Best The Australian Strategic Policy Institute Podcasts (2025)

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Going post-nuclear: Kylie Moore-Gilbert on the future of Iran 36:08

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3d ago36:08

36:08

As Iran’s government flails in response to Israel’s attacks, and with Donald Trump mulling a two-week window for Tehran to negotiate an end to its nuclear program, speculation is turning to how the dramatic events will reshape Iran’s politics, nearly half a century since the Islamic Republic was created. Kylie Moore-Gilbert is a Melbourne-based aca…

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Papua New Guinea Defence Minister Billy Joseph on the march towards a security treaty 16:11

5d ago16:11

16:11

Please note, this episode was filmed as a video interview and is available on ASPI's YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/z3V_t8znuIM On 4 June, ASPI was pleased to host Hon Dr Billy Joseph MP in Canberra for our 2025 Defence Conference 'Preparedness and Resilience.' Dr Joseph is Papua New Guinea's Minister for Defence, and the Deputy Party Leade…

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Donald Trump's foreign policy is performance art. With Kori Schake 26:49

17d ago26:49

26:49

Please note, this episode was filmed as a video interview and is available on ASPI's Youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/XvR4P2Ppmok This week ASPI was delighted to host Dr Kori Schake in Canberra for our 2025 Defence Conference ‘Preparedness and Resilience’. Kori is a senior fellow and director of foreign and defence policy studies at the Ameri…

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ASPI's Justin Bassi on the latest 'Cost of Defence' report 21:32

24d ago21:32

21:32

ASPI this week released our annual Cost of Defence report, which assesses how Australia’s investment in defence matches the strategic challenges the nation faces. In this special episode, ASPI’s executive director Justin Bassi runs through some of the key points of the report: how much we need to be spending, how fast, and on which capabilities. Th…

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AI expert Connor Leahy on superintelligence and the threat of human extinction 52:00

24d ago52:00

52:00

Many of the brightest minds in artificial intelligence believe models that are smarter than a human in every way will be built within a few years. Whether it turns out to be two years or 10, the changes will be epoch-making. Life will never be the same. Today’s guest Connor Leahy is one of many AI experts who believe that far from ushering in an er…

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Nathalie Tocci on the birth of a new Europe, and what it means for Australian security 41:01

1M ago41:01

41:01

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week initiated a conversation about a security partnership with Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded with a ‘maybe, sort of’. To talk about this development and much more, we have Nathalie Tocci, director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali, former adviser to two EU president…

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Sir Lawrence Freedman on the delusions that plague war planners 37:22

1M ago37:22

37:22

Wars are easy to start, hard to end and are often launched with political goals that are loftier than the planning and capabilities that are committed. In today’s episode, Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London, talks about the “short war fallacy” and why strategists keep planning for quick victories when …

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What satellites reveal about the clash over Kashmir, with Nathan Ruser 24:57

1M ago24:57

24:57

ASPI’s geospatial analyst Nathan Ruser reveals what he’s found by studying satellite imagery of the recent India-Pakistan clashes over Kashmir, in a special episode of Stop the World. This includes the use of images for disinformation in ways he hasn’t seen before in his years of poring over satellite pictures. Alongside the military clashes, the I…

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Ahmed Kodouda on the spiralling war and humanitarian crisis in Sudan 39:24

2M ago39:24

39:24

The war that has gripped Sudan for more than two years and cost 150,000 lives is a shifting mosaic of alliances and rivalries, lumped under two main groups. There’s the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Force, led respectively by two men who were once allies but are now locked in a titanic power struggle that has displaced 13 million peop…

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Special episode: Will India and Pakistan go nuclear? With Raji Rajagopalan 17:20

2M ago17:20

17:20

After Pakistan-based militants murdered more than two dozen Indian tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir, India retaliated by striking nine sites it says housed “terrorist infrastructure”. Pakistan in turn says it shot down several Indian fighter planes. In this special snap episode, ASPI Resident Senior Fellow Raji Pillai Rajagopalan gives us her insigh…

