Daniel Flitton
@danielflitton.bsky.social
Managing ed The Interpreter, by Lowy Institute. Like Tigers.
Penny Wong said on ABC radio this morning the 1995 AMS “has been regarded as the high watermark of our relations with Indonesia”. Don’t want to get too caught up in words, but remember this was a secret negotiation with an authoritarian government. It was fragile for this reason.
November 12, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Penny Wong said on ABC radio this morning the 1995 AMS “has been regarded as the high watermark of our relations with Indonesia”. Don’t want to get too caught up in words, but remember this was a secret negotiation with an authoritarian government. It was fragile for this reason.
Labor pledged to prioritise diplomats over politicians for ambassadorial jobs. Then appointed ex pollies to London - twice.
The UK High Comm role has never been held by a woman. Nor has Australia’s US ambassador.
Some traditions remain unbroken. From me.
www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
The UK High Comm role has never been held by a woman. Nor has Australia’s US ambassador.
Some traditions remain unbroken. From me.
www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
London calling, political patronage, and the diplomatic curtain
The Foreign minister’s pledge to prioritise diplomats over politicians hasn’t extended to breaking one posting tradition.
www.lowyinstitute.org
November 11, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Labor pledged to prioritise diplomats over politicians for ambassadorial jobs. Then appointed ex pollies to London - twice.
The UK High Comm role has never been held by a woman. Nor has Australia’s US ambassador.
Some traditions remain unbroken. From me.
www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
The UK High Comm role has never been held by a woman. Nor has Australia’s US ambassador.
Some traditions remain unbroken. From me.
www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
Big climate debates in Brazil. Will there be a result that matters? Or is this more talk?
What of Australia's hopes to host the great global jamboree next year, COP31?
I've drawn together a thread of recent Interpreter articles. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
What of Australia's hopes to host the great global jamboree next year, COP31?
I've drawn together a thread of recent Interpreter articles. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
COP30: A climate for change?
A collection of Interpreter articles related to global environmental negotiations.
www.lowyinstitute.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Big climate debates in Brazil. Will there be a result that matters? Or is this more talk?
What of Australia's hopes to host the great global jamboree next year, COP31?
I've drawn together a thread of recent Interpreter articles. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
What of Australia's hopes to host the great global jamboree next year, COP31?
I've drawn together a thread of recent Interpreter articles. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
Incredible work - revealing and some sad, too. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Photographer says heartbreaking image brought community together
Craig Parry is used to capturing beautiful photographs of the ocean at its best, but this heartbreaking image won him a prestigious Ocean Photographer of the Year award.
www.abc.net.au
November 5, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Incredible work - revealing and some sad, too. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
I aspire to write a headline as worthy. (Also, a really interesting read.) www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Can a sense of humor get Albania into the E.U.?
Once known as a Stalinist backwater, Albania is now a front-runner for E.U. accession and has a comedian running for mayor of its capital.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 30, 2025 at 7:31 PM
I aspire to write a headline as worthy. (Also, a really interesting read.) www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Strong warning from @senatorwong.bsky.social about the risk of a hollowed out United Nations, writing for @lowyinstitute.bsky.social Interpreter. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
Confronting the danger of a “zombie” United Nations
Middle powers can act now to reform the UN – before financial crisis turns it into an empty shell.
www.lowyinstitute.org
October 29, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Strong warning from @senatorwong.bsky.social about the risk of a hollowed out United Nations, writing for @lowyinstitute.bsky.social Interpreter. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
Add to this list the theft of Weeping Woman from NGV in Melbourne by "The Australian Cultural Terrorists" - culprits never found, although the painting was. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/u...
Other Brazen Art Heists Like the Louvre Jewelry Theft
www.nytimes.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Add to this list the theft of Weeping Woman from NGV in Melbourne by "The Australian Cultural Terrorists" - culprits never found, although the painting was. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/u...
A friendly reminder that you can get a snazzy new Interpreter Weekly Digest from @LowyInstitute straight to your inbox. Just sign up at the bottom of the homepage.
📨 www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
📨 www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
October 15, 2025 at 10:03 PM
A friendly reminder that you can get a snazzy new Interpreter Weekly Digest from @LowyInstitute straight to your inbox. Just sign up at the bottom of the homepage.
