The Fix: Spies and ties

We’ll be asking contributors to put together their own short collected observations like this one in the weeks ahead – and as always, if you’ve got an idea to pitch for The Interpreter, drop a line via the About page.

Here is a “sit up and take notice” type of headline.

Can Iran’s march to nuclear statehood be halted? https://t.co/abu2D4Ms8o
— FT World News (@ftworldnews) June 20, 2023

Debate about a nuclear-armed Iran used to dominate news coverage. And might well again soon. Worth following journalist Laura Rozen for regular updates on her Substack page about efforts to piece together the shattered nuclear deal. (Spoiler: the outlook is grim, as we’ve covered before on The Interpreter.)

Changing scene, Indonesian researcher Wasisto Raharjo Jati uses Australia as a case study to examine the effect of migration on the domestic job market, exploitation risks, and more. He concludes the government “should be protective and selective in securing the domestic job market from overseas migrant workers”.

And reviving a murky historical debate, a fascinating ABC Four Corners aired on Monday night with extra details about the long-running claims of Soviet penetration into ASIO, Australia’s domestic spy agency, in the 1970s and 1980s. Names are named.