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All the world's a stage but is Australian politics playing its part, with Laura Tingle and Peter Hartcher 42:20

2M ago42:20

42:20

As Australians head to the polls, David Wroe interviews two of the best minds on the intersection of Australian politics and global affairs - the ABC 7.30 program's political editor Laura Tingle and The Age's political and international editor, Peter Hartcher. As well as their reflections on the substance of the election campaign, the conversation …

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Democracy in the age of disinformation, with Audrey Tang 53:48

2M ago53:48

53:48

Audrey Tang is the unflappable Jedi knight of technology and democracy, who can connect with different political perspectives. Audrey was the inaugural digital minister of Taiwan and is now ambassador-at-large for cyber affairs. She came to prominence first as an open source programmer and hacker, before becoming involved in Taiwan’s successful Sun…

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The FT’s Demetri Sevastopulo on Trump’s tariffs and the disappearing Chinese general 35:32

2M ago35:32

35:32

The United States-China tit-for-tat tariffs have been escalating faster than the bids at a Sydney house auction in the early 2010s. ‘Trade war’ is the headline. But does Donald Trump have a strategy to decouple, or is he angling for a grand bargain? Either way, Xi Jinping is making it clear that China has a vote (even if its people don’t). Demetri …

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The road to artificial general intelligence, with Helen Toner 44:10

3M ago44:10

44:10

Australian AI expert Helen Toner is the Director of Strategy and Foundational Research Grants at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET). She also spent two years on the board of OpenAI, which put her at the centre of the dramatic events in late 2023 when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was briefly sacked before being reins…

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Bringing Russia’s war criminals to justice, with Nobel Prize winner Oleksandra Matviichuk 33:09

3M ago33:09

33:09

Ukrainian human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk heads the Center for Civil Liberties, which won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for its work documenting Russian war crimes. She speaks with Stop the World about her hopes that Vladimir Putin and other powerful Russians can be held accountable for their human rights abuses against Ukrainians. Oleksandr…

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Vladimir Putin is taking the peace, with Peter Tesch 38:22

3M ago38:22

38:22

During a two hour phone call this week with US President Donald Trump, Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin did what everyone expected—he raised impossible demands, promised next to nothing, and generally made a mockery of Trump’s patience. Australia’s former Ambassador to Russia and Germany Peter Tesch speaks with David Wroe about the dynamic between Tr…

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What’s happening in Syria, with Aaron Zelin 41:06

3M ago41:06

41:06

Syria has been front and centre in the news in recent days, with international agencies saying that hundreds and perhaps thousands have been killed – many of them civilians – in the coastal regions of the country. In today’s podcast, David Wroe speaks to Aaron Zelin, the Gloria and Ken Levy Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a…

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Europe steps up, with Constanze Stelzenmüller 45:27

4M ago45:27

45:27

Constanze Stelzenmüller, expert on German, European, and trans-Atlantic foreign and security policy and strategy at the Brookings Institution, gives Stop the World her short take on the remarkable sense of urgency that Europe is displaying in building its own security capabilities: “I've never seen anything like this in my life.” Her longer answer …

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The Economist's Shashank Joshi on Trump, Ukraine and Europe's rearmament 46:16

4M ago46:16

46:16

Donald Trump has upended US foreign policy—in particular his nation’s role in supporting Ukraine’s self-defence against Russia’s unprovoked invasion, and its traditionally close relationship with its NATO allies in Europe. As a consequence, Europe is scrambling to lift its defence investment and capability with a sense of urgency not seen in the po…

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Status update: Responsible state behaviour in cyberspace 52:06

4M ago52:06

52:06

2025 is a pivotal year for international cyber governance. Not only is it the tenth anniversary of the international community’s agreement to a global framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, but it is also the year that the UN Open-Ended Working Group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies will…

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Why Ukraine matters to the Indo-Pacific 23:00