📨 www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
📨 www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
The problem in defence isn't as much politics as a lack of transparency. And that won't be solved by another parliamentary committee holding secret hearings. A piece from me responding to plans to re-jig oversight for defence matters. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
AUKUS doesn’t need protection from politics
Democracy works best when defence debates are transparent.
www.lowyinstitute.org
October 14, 2025 at 12:48 AM
The problem in defence isn't as much politics as a lack of transparency. And that won't be solved by another parliamentary committee holding secret hearings. A piece from me responding to plans to re-jig oversight for defence matters. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
Anthony Albanese gives his first UN speech on Friday week. Will he break from Australia's predictable diplomatic script?
My analysis of recent national statements suggests probably not.👉 www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
My analysis of recent national statements suggests probably not.👉 www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
A bingo card guide for Anthony Albanese’s speech to the United Nations
Australia’s recent national statements reveal the familiar script the PM will likely follow in his first address to the global body.
www.lowyinstitute.org
September 16, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Anthony Albanese gives his first UN speech on Friday week. Will he break from Australia's predictable diplomatic script?
My analysis of recent national statements suggests probably not.👉 www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
My analysis of recent national statements suggests probably not.👉 www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
Reposted by Daniel Flitton
Indonesia removes finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, official says reut.rs/4phHfYQ
Indonesia removes finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, official says
The Indonesian government removed finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati in a cabinet reshuffle on Monday, state secretariat minister Prasetyo Hadi said.
reut.rs
September 8, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Indonesia removes finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, official says reut.rs/4phHfYQ
We've given the Interpreter Weekly Email Digest a make-over, and it looks schmick. If you're not signed up, you should - 🔗https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter
September 4, 2025 at 3:14 AM
We've given the Interpreter Weekly Email Digest a make-over, and it looks schmick. If you're not signed up, you should - 🔗https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter
Daniel Andrews shaking hands with Xi Jinping at China's military parade might be more about thumbing his nose at political enemies back home than grand strategy. My latest for @LowyInstitute on former politicians playing "private statesman". www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
Daniel Andrews, private statesman, grubby diplomacy
A former state leader’s appearance at China’s military parade tells a story of Australia’s ongoing China dilemma.
www.lowyinstitute.org
September 3, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Daniel Andrews shaking hands with Xi Jinping at China's military parade might be more about thumbing his nose at political enemies back home than grand strategy. My latest for @LowyInstitute on former politicians playing "private statesman". www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
A Minister of AUKUS? Or ambassador at least? Interesting debating point in this Marise Payne, Jim Mattis et al essay. First reaction is how would it resolve challenges in authority lines with rest of Defence - already complaints AUKUS is an extra service. www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
Don’t Abandon AUKUS
The case for recommitting to—and revitalizing—the alliance.
www.foreignaffairs.com
September 2, 2025 at 10:56 PM
A Minister of AUKUS? Or ambassador at least? Interesting debating point in this Marise Payne, Jim Mattis et al essay. First reaction is how would it resolve challenges in authority lines with rest of Defence - already complaints AUKUS is an extra service. www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
It’s not all about Trump and tariffs. India and China had taken steps toward rapprochement from at least October last year when Modi met Xi. And despite the evident fractures in US-India ties now, there is still cooperation.
September 1, 2025 at 10:11 PM
It’s not all about Trump and tariffs. India and China had taken steps toward rapprochement from at least October last year when Modi met Xi. And despite the evident fractures in US-India ties now, there is still cooperation.
Reposted by Daniel Flitton
We were taken into the mountains of Shennongjia in central #China to meet the golden snubbed nosed monkeys which have - for the moment - been saved from extinction... CLICK ON LINK TOO SEE.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The battle to Save China's snub nosed monkey
The BBC has been granted access to an area where scientists are battling to save the rare snub-nosed monkey.
www.bbc.com
August 27, 2025 at 3:26 AM
We were taken into the mountains of Shennongjia in central #China to meet the golden snubbed nosed monkeys which have - for the moment - been saved from extinction... CLICK ON LINK TOO SEE.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
As journalists, we love adjectives that grab attention. But do words like "strategic" and "vital" help or hinder understanding? I've had a look at how recent media language around the Quad can overstate what this forum has actually achieved. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
The gap between Quad rhetoric and reality
Flowery language from reporters masks a forum that struggles to deliver on grand promises about containing China.
www.lowyinstitute.org
August 25, 2025 at 1:34 AM
As journalists, we love adjectives that grab attention. But do words like "strategic" and "vital" help or hinder understanding? I've had a look at how recent media language around the Quad can overstate what this forum has actually achieved. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
"As the diplomatic whirlwind dies down, the likelihood of a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy seems to be further diminishing." www.bbc.com/news/article...
