The fascinating story of how Indonesia came to better know itself through a time of repressive regimes.

The looting of Beijing’s “Garden of Eternal Brightness” by European armies in 1860 lingers in tales of the diaspora.

“Soft power” or reputation risk, the cross-over of popular entertainment and global politics is never far from the news.

Vladimir Putin seemed convinced Kyiv would fall in days. We look back at ten months of war.

From Timorese history and Bougainville’s dreams to Australia’s regional stories, catch up on essential background.

Trade partner or security threat? Might we escape the trap of over securitisation with more diversity in leadership?

A memoir on collective historical baggage has much to teach about the evolution and maturation of both nations.

Tackling the threat first means appreciating the scope, appeal and transnational character of the narratives driving it.

A new book explores pride and defiance as weapons of history in the world’s socialist and autocratic bloc.

A former president of the Asian Development Bank reminisces about dealing with the rise of China.

A reconstruction of incomplete archives reveals one of Australia’s most audacious independent special forces operations.

What explains the fascinating and “strange persistence of monarchies”?

Abe Shinzo put in place a strategy that will not only endure but also influence other nations in view of China.

Fixing America’s broken electoral system means understanding how elites crafted self-serving rules and procedures.

The threat posed by Vladimir Putin has long been obvious to those prepared to look.

A new book probes the inner workings – and functional failures – of America’s enigmatic central banking system.

Repurposing scientific equipment on the frozen continent is possible but would give little military advantage.

Optimists always get more airplay than spoilsports predicting an end to the good times. But hindsight tells all.

As vaccines rolled out, hope that pandemic lockdowns would end proved short-lived as variants took hold.

Covid, coups, LBGT rights in Asia, and Afghanistan’s collapse: articles that drew the most eyeballs this past year.

No, not a television re-run. A book about the enduring power of personality over world politics.

Podcasts-a-plenty for the end of year break, a new beat for world politics.

New Zealand is taking its indigenous identity to the world in a way that will no doubt bolster its reputation.

Want a slice of the regional pie? Or to understand the spaghetti strands of national ambition? We’ve just the dish.

A reality TV cooking show that is about so much more than simply food.

A cult 1980s film serves as a useful lesson on how to deal with China’s wine tariffs.

Watching his hometown team take on the English Premier League after a seven-decade hiatus was worth the wait.

Australia might have been locked off from the world in Covid times, but culture knows no bounds.

AI is becoming a routine aspect of daily life, but can the law – and informed social policy – truly keep pace?

An absorbing new documentary captures the first response of the Bush administration to the horror inflicted on America.

An ambitious attempt to open new avenues to assess the US-Australia alliance misjudges the chance of independent action.

Michael Lewis’ stranger-than-fiction take on how America’s public health mechanisms failed in the face of Covid-19.

Two new volumes explore Australia’s economic, cultural and security relationship with the emerging superpower.

John Ikenberry takes a long view of the success and failures of efforts to make “a world safe for democracy”.

A story of spies and deception and the deadly consequences of crossing a tiny nation in the heart of Africa.

Fareed Zakaria’s new book tells of tiny moments that have led to massive change.

History shows a resounding referendum – like recently in Bougainville – is not alone in deciding future independence.

A little well-crafted speculation can shake off complacency and allow people to focus on the true challenge.

A growing understanding of interwar German society helps explain the popular embrace of National Socialist ideology.

The Microsoft founder has produced a solid primer for understanding the climate challenge. The next step is action.

An important book illustrates the different hopes and dreams of partners to Beijing’s big infrastructure drive.

An entertaining and informative memoir about a woman’s career through a deeply patriarchal profession in diplomacy.

Putting the fate of the world in the hands of boring bureaucrats might not seem compelling – might just also be right.

Chauvinist assumptions are a big part of the reason the West lost its nuclear edge.

The world is full of characters. A reality TV series offers a playful chance to get to know more of them.

Creating an American dystopia took planners, architects and salesmen. How did they get away with it?

A Black female protagonist elevates the genre to show how intelligence professionals live with their choices.

A novel clears up what has been obscured by the reflexive belief in America’s founding myths.

The famed author roamed the grey of the international order and captured a world of “half-angels fighting half-devils”.

Documentary photographers have the toughest of briefs – a still image of an ever changing world.