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The arrest and charges of war crimes on Ben Roberts Smith is a moment of great shame for Australia. He was a member of Australia’s elite Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) and committed war crimes in Afghanistan.

In late April to early May, Australia’s minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, went on a tour of East Asian countries, having visited Japan, China, and South Korea. The aim of this trip was Canberra’s desire to maintain a foreign policy balance among the region’s key players. However, achieving this goal is becoming increasingly difficult.

On 16^th April 2026, the Australian Government and its Ministry of Defence released its National Defence Strategy. The document is one of the most important texts to understand Australia’s defence posture for the years to come.