The World Cup final drew millions of enthusiastic viewers around the world, including young men in impoverished regions who dream of sporting success as the only way to escape poverty.

This week Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited President Isaias Afwerki of the neighbouring Eritrea. They signed a declaration ending 20 years of hostility, restoring diplomatic relations and normal ties between the countries.

The broad shape of the international order after the World War II was a liberal internationalist system embracing collective security, economic openness and social progress. These central tenets are now all in doubt.

Although it joins a growing list of jeremiads about the possible end of Western civilisation, Edward Luce’s book usefully puts the debate in context. He argues that President Trump is a symptom, not cause, of many of America’s and the world’s problems.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons filled a gaping hole in international law by declaring the last weapons of mass destruction illegal. On the first anniversary of its adoption, how is the treaty faring?

A tumultuous week in British politics reminds that Brexit will fundamentally transform the European Union and change how the UK relates to Europe and the world. What are the implications for Australia?

Boris Johnson’s resignation as foreign secretary this week was unsurprising for many. His position as keeper of the Brexit legacy had made Johnson bulletproof, but how will history judge him?

Prior to the UK’s accession to the then European Economic Community, Australia was a significant supplier of Britain’s food. Will Brexit usher in a new regime, restoring Australian farmers’ access to the British market?

Early this month an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 10 Sikhs in Jalalabad. The attack highlighted the precarious state of the Sikh community in a country already destabilised by religious tensions.

The Iranian President’s meeting with European leaders last week is a desperate attempt to save the nuclear deal. Popular dissatisfaction and the growing assertiveness of the hard-line faction has left Rouhani friendless.