4M ago23:00

23:00

Today on Stop the World, the conversation on Ukraine continues, with ASPI’s Alex Bristow speaking to Jakub Zajączkowski and Saroj Kumar Aryal from the University of Warsaw. They discuss the EU and US approaches to peace in Ukraine, the security guarantees Ukraine needs, and the links between the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic, including through NAT…

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A new world order? Ukraine’s Ambassador on Russia, the United States and Europe 33:26

4M ago33:26

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In this special episode of Stop the World, ASPI’s David Wroe speaks with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, on the morning after US and Russian representatives met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Ambassador responds to the blizzard of recent developments affecting the prospect of a peace agreement to end Russia’s unprovoked war o…

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It’s all about economic security with the EU’s Maria Martin-Prat 20:44

4M ago20:44

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This week on Stop the World, we were pleased to host EU Deputy Director-General for Trade and Economic Security, Maria Martin-Prat. Interviewed by ASPI’s David Wroe, they discuss how the EU is managing economic security, Australia and Lithuania’s experience of economic coercion by China and, of course, the latest developments in tariffs. This episo…

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Stop the World is back with a pod on the Quad 41:37

5M ago41:37

41:37

Stop the World is back from its summer hiatus and, with so many major developments already, there’s much ground to cover in 2025. This week, ASPI’s Raji Pillai Rajagopalan speaks to Euan Graham and Griffith University’s Ian Hall about the Quad partnership between Australia, India, Japan and the United States. They discuss the significance of the Qu…

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Stop the World: Building cyber resilience with Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness 33:05

6M ago33:05

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In this episode of Stop the World, ASPI’s Executive Director Justin Bassi speaks with Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness CSC to discuss her role and how it helps protect Australians online. LTGEN McGuinness explores the dual role that the National Office of Cyber Security plays in preparing for an…

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Strategic shifts with Thijs van der Plas, Anita Nergaard and Scott M. Oudkirk 44:15

7M ago44:15

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In the latest episode of Stop the World, ASPI’s Executive Director Justin Bassi is joined by Netherlands Ambassador to NATO Thijs van der Plas, Norway’s Ambassador to NATO Anita Nergaard and the US Chargé d'affaires to NATO Scott M. Oudkirk. Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO has undergone a strategic shift with increased collective …

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Stop the World: Authoritarianism and the future of Hong Kong with Kevin Yam and Ted Hui 30:16

7M ago30:16

30:16

In the latest episode of Stop the World, David Wroe speaks to Kevin Yam and Ted Hui, two of Australia’s most prominent exiled Hong Kong democracy activists. Kevin is a research fellow at the University of Melbourne Law School and a commentator on China and Hong Kong. Ted Hui is a lawyer who was previously a member of Hong Kong's legislature before …

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Artificial intimacy, persuasive technologies, and how bots can manipulate us 34:07

7M ago34:07

34:07

Today on Stop the World, David Wroe speaks with Casey Mock and Sasha Fegan from the US-based Center for Humane Technology. The CHT is at the forefront of efforts to ensure technology makes our lives better, and strengthens rather than divides our communities. They also produce the podcast, Your Undivided Attention—one of the world’s most popular fo…

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Urban warfare in Ukraine and Gaza with John Spencer 22:51

7M ago22:51

22:51

In this episode of Stop the World, ASPI Senior Analyst Alex Bristow interviews John Spencer, the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast. Alex and John discuss urban warfare in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and Gaza, asymmetric capabilities and the impact of tec…

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TSD Summit Sessions: The Climate Crisis with Anote Tong 28:29

7M ago28:29

28:29

In the latest video edition of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, ASPI Senior Fellow Dr Robert Glasser speaks to the former President of Kiribati and Chair of the Pacific Elders Voice Anote Tong. Anote is one of the Pacific region’s most prominent and respected advocates for action to combat climate change. Robert and Anote discuss the impact tha…

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Climate change and security with ‘Climate General’ Tom Middendorp 30:26

