had a quiet time on the international front over the last few decades due in part to the hub and spoke arrangement that put the USA in the driving seat of world affairs. However, that era is ending thanks partly to the rise in wealth across many of Asia's key players. While the rise of China and India provides plenty of scope for functional cooperation, there are many unresolved issues in the region that could cause conflict. Tangled Webs looks at Australia's future in a multi-lateral era where the USA is no longer the king pin and Asia... Full review »

Posted by: Webeditor at 11:52 PM Comment

Tags: Asia, Australasia, media, reviews

The world has been mourning the passing of Corazon Aquino, former President of the Philippines (1986-92). She died of cardiac arrest after a long battle with cancer. When the news of her passing came through I recalled the brief and dramatic moment when I met her in February 1986. It was at one of the largest election rallies in world history - millions of people were in the Manila stadium when we arrived. The nun who had been my minder for the day simply took me by the hand and we started to walk through the enthusiastic crowd. The people... Full article »

Tags: Asia

                The Australian Business Foundation have just launched their latest research project investigating Australian businesses and their engagement with China. This project is a reality check on actual experiences of doing business with China. It looks beyond the China hype to the strategies and approaches Australian businesses are using on the ground in China. The book explains that there is no right equation for businesses engaging with China. It is constantly changing and the right answer is different for every organisation. Rapid economic growth and development have ensured China will continue to play a... Full article »

Posted by: Webeditor at 10:52 PM Comment

Tags: Asia, Australasia, business, economics, media

The poor treatment of foreign students in Australia has been in the news again this week. The ABC TV "Four Corners" programme explained the plight of Indian students coming to Australia and being cheated by some of the educational institutions, migration agents etc. My only complaint with the programme was the implication that this was somehow a new issue. In fact almost as soon as the formal "export of education" got underway in 1986, there were problems. In my 1995 book "Global Agenda: Economics, The Environment and the Nation-State", I raised some concerns with this process (pp 128-134). Australia has... Full article »

Posted by: Webeditor at 12:24 PM Comment

Tags: Asia, Australasia, education, environment

We have all heard about how China is set to take over the world with its vast population, its cheap manufacturing and its thirst for progress but what is going on behind the statistics? Who, if anyone is influencing China? What does being part of the global economy mean to China? How is China coping with its growing wealth and power? Mark Leonard gets under the skin of the balance sheet and peels back the communist government veneer to uncover China's intellectual heart. Leonards vast foreign policy experience and connections within China have enabled him to access some of the... Full review »

Posted by: Webeditor at 1:07 AM Comment

Tags: Asia, business, economics, Keith Suter, media

The largest loss of life ever sustained by the Australian media industry took place on October 16 1975 at the East Timor village of Balibo. Five journalists were killed by Indonesian troops. A sixth Australian journalist, who went looking for them, was later killed by Indonesian forces in the capital city Dili. The massacre has been back in the news with this week with the preview of the movie Balibo. All the governments that had citizens involved in the deaths have refused to reveal all that they know. It has been difficult to get to the bottom of it because... Full article »

Posted by: Webeditor at 11:23 PM Comment

Tags: Asia, Australasia, conflict, reviews, security

President Obama is being criticized by the discredited neo-conservatives - who took the US into war in Iraq in 2003 - for not doing enough in Iran. But he has the right policy. Obama knows that the Iranians have a long memory of US intervention in Iran - even if most Americans have long forgotten that history. The overthrow of the Iranian government just over 50 years ago was the first secret operation by the Central Intelligence Agency outside of the Cold War. It was one of the CIA's most successful operations and became one of the standards against which... Full article »

Posted by: Webeditor at 9:46 PM Comment

Tags: America, Asia, business, Middle East

Zhao Ziyang was Premier of the People's Republic of China between 1980 and 1987 before becoming General Secretary of the Communist Party until 1989. Zhao had been working to bring reform to China, to cut through bureaucracy and fight corruption. To open up trading opportunities between China and the outside world, to develop a market economy. However, it was his views over the handling of Tianamen Square that pushed the Chinese Government too far. Prisoner of the State documents Zhao's life both as part of the Communist Party and post May 1989 when he was placed under house arrest for... Full review »

Posted by: Webeditor at 11:34 PM Comment

Tags: Asia, media, reviews

The Fourth of June 2009 marked the twenty year anniversary of the Tianamen Square Massacre. One Australian resident born that very year took a lnspiration from this moment to create “The Tank Man Tango” - a revolutionary new dance! The clip has been sourced from You Tube.... Full article »

Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 11:05 PM 1 comment

Tags: Asia, media

Rating:

• Currently 5

Campaigning for peace is good for your health. That seems to be the message of the life of Margaret Holmes, who has just turned 100. On May 9 2009 I was a speaker at a commemorative event organized by the NSW Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) - which Margaret created 50 years ago - to celebrate Margaret's life and achievements. Margaret unfortunately could not be there because she was having a holiday with one of her sons and his family on the NSW North Coast. Margaret is in good form for a 100 year... Full article »

Posted by: Webeditor at 12:13 AM Comment

Tags: Asia, Australasia, media, peace, reviews, sociology

It is quite extraordinary that so many people are bemused by goings-on in the Middle East. It's all quite simple really. There are many theories as to how the US became so heavily involved in the Middle East. One US president thought it was a district of New York but the real breakthrough came when a US petrol retailer realised the virtues of a totally integrated supply chain. The invasion of Afghanistan has been brilliantly successful at driving the Taliban out of the country. Unfortunately it has driven them into Pakistan, which is now in imminent danger of being renamed... Full article »

Tags: Asia, entertainment, Middle East, security

For 1800 of the last 2000 years China had the worlds largest economy. The term "The Rise of China" should be re-written as "The Return of China" to more accurately reflect their global position. This book explores China's double digit growth starting in the late 70's up to the present day. Full review »

Posted by: Webeditor at 12:08 AM Comment

Tags: Asia, economics, environment, media, reviews, sociology

Kevin Rudd was apprehensive about his US trip until Gordon Brown got out of there unscathed. This reassured him that the US policy of eliminating toxic assets did not apply to toxic bores. Full article »

Tags: Asia, Australasia, economics, entertainment

Rating:

• Currently 4

An irreverent look at topical world events. Full article »

Tags: Asia, entertainment, environment

US Vice President Joe Biden, speaking at a NATO leaders meeting this week, has foreshadowed a new strategy for Afghanistan. It remains to be seen whether it will be an effective one. The intention is to do a deal with moderate elements in the Taleban and try to split the Taleban movement. This is a traditional British approach (most notably recently in Northern Ireland). The intention is to find a negotiated settlement to the conflict and to look for the guerrilla elements that are tired of the fighting and so are willing to consider a compromise deal. (The “true believers”... Full article »

Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 8:20 AM Comment

Tags: America, Asia, security

Rating:

• Currently 4

Australia is coming to terms with certain unpleasant facts in its history, not least those relating to racism. But Australia is not alone in this process - the US has been on its own reassessment of history. Full article »

Posted by: Amanda Foxon-Hill at 4:17 PM Comment

Tags: America, Asia, Australasia, sociology