Stop the World

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 conclude its mandate. This sets the stage for the establishment of a more permanent mechanism for global cyber discussions.To discuss these developments and reflect on how states around the world have interpreted and operationalised responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, ASPI’s Gatra Priyandita speaks with two leading cyber experts, Farlina Said from the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia, and Louise Marie Hurel, from the Royal United Services Institute in London. 

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 NATO and the Indo-Pacific Four.They discuss Poland’s increased interest in the Indo-Pacific, the value of minilaterals such as the Quad, and India’s relationships with Russia, Europe and Quad countries.Guests:  Alex Bristow  Jakub Zajączkowski Saroj Kumar Aryal

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 of aggression against its democratic neighbour as we approach the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion. He talks about signs of a turning point in the world order, Ukraine’s hopes of joining NATO, recent remarks from the Trump administration, a security guarantee for the Ukrainian people, and the grim future the world faces if aggression is allowed to go unchecked.Guests:David WroeVasyl Myroshnychenko

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 episode was recorded on 11 February, 2025.

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 Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington DC just days into the new Trump Administration, and the security role of the grouping in the coming years, including how – and whether – the Quad partners are thinking about deterrence.     Guests:   Raji Pillai Rajagopalan  Euan Graham  Ian Hall  

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 and responding to increasing cyber incidents, the importance of building resilience to respond efficiently and effectively to them, and how preventative measures such as using multi-factor authentication can mitigate over 80 percent of cyber risks.   Justin and LTGEN McGuinness also discuss the role that attribution plays in deterring malicious cyber activity and how attribution can improve mitigation strategies, drive norms and establish that Australia does not tolerate unacceptable behaviour in cyberspace.   Guests:  Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness - https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are/our-senior-staff/lieutenant-general-michelle-mcguinness-csc  Justin Bassi - https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/justin-bassi 

Thijs van der Plas, Netherlands Ambassador to NATO, Anita Nergaard, Norway's Ambassador to NATO, and Scott M. Oudkirk, US Chargé d'affaires to NATO, delve into NATO's strategic evolution amid the war in Ukraine. They reveal insights on collective defense spending, NATO's expansion, and the implications for global security. The trio discusses the war's trajectory and the influence of China and North Korea, highlighting the importance of Indo-Pacific relationships for NATO's strategy. A fascinating conversation on the interconnectedness of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security unfolds!

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 he was forced to leave in 2020.   David, Kevin and Ted talk about the current state of democracy in Hong Kong and how authorities are applying the sweeping national security law that was imposed on the region by Beijing in 2020. They also discuss the recent mass sentencing of pro-democracy activists under the national security law, including the case of Australian man Gordon Ng who was sentenced to smore than seven years in jail.  With four Australian judges remaining on Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal, they also discuss whether there is value in foreign judges remaining on the court, or if they are legitimising an authoritarian regime, and examine the Australia-China relationship and the impact it has on Canberra's position on Hong Kong.  Guests:  Kevin Yam   Ted Hui  

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 forums for deep and serious conversations about the impact of technology on society. David, Casey and Sasha discuss the tragic case of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer, who took his life after forming an intimate attachment to an online chatbot. They also talk about persuasive technologies that influence users at deep emotional and even unconscious levels, disinformation, the increasingly polluted information landscape, deepfakes, the pros and cons of age verification for social media and Australia’s approach to these challenges. To read ASPI’s latest report, ‘Persuasive technologies in China: Implications for the future of national security’, please visit https://www.aspi.org.au/report/persuasive-technologies-china-implications-future-national-security Warning: this episode discusses mental health and suicide, which some listeners might find distressing. If you need someone to talk to, help is available through a range of services, including Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36.

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 technology on warfare.  They also talk about the laws of armed conflict and the public debate around Israel and Gaza, as well consider prospects for peace in Ukraine.      Guests:   Dr Alex Bristow  John Spencer