7M ago30:26

30:26

In this episode of Stop the World, Justin Bassi speaks to retired General Tom Middendorp – also known as the ‘Climate General’ – about the links between climate change, defence and security. They discuss the impact of climate change on the military and its role in disaster preparedness and response. With a growing global population meaning a growin…

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UK defence strategy, AUKUS and deterrence with General Sir Jim Hockenhull 28:05

7M ago28:05

28:05

In this episode of Stop the World, ASPI’s Dr Malcolm Davis and Dr Cathy Moloney speak with special guest General Sir Jim Hockenhull, Commander of the United Kingdom’s Strategic Command. They discuss the global strategic outlook and the importance of partnerships, including AUKUS, and the need for partners to be truly integrated. They explore how ar…

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TSD Summit Sessions: Diversity and national security with Arfiya Eri 21:36

8M ago21:36

21:36

In the latest edition of the Sydney Dialogue SummitSessions, ASPI Analyst Daria Impiombato interviews Japanese politician Arfiya Eri. Arfiya is a Japanese woman of Uyghur and Uzbek heritage. She talks about her experiences in Japanese politics, her experiences online and the importance of diversity in politics. They discuss Japan’s place in the wor…

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TSD Summit Sessions: Quantum, semiconductors and security with Dr Pete Shadbolt 36:10

8M ago36:10

36:10

This episode of Stop the World is a deep dive into quantum computing with Dr Pete Shadbolt, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at PsiQuantum, and Alex Capri, Research Fellow at the Hinrich Foundation. The conversation provides a breakdown of quantum computing and explores the challenges and profound opportunities that the technology could brin…

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TSD Summit Sessions: AUKUS - lowering barriers, increasing capability with Abe Denmark 27:22

9M ago27:22

27:22

In the latest episode of Stop the World, Justin Bassi speaks to Abe Denmark, former senior advisor to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and now non-resident senior associate with the Asia Program at CSIS. Given their respective roles in the US and Australian governments to establish AUKUS, Abe and Justin discuss the need for the partnership …

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TSD Summit Sessions: Cyber security and tech diplomacy with Jennifer Bachus 37:56

9M ago37:56

37:56

It’s a double episode week on Stop the World, and today we bring you a conversation with Jennifer Bachus, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy at the US Department of State. ASPI’s Bart Hogeveen speaks to Jennifer about cyber security and tech diplomacy, and how the US Government is working to improve…

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TSD Summit Sessions: ASEAN, regional stability and disruptive tech with Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz 22:43

9M ago22:43

22:43

In the latest video edition of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, Bethany Allen, Head of China Investigations and Analysis at ASPI, speaks with Her Excellency Dato’ Astanah Abdul Aziz, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Political-Security Community. They discuss Dato’s career path and how her time as a diplomat within Malaysia’s foreign minist…

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TSD Summit Sessions: Intelligence and evolving technology with Michael Rogers and Jason Healey 42:45

9M ago42:45

42:45

In the third video edition of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, Jason Healey, Senior Research Scholar at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, sits down with Admiral Michael Rogers (Ret’d), Senior Advisor at Trusted Future, to discuss all things intelligence. Jason was a founding member of both the Office of the …

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Multilateralism, UN reform and the WDSN with Lisa Sharland 32:44

9M ago32:44

32:44

In the latest episode of Stop the World, Olivia Nelson sits down with Lisa Sharland, Senior Fellow and Director of the Protecting Civilians and Human Security program at the Stimson Centre. The conversation, which was recorded in July, discusses the United Nations (UN) and how the multilateral system is adapting - or struggling to adapt - to rapid …

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Stop the World: TSD Summit Sessions: Strengthening peace and stability with Baiba Braže 20:04

9M ago20:04

20:04

In the second video edition of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, ASPI’s Executive Director Justin Bassi sits down with Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže. Justin and Baiba discuss the partnership between the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific, and how democracies can work together to strengthen regional and global stability. They a…

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Stop the World: TSD Summit Sessions: Artificial intelligence and catastrophic risk with Connor Leahy 39:28

