In Australia we haven’t developed a modern recycling industry and we’re still relying on dumping waste into landfill. But other nations do recycle successfully – countries like Germany and South Korea, to name just two. How do they succeed where we have failed?

The storage of radioactive waste has proved incredibly difficult. None of the high-level waste produced in more than half a century of nuclear power (including submarines) has yet been successfully permanently stored. Last month, Australia signed off on a security pact with the US and the UK – known as AUKUS – which gives Australia nuclear-powered submarines and, for the first time, we will have to manage high-level nuclear waste on Australian soil.

For 40 years Medicare has been the foundation of Australia’s primary health care system. But with GPs hard to find, bulk billing rates declining and long waits at hospital emergency departments, just how well is Medicare serving us today? Does Medicare need fundamental reform and if so, what that reform might look like?

Since the referendum of 1967, federal governments have tried to establish representative Indigenous advisory bodies but none of these lasted. Each one was sidelined and eventually shut down by a subsequent government. Why have these bodies failed?

Until the 1967 referendum, First Nations people were not included in the census and so weren’t considered members of the Australian population. This referendum was the most successful in Australia’s history, with over 90 per cent voting in favour of changing the Constitution. It empowered federal governments for the first time to make laws that might improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

After World War II, Australia embarked on a massive immigration program. Between 1945 and 1965, two million immigrants came here, many from countries formerly excluded under the ‘White Australia’ policy. These 'new Australians' were expected to assimilate, become just like us, but by the late 1960s it was obvious many families were struggling. The introduction of multiculturalism in the 1970s transformed the lives of many migrants and, ultimately, Australia itself.

In the current debate over the Voice to parliament, both sides agree on the need for a Treaty. What they don’t agree on is when. Both New Zealand and Canada have treaties and a complex history of implementing them. What, if anything, can we learn from their story?

In early January, 2020, news began filtering through from China about a previously unknown illness, perhaps a new kind of pneumonia that appeared to have a high mortality rate. Our lives were about to be upturned, with lockdowns, border closures, masks and even toilet paper shortages transforming our day-to-day lives in unimaginable ways. Three years later, we know a lot more about Covid-19 and the virus that causes it, SARS-CoV-2.

In just twelve months, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reshaped the political landscape in Europe. Finland and Sweden have applied to join NATO, perceptions of Russia in Central Asia have shifted, and the focus of Russia’s foreign policy has changed. Rear Vision explores the political fallout from the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia’s attempt to take its neighbour, Ukraine, by force has not gone according to plan. Many—including Russia—expected Ukraine’s capitulation within days. But, led by its charismatic president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and supported by NATO, Ukraine fought back, although at a terrible cost to its people. Why did Russia’s invasion go so spectacularly wrong?

Pope Francis is facing increasing criticism from conservatives within the Catholic Church. While conflict and ideological battles in the Church are not unusual it’s rare that they are aired so publicly. What’s going on?

n 2022, the Optus data breach, along with the Medibank hack, saw the theft of the personal information of millions of Australians. In the last decade, there has been an explosion in cybercrime, especially ransomware attacks. What can we do to protect our personal details from criminals?

Hamish Macdonald explores the seismic shifts unfolding globally and the leaders who are radically reshaping today's world. From autocratic 'strongmen' to democratic 'internationalists', this podcast examines the cultural, historical, geographical and personal origins underpinning their ambitions and their decisions. This series, presented by Hamish Macdonald, attempts to answer that question. Listen for free on your mobile device on the ABC listen app. 

Fifty years ago, the US Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision effectively legalised abortion across the country. That decision was overturned last year by a very conservative Supreme Court. For over 100 years there has been a struggle between liberals and conservatives in America for control of the Supreme Court. The appointment by President Trump three conservative Justices to the Court has tipped the balance. How did this happen and what does it mean for the lives of ordinary Americans?

In November, 2021, Barbados, a tiny Caribbean island, replaced the Queen as its head of state with a Barbadian president. How did Barbados succeed where Australia failed and what does it mean to be a republic in the Commonwealth?

In Scandinavian prisons the focus is on rehabilitation not punishment.

As Australia’s borders opened after the Covid pandemic, there was an overwhelming surge in applications for passports as we travelled to see friends and family overseas or took up that abandoned holiday. Something like a passport goes back centuries but the modern version—a  little travel booklet with your photo in it—is a relatively recent phenomenon.

We take for granted the accuracy of predictions and warnings put out by our weather forecasters. Once, weather predictions were the butt of jokes but today the Bureau of Meteorology can accurately forecast the weather for the next seven to ten days. How did this happen?

Chocolate is one of our most popular indulgences but there is a darker side to the industry – one connected with colonialism, the industrial revolution and modern-day slavery.