If a Putin-Zelensky summit takes place, where could it be?
Geneva, Istanbul and Budapest have been put forward as potential locations - but bilateral talks still remain a long way off.
www.bbc.com
August 22, 2025 at 12:14 AM
"As the diplomatic whirlwind dies down, the likelihood of a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy seems to be further diminishing." www.bbc.com/news/article...
From "my friend Donald Trump" to questioning "the end of a beautiful friendship" – how did India-US relations deteriorate so dramatically in just 9 months? My latest tracks a month-by-month unravelling through the headlines that tell the story. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
How India-US relations unravelled: The Trump-Modi timeline
From bromance to breakdown.
www.lowyinstitute.org
August 20, 2025 at 5:12 AM
From "my friend Donald Trump" to questioning "the end of a beautiful friendship" – how did India-US relations deteriorate so dramatically in just 9 months? My latest tracks a month-by-month unravelling through the headlines that tell the story. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
Reposted by Daniel Flitton
“‘In Trump-Modi standoff, ‘egos’ and missteps fuel resentment’ – Washington Post,” writes Daniel Flitton in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-india-us-relations-unravelled-trump-modi-timeline
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-india-us-relations-unravelled-trump-modi-timeline
How India-US relations unravelled: The Trump-Modi timeline
From bromance to breakdown.
www.lowyinstitute.org
August 20, 2025 at 5:06 AM
“‘In Trump-Modi standoff, ‘egos’ and missteps fuel resentment’ – Washington Post,” writes Daniel Flitton in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-india-us-relations-unravelled-trump-modi-timeline
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-india-us-relations-unravelled-trump-modi-timeline
Penny Wong appoints former Labor MP Michelle O’Byrne as Australia's Ambassador for Gender Equality - follows Stephen Jones to OECD in July, and Keith Pitt (Nationals) to Vatican as politicians-turned-diplomats this year. www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/pen...
www.foreignminister.gov.au
August 18, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Penny Wong appoints former Labor MP Michelle O’Byrne as Australia's Ambassador for Gender Equality - follows Stephen Jones to OECD in July, and Keith Pitt (Nationals) to Vatican as politicians-turned-diplomats this year. www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/pen...
Latest tension in South China sea, with US warships now in the area, and a sharp analysis from @richheydarian.bsky.social www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
A South China Sea collision brings US-Philippines alliance to the fore
Beijing again turns aggressive in contested waters but in doing so betrays feeling spooked.
www.lowyinstitute.org
August 14, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Latest tension in South China sea, with US warships now in the area, and a sharp analysis from @richheydarian.bsky.social www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...
Good look at what is often a vexed debate about this industry. www.reuters.com/business/env...
Old trees and ageing farmers worsen outlook for top palm oil exporters
Malaysian farmer Suratmen Mosman faces a dilemma that threatens to sap supply from the world's top palm oil exporters and drive up prices of the vegetable oil essential to billions of consumers worldwide in the next five years.
www.reuters.com
August 5, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Good look at what is often a vexed debate about this industry. www.reuters.com/business/env...
Reposted by Daniel Flitton
“The regional game is subtle and layered. Timor-Leste will continue to deal with Myanmar, even more intensively and extensively, especially when it acquires full membership,” writes Flávio Simões in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/timor-leste-navigating-asean-way
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/timor-leste-navigating-asean-way
Timor-Leste and navigating the ASEAN Way
Upset from the generals in Naypyidaw is a further test of Dili’s mastery of regional diplomatic choreography.
www.lowyinstitute.org
July 24, 2025 at 3:34 AM
“The regional game is subtle and layered. Timor-Leste will continue to deal with Myanmar, even more intensively and extensively, especially when it acquires full membership,” writes Flávio Simões in The Interpreter.
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/timor-leste-navigating-asean-way
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/timor-leste-navigating-asean-way
Reposted by Daniel Flitton
This won’t go down well in Delhi. There is meant to be a Quad summit soon…
News broke a short time ago that Prime Minister Ishiba will likely be leaving the premiership in August. Here, I explain why he has little choice but to go, how the US-Japan trade deal contributed to his decision, and offered some initial thoughts on his tenure.
open.substack.com/pub/observin...
open.substack.com/pub/observin...
Tragic to the last
Ishiba moves towards the exit
open.substack.com
July 23, 2025 at 5:10 AM
This won’t go down well in Delhi. There is meant to be a Quad summit soon…