Editors’ Picks

Read what our editors have considered the best in foreign affairs analysis for the past 12 months.

03 Mar 2023
Richard Woolcott left a legacy that all modern diplomats could emulate, writes John McCarthy.   Richard Woolcott, generally known as
27 Sep 2022
Indonesia has a new capital city. To be a truly inclusive capital, the design team must include women, young people,
23 Sep 2022
On 11 September 2022, Sweden held general elections to elect the 349 members of the Riksdag, the national legislative assembly.
23 Aug 2022
For the first time, prime minister and coup maker Frank Bainimarama faces the possibility of defeat. Can democracy survive the
14 Jul 2022
Aliaksandr Lukashenka might have little choice but to pose as Russia’s staunch ally in its war on Ukraine, but he
27 Jun 2022
Imagine if China was able to weaponise the ongoing South China Sea dispute even further and close it to international
16 Jun 2022
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held in Rwanda from June 20. Anthony Albanese’s decision not to
01 Jun 2022
As Russian soldiers marched into Ukraine, the question on everyone’s mind was: “What does Putin hope to achieve with such
04 May 2022
Like other women leaders across the world, Robredo does not only compete for votes. She must also contend with patriarchal
04 Apr 2022
Australia has been one of the world’s largest wheat exporters for decades. As global demand skyrockets due to the Ukraine
25 Jan 2022
Philippine democracy slid back towards authoritarianism under President Rodrigo Duterte. Elections on 9 May will usher in new leadership —
06 Jan 2022
The geographic terms “Israel” and “Palestine” have a long history and specific connotations for Jews and Arabs with respect to
06 Jan 2022
With the threat of right-wing extremism accelerating due to the pandemic, understanding the gendered element of the threat is essential
05 Jan 2022
Latin America is on the move. After massive strikes in Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile, the causes of the relative
05 Jan 2022
The rise of the CANZUK concept coincides with recent global events such as Brexit and the protectionist Buy America policy.
04 Jan 2022
At the height of a crisis of such heart-rendering intensity, it can be difficult to think analytically. But plenty of
03 Jan 2022
Despite the Eurocentric origin story of feminism, early twentieth century Korea boasted one of the most vibrant and radical feminist
02 Jan 2022
New Zealand sees Five Eyes as a practical intelligence-sharing agreement not a foreign policy coordination mechanism. This stems less from
01 Jan 2022
Compared to traditional financial reporting, the way each country measures corporate social responsibility and sustainability is evolving in different formats
31 Dec 2021
China has changed tremendously since 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took power. The leaders of the CCP have
30 Dec 2021
President Jovenel Moise of Haiti was assassinated on 7 July. It was the most recent in a series of crises that
30 Dec 2021
The Taliban, in a move that should have surprised no one, surged through Afghanistan once the United States opted to
29 Dec 2021
Leaders of the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom have announced a new trilateral security pact. Their brief, though
29 Dec 2021
On 26 September, the German public went to the polls, without Angela Merkel on the ballot for the first time
28 Dec 2021
The recent coup in Guinea follows a pattern of coups in the West African region. Recent developments demonstrate the power
28 Dec 2021
Sudan’s fragile peace is on the brink. Sudan’s civilians must come together to prevent the transition to democracy failing and
27 Dec 2021
The growing importance of remittances in El Salvador has opened the doors to increased use of digital currencies. But the
27 Dec 2021
Australia’s approach to international relations is defined by support for a rules-based global order. After Glasgow, it’s time to reconsider
26 Dec 2021
In an unexpected win, Indonesian labour unions’ protests against new laws corroding workers’ rights have been trounced by the Mahkamah
24 Dec 2021
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) prohibits the development, production, possession, transfer, receipt, testing, hosting, use, and
23 Dec 2021
Former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo developed a coherent and comprehensive strategic vision. It not only precipitated Japan’s emergence as a
23 Dec 2021
The Micronesian states' decision to withdraw from the Pacific Islands Forum has fractured the esteemed organisation in a deep and
23 Dec 2021
Over the past decades, there has been copious negative publicity surrounding the position of women in Islam. This condemnation often
22 Dec 2021
Thailand is not undergoing a resurgence of hyper-royalism. Rather, the new Thai King is repositioning the Thai monarchy as simultaneously
22 Dec 2021
Tropical Cyclone Seroja hit Timor-Leste, resulting in significant loss of life and displacement. The full fallout will depend not only
22 Dec 2021
Raúl Castro resigned as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba. This changing of the guard is provoking local
21 Dec 2021
Biden’s first 100 days as president have seen a noticeable change regarding foreign policy to that of Trump. With a
21 Dec 2021
Last week, the government of Yemen started to administer the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The vaccination campaign has become the latest source
20 Dec 2021
Samoa has elected its first woman prime minister. Now an ongoing constitutional crisis, ironically centred around competing interpretations of Samoa’s
08 Jan 2021
India and Nepal’s enduring border disputes have repeatedly provoked nationalist movements and protests in Nepal and alienated Nepal from India.