For over one hundred years, the Ruhr region was the grimy, polluted heart of Germany’s coal and steel. Today it has no coal mines. Instead, it is a cultural hub more than fifty museums and is a centre for green energy innovation. How did they do it?

It was a bad year for crypto even before the spectacular collapse of FTX. Although eminent economists and investors warned that cryptocurrency was a speculative bubble—even a Ponzi scheme—the growth of digital currency exchanges fuelled investment in crypto. Are we seeing the beginning of its death spiral?

Centrelink’s 'automated debt recovery system' - or Robodebt - sparked two Senate inquiries, an Ombudsman inquiry, numerous court cases and now a Royal Commission. Despite being found to be unlawful by the Federal Court, questions remain. How and why was this system introduced? And why was it allowed to run for so long?

Casino inquiries, cashless gambling cards, new laws on gambling advertising—the gambling industry in Australia is under the microscope as never before. Just how far has the tide turned and what needs to be done to address the problems associated with Australia’s gambling addiction?

The NDIS was meant to transform the lives of all Australians with a disability, but things haven’t quite gone to plan. Many people have found the NDIS difficult to access or inadequate and there has been a huge cost blowout. Hear the story of the NDIS – what we’ve got right, what we’re got wrong and how we might fix it.

The federal government has committed to work with states and territories, local government and investors to reshape housing in Australia. Perhaps most significant is the commitment to build fifty thousand social and affordable homes, bringing some relief to those on the lowest incomes currently forced into the private rental market.

The US midterm elections are happening this week and many people say that the outcome could determine the future of democracy in America. We look at one side of this electoral race—the Republican Party—and its historical links with the extreme right.

The choice is between the former leftist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—known as Lula—and the far-right incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro. Who are these men and what will this vote mean for the future of Latin America’s biggest country?

The death last month of a young Iranian woman while in the custody of the morality police has sparked widespread protests across Iran. Protests are not new in Iran. Since the 1990s, there have been many protests, but these are unusual in that they are being led by women and girls. This is the story of women and politics in Iran.

As the all-powerful Chinese Communist Party elite gather for a public display of their authority, Xi Jinping cements his grip on China. Xi’s family background put him on the fast track to success within the Party, although like many so-called ‘princelings’, he endured great hardship during Mao’s Cultural Revolution. How did Xi rise to the top and what has his ascendancy meant for the people of China?

The modern-day Commonwealth emerged out of the British Empire. Can it separate itself from this colonial past and its legacy of slavery and racism?

The sky’s the limit for New York City skyscrapers, from the Art Deco delights of the Chrysler Building to today’s controversial supertalls.

After decades of cutbacks, pay freezes and allegations of politicisation, is the Australian Public Service still able to give the government of the day informed and independent advice?

The World Heritage Convention has become a victim of its own success, with increasing political pressure sidelining expert advice and the deluge of sites put forward threatening the value of the ‘brand’. 

In Scandinavian prisons the focus is on rehabilitation not punishment.

LIV, a new professional golf competition backed by Saudi Arabia, has created bitter division among players, challenging the future shape of the game.

Taiwan today produces ninety per cent of the world’s most sophisticated microchips that power everything from our smart phone and laptops to military equipment, electric cars and rockets that go to Mars. But Taiwan is also in the eye of a political storm, caught between China on the one side and the United States on the other.  How did the tiny island of Taiwan come to dominate the production of microchips and what happens if something goes wrong?

Secret trials and overblown sentences are the hallmarks of state hostage-taking. What can governments do when their citizens are wrongfully detained overseas?

Decisions made by the Reserve Bank affect so much of our lives—from our mortgage repayments to the cost of supermarket items. For the first time in decades, how it operates is up for review.

The e-book has turned the book industry upside down affecting bookshops, publishers, authors, libraries and readers. This program was first broadcast on 24 October, 2021

In the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are calling for an Indigenous Voice to parliament. While they haven’t set out how that would work there are models we can look back on. Ever since the referendum of 1967 federal governments have attempted and failed to set up administrative organisations to give Indigenous Communities a say in their own affairs. As we once again debate how we acknowledge Australia’s first people - what if anything can we learn from those past attempts?

Britons were promised an economy free from European regulation and the right to make their own laws once they left the EU. Instead, British businesses are setting up in Europe and holidaymakers are stuck in traffic as they try to get to France.

In the 1970s, scientists warned of a potential natural disaster – the destruction of the ozone layer by CFCs, chemicals commonly used in fridges and spray cans. The world came together to protect the ozone layer. Why hasn’t this happened with climate change?

Choosing to not drink is a pretty big thing in this country. Globally we’re well up there in terms of consumption levels and risky drinking - alcohol is entrenched in almost all aspects of society. But there’s growing interest in staying dry past July. Australia has a long history with alcohol but are we seeing a change in drinking habits?

