Marcus is back from Australia’s croc-filled Outback. He catches up with Michael on global events: America’s end to a Baltic states security initiative and the Trump Administrations’ prep work for a Xi-Trump meeting – a Tik Tok half deal & pauses to a $400m US military aid package for Taiwan. They go over Victorian Premier Allan’s odd identification of shared values with China’s Communist Party & tie up between Victoria’s and China’s education systems, and look at recent Australian Defence announcements on Anduril’s Ghost Shark & the even more elusive Henderson Maritime Precinct. King Charles’ odd early commissioning of the UK’s 6th Astute class sub after 12 years of construction rounds out this 50th Anniversary Episode.