Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 24, 2018

Australia's then Treasurer Scott Morrison (R) speaking beside Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on August 22, 2018 in Parliament House, Canberra. Photo: AFP / Mark Graham

Alan Boyd, Asia Times: Turnbull’s out, Morrison’s in as Oz politics implode

Australia's ruling Liberal Party elects Scott Morrison as new prime minister amid a fractious power struggle that has not clearly been resolved.

Center-right legislator Scott Morrison was elected Australian prime minister Friday to replace incumbent leader Malcolm Turnbull after four days of chaotic scenes that raised questions over the country’s political stability.

Morrison, the incumbent Treasurer, beat conservative rival Peter Dutton 45-40 in a ballot by the ruling Liberal Party, with a third contender, Julie Bishop, dropping out in a preliminary round of voting. Turnbull did not stand for re-election and said afterwards he would be resigning from his parliamentary seat.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 24, 2018

Australian Democracy Is Now an Even Bigger Laughing Stock -- Peter Hartcher, SMH

New PM Morrison fixes nothing for Australia -- Lachlan Colquhoun, Asia Times

Analysis: Gen. Nicholson says US strategy in Afghanistan ‘is working,’ despite the facts -- Bill Roggio, Long War Journal

The Taliban Takes on Islamic State -- Waliullah Rahmani, RCD

Democracies Beware: Russia and China are on the Offensive -- Agnia Grigas and Clive Hamilton, National Interest

How US-China trade war could chip away at the ‘cult of Xi’ -- Gordon Watts, Asia Times

Yes, China Wants Hegemony over the South China Sea -- Denny Roy, National Interest

Yemen: more than three years of war -- AFP

Deadly discontent plagues Iraq’s oil-rich south -- Omar al-Jaffal, Asia Times

Could land swap between Serbia and Kosovo lead to conflict? -- Andrew MacDowall, The Guardian

The Viennese waltz with Putin has the rest of Europe worrying – is Austria passing secrets to Russia? -- SCMP/AFP

Could a rock star become Ukraine's next president? -- Nicholas Connolly, DW

Is it time to boot Turkey from NATO to save it? -- Andrew Malcolm, SFGate

Brazil's Lula plays kingmaker from his prison cell -- Lisandra Paraguassu and Anthony Boadle, Reuters

Over Our Heads: How the Great Power Competition Is Extending Into Space -- Rathna K. Muralidharan, RCD