PNG has hundreds of languages groups, almost a thousand tribes and is one of only four nations globally that doesn’t have any women in parliament. Over three weeks the country is holding its national election – the 10th since it gained its independence from Australia in 1975.

Australia has everything it needs to produce electricity - coal, gas, sun, and wind. Yet we've wound up with energy shortages and huge price hikes. How did we get here - why is our energy system in such a mess? And what can we do to fix it?

The selection of a new justice to the United States Supreme Court is frequently controversial and almost always political. It’s a 'captain's pick' for the US president and one that can shape American society long after the president’s gone.

None of us need to be told that prices are going up or that interest rates are following. We are clearly now in a period of inflation which may or may not lead to a recession. But what exactly is inflation, why does it occur, how does it relate to interest rates and what if anything can we learn from past inflationary periods?

Despite being the closest of neighbours, for the last decade there’s been a worsening Trans-Tasman spat as New Zealanders in Australia are refused basic services and often deported. The new Albanese government has signalled this may be about to change, but what caused the spat in the first place, and was race the underlying issue?

Despite being the closest of neighbours, for the last decade there’s been a worsening Trans-Tasman spat as New Zealanders in Australia are refused basic services and often deported. The new Albanese government has signalled this may be about to change, but what caused the spat in the first place, and was race the underlying issue?

It’s hard-to-understand America’s relationship with guns. Gun deaths and school shooting are commonplace in American communities – yet US politicians seem incapable or powerless to implement any type of gun reform. So, what’s going on and what role has the NRA, played in this political debate?

We take for granted the accuracy of predictions and warnings put out by our weather forecasters. Once, weather predictions were the butt of jokes but today the Bureau of Meteorology can accurately forecast the weather for the next seven to ten days. How did this happen?

While the rest of the world is learning to live with COVID-19, China is still following its zero-COVID policy with citywide lockdowns, mass testing and quarantine. But there’s a social and economic cost and, potentially, also a political one. Why is the Chinese leadership sticking with the policy?

Street protests and violence have accompanied Sri Lanka’s worst economic downturn since independence in 1948. What is behind the blackouts and acute shortages of food and fuel?

The recent signing of the security pact between China and the Solomon Island has sent shock waves through the Federal election campaign. Questions are being asked about our relationship with the Solomon Islands and with other Pacific nations. What is behind Australia’s relationship with the Pacific nations?

If Ferdinand Marcos Junior wins this week’s presidential election as expected, it will cap off a most remarkable come-back for a family exiled in the 1980s after stripping the country of billions and driving the economy into the ground.

A draft ruling leaked to the press suggests the US Supreme Court is preparing to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark ruling guaranteeing abortion rights. This Rear Vision was first broadcast in June, 2019.

For over one hundred years, the Ruhr region was the grimy, polluted heart of Germany’s coal and steel. Today it has no coal mines. Instead, it is a cultural hub more than fifty museums and is a centre for green energy innovation. How did they do it?

In this year’s election campaign, well-funded independents are arguing for a better approach to managing climate change. What might this mean for the political party that’s been urging action on climate change for years – the Australian Greens?

Chocolate is one of our most popular indulgences but there is a darker side to the industry – one connected with colonialism, the industrial revolution and modern-day slavery.

Five years ago, Emmanuel Macron became France’s youngest-ever president at the age of thirty-nine. It was a stunning victory, the result of a bold strategy and a solid dose of good luck. Can he pull it off again?

Five years ago, Emmanuel Macron became France’s youngest-ever president at the age of thirty-nine. It was a stunning victory, the result of a bold strategy and a solid dose of good luck. Can he pull it off again?

Human history is littered with atrocities and genocides committed during war and for centuries civilised nations have struggled to deal with this kind of violence.

The two far-right candidates, Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, are expected to do well in the forthcoming French presidential election. Why is the Right so strong in France and what is its connection with the Nazi occupation in World War II?

Brisbane is a city all too familiar with floods, despite decades of dredging, straightening and dam building. Although each flood is remembered for the community spirit and resilience shown by the people who endured it, they reveal the risks inherent in a city built on a flood plain.

Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin early on Christmas morning in 1974. Within hours, a coordinated national response was underway and within three years the city had been rebuilt - better than before. How did they do it?

At thirty-six, Chile’s new president is only just old enough to hold the job. Does he have what it takes to help Chile finally escape the shadow of Pinochet’s military dictatorship?

China and Russia have what they describe as a very special relationship, one that some analysts claim is establishing a new world order. What role did it play in Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine and what does it mean for the rivalry between the United States and China?

In November, Barbados, a tiny Caribbean island, replaced the Queen as its head of state with a Barbadian president. How did Barbados succeed where Australia failed and what does it mean to be a republic in the Commonwealth?

