Australian Outlook

2 weeks ago | internationalaffairs.org.au | Genevieve Donnellon-May |Amit Ranjan

While climate change affects all countries in the region, South Asia lacks a coordinated regional response. Without trust-building measures and environmental diplomatic engagement at a regional level, the region risks missing the opportunity to build resilience through collective action. With in the South Asia region, or around 26.05 percent of the world’s total population, the consequences of environmental breakdown are not just national crises, but regional catastrophes with global implications.

1 month ago | internationalaffairs.org.au | Patricia Ranald

US President Donald Trump’s unilateral tariffs, and their negative impact on global markets, have shocked the world. Assessment of their impacts on the future of Australia-US trade relations should be informed not only by the history of those trade relations, but also by the US rejection of post-war United Nations human rights principles.

2 months ago | internationalaffairs.org.au | Akshit Tyagi

The 22 April massacre of 28 tourists in Kashmir shows the fragility of regional peace and the enduring volatility of the India-Pakistan relationship. The attack, linked to post-2019 policy shifts in Kashmir, highlights how demographic change, diplomatic stalemate, and a lack of local agency continue to fuel cycles of violence and regional instability.

2 months ago | internationalaffairs.org.au | Akshit Tyagi

South Sudan’s fragile peace deal is unravelling as political tensions flare and violence resurfaces. More than a broken trust is the cause, and the nation’s leaders will need to be pressured into peace. South Sudan is once again on the edge of a civil war. In March 2025, Vice President Riek Machar was placed under house arrest by President Salva Kiir’s government.

Mar 13, 2025 | internationalaffairs.org.au | Mihaela Papa

Historically, Washington viewed BRICS as a fragmented bloc with limited geopolitical weight. However, the group’s recent expansion and efforts to challenge the US dollar’s dominance have drawn a sharp response from President Donald Trump, who has threatened tariffs on BRICS nations if they pursue de-dollarisation. Is this hardline stance merely a short-term pressure tactic, or does it signal a deeper shift in US foreign policy?