10M ago39:28

39:28

In the first video edition of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, David Wroe sits down with Connor Leahy, co-founder and CEO of Conjecture AI. David and Connor speak about the catastrophic risks that a powerful but uncontrolled and unaligned artificial superintelligence could pose to humanity, and Conjecture’s approach to safe AI called “cognitive…

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TSD Summit Sessions: How to navigate the deep fake and disinformation minefield with Nina Jankowicz 32:54

10M ago32:54

32:54

The Sydney Dialogue is over, but never fear, we have more TSD content coming your way! This week, ASPI’s David Wroe speaks to Nina Jankowicz, global disinformation expert and author of the books How to Lose the Information War and How to Be a Woman Online. Nina takes us through the trends she is seeing in disinformation across the globe, and offers…

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TSD Summit Sessions: Defence, intelligence and technology with Shashank Joshi 1:01:03

10M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

In the final lead-in episode to the Sydney Dialogue (but not the last in the series!), ASPI’s Executive Director, Justin Bassi, interviews Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at the Economist. They discuss technology, security and strategic competition, including the impact of artificial intelligence on defence and intelligence operations, the implicati…

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TSD Summit Sessions: Artificial intelligence and the value of data with Jennifer Zhu Scott 40:12

10M ago40:12

40:12

In today’s episode of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, Alex Caples speaks to Jennifer Zhu Scott, globally recognised AI expert and Founding Partner of IN. Capital, about artificial intelligence and the changing value of data. They discuss how rapid tech advancements have seen debates about how to keep governments out of cyberspace and technolog…

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Arbitrary detention on the rise and freedom of press on the decline with Peter Greste and Kylie Moore-Gilbert 38:55

10M ago38:55

38:55

Today we have a double episode special on arbitrary detention and the decline of press freedoms, with two people who have been wrongfully detained. David Wroe speaks to distinguished journalist and author Peter Greste, about his experience of detention in Egypt, how governments should respond to the use of arbitrary detention, and his take on the r…

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TSD Summit Sessions: Economic security with Abigaël Vasselier 53:40

10M ago53:40

53:40

In the next episode of The Sydney Dialogue Summit Sessions, it’s all about economic security. ASPI’s Executive Director, Justin Bassi, interviews Abigaël Vasselier, head of the Foreign Relations team at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) in Berlin. They discuss – and debate – how the EU and individual member states have responded to …

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TSD Summit Sessions: Technology innovation and investment with Gilman Louie 41:52

11M ago41:52

41:52

The Sydney Dialogue (TSD) is just weeks away. To help our listeners prepare for the forthcoming discussions at TSD, we are bringing you an interview with Gilman Louie, who was the first CEO of In-Q-Tel— set up in 1999 by the CIA as an independent, not-for-profit strategic investment firm —and Commissioner on the National Security Commission on Arti…

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Explainer: A quick dive into subsea cables with Jocelinn Kang and Jessie Jacob 9:28

11M ago9:28

9:28

Subsea cables have been a major focus in the media lately. Just last week at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tokyo, Australia announced the launch of its new Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre—its contribution to the Quad Leaders’ Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience. So, what are subsea or undersea cables and why are they…

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Understanding AUSMIN, with Kim Beazley and Marise Payne 31:10

11M ago31:10

31:10

AUSMIN (Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations) – what is it, how did it come about and why is it important? Ahead of next week’s meeting on 6 August in the United States between Australia’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence and the US Secretaries of State and Defense, this week’s episode of Stop the World is a special explainer. …

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Japan in a blizzard of Indo-Pacific diplomacy with Guibourg Delamotte and Yamagami Shingo 28:10

11M ago28:10

28:10

In today’s episode, senior analyst Dr Alex Bristow is joinedby Professor Guibourg Delamotte, Professor of Political Science at the Japanese studies department of the French Institute of Oriental Studies and Yamagami Shingo, former Japanese Ambassador to Australia, who is also, among several roles, Senior Fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. The…