For weeks, Russian troops have massed on the Ukrainian border. It’s still unclear if Europe will be plunged into war or if a diplomatic solution can be found. What role has NATO—the West’s military alliance—played in the crisis?

As Fortress Australia crumbles, Rear Vision dusts off the history of the passport.

Since the onset of the Covid pandemic, state and territory leaders have emerged as key players in dealing with the crisis. They have also increasing taken the lead on issues like climate change, gay marriage, and voluntary euthanasia. Are we seeing a fundamental shift in the power balance between the two levels of government?

Most of the drug companies that developed Covid vaccines have made massive profits. But where does the money and scientific research for these medical breakthroughs come from and who shares in the profit?

China is one of the key diplomatic and economic power on the planet today. Yet just 50 years ago it was one of the poorest and most isolated nations on earth. So how and when did that isolation end and did President Richard Nixon visit in 1972 play a role.

Around the world there is a rapidly growing body of scientific evidence suggesting that psychedelic drugs are safe and highly effective when used under medical supervision. Why did promising treatments first become illegal and how did drugs once seen as possibly leading to madness or death become once again treatments for mental illness?

For fifty years, governments have cut taxes for corporations and the wealthiest people, arguing that this will stimulate the economy and lead to prosperity for us all. Known as trickle-down or supply-side economics, does it make any sense, and has it worked?

Barnaby Joyce’s return to the leadership of the National Party is bound to stir things up in Australian politics. Where does he fit in the story of one of Australia’s oldest and most unusual political parties?

The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most vital trade routes. It’s the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe and about 12% of global trade passes through it each year. But the Canal is situated in one of the most volatile regions in the world and its history has been defined by that geography.  

Prince Harry’s decision to renounce his royal role was not the first time a member of the British monarchy decided to opt out. Almost a century ago, King Edward VIII gave up the crown to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. These two decisions, several generations apart, engulfed the monarchy in turmoil and sent the media into meltdown. What do these two stories tell us about the British monarchy?

What are calories and can you lose weight by eating fewer of them? The story of the calorie shadows the Western struggle with diet and obesity.

Fifty years ago, a genocidal crackdown, a war of liberation, an overwhelming flood of refugees and finally, military conflict between India and Pakistan, gave birth to a new nation.

Despite popular belief, medical conspiracy theories aren’t new. What can we learn from their ancient history and about the people who believe in them?

Pharmacists stopped making their own medicines and began selling ready-made drugs almost a century ago. In Australia, it led to an unusual arrangement that has put chemists at odds with doctors and supermarkets.

Commentators are talking about a new Cold War between the world’s two great powers but are there any similarities between the Cold War – between the Soviet Union and the United States – and the tensions today between China and the US?

What role do these agencies play in ensuring that politicians and the rest of our public sector behave the right way?

Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, elected earlier this year, is taking a strong stand on climate change, challenging the Australian government to do more to cut carbon emissions.

The e-book has turned the book industry upside down affecting bookshops, publishers, authors, libraries and readers.

Taiwan is one of the world’s key economies, yet it belongs to no international organisations and isn’t a member of the UN. Why is Taiwan diplomatically isolated and how does it survive economically?

While working from home during the pandemic has been a novel and sometimes difficult experience for office workers, companies and their employees have been experimenting with teleworking for decades.

While cybercrime and cybersurveillance are commonplace today, how many of us understand their effect our everyday lives? What’s revealed in the history of cybercrime, from its rudimentary beginnings in the 1980s to today?

Many Germans have only ever known one chancellor – Angela Merkel. Voters are about to choose a new leader for the first time in sixteen years and the election is being described as the most open and uncertain Germany has ever had.

The spread of the delta variant of Covid from the cities to rural and regional Australia has exposed weaknesses in the health system. Rear Vision traces the story of rural health care from bush medicine through to the pandemic.

Almost three thousand people died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. All planes were grounded and rumours and conspiracy theories swept the internet as a shocked nation tried to make sense of what happened.

The federal government believes the way to lower Australia’s carbon emissions is through technology and one of the technologies it is backing is carbon capture and storage or CCS. What is CCS, how and why was it developed and, most importantly, does it work?

Barnaby Joyce’s return to the leadership of the National Party is bound to stir things up in Australian politics. Where does he fit in the story of one of Australia’s oldest and most unusual political parties?

Afghanistan has been invaded by foreign armies five times in less than 200 years. Every occupation ultimately failed. What can we learn from this history?

The Taliban emerged from the rubble of the Soviet-Afghan war and in turn were ousted by the US led War on Terror. Twenty years on, the Americans and their allies gone and the Taliban are once again in control of Afghanistan. Who are the Taliban and what will their return to power mean?

In the early 1990s, Nelson Mandela and his political party, the ANC, ended apartheid peacefully