Notebooks

notebook

Putin at the court of the Celestial Emperor

The two great land empires of Asia have long had a relationship based on asymmetric dependency and rivalry. Putin's homage to Xi Jinping's court is a reversion to an ancient type.

Owen Matthews May 22, 2026

notebook

The politics of provocative opera

Discarding canonical operas because they might discomfort modern audiences does a disservice to the complexities of art.

Alexandra Wilson May 22, 2026

notebook

Surviving Russia’s surveillance state

Russia's sophisticated system of repression in occupied Ukraine must force resistance to adapt.

Jade McGlynn May 21, 2026

notebook

The peculiar magic of the English garden

The Chelsea Flower Show, with its blend of horticultural excellence and barely controlled chaos, captures something eccentric and loveable about the English garden.

Daisy Dunn May 19, 2026

notebook

The Bayeux Tapestry and the quest for Europe

From Napoleon to the Nazis, Europe's would-be masters have sought to harness the power of the medieval masterpiece.

Caitlin Allen May 18, 2026

notebook

In defence of distraction

The smartphone inherits anxieties about distraction that have haunted every new technology.

Alastair Benn May 18, 2026

notebook

The Chinese threat to Singapore

Singapore's success story was built on the promise that globalisation, economic integration and the rules-based order would endure indefinitely.

Alexander Still May 15, 2026

notebook

How Clinton brought Russia to the table

In the early 1990s, President Clinton drew on US diplomatic and financial power, deft diplomacy, and deep regional expertise to bring about a Russian withdrawal from the Baltic Sta..

Andris Banka and Alexander Noyes May 14, 2026

notebook

Syria’s political destiny

Throughout its history, the Syrian state has been viewed by Arab nationalists, Baathists and Islamists alike as a stepping stone towards a grander political destiny.

Asser Khattab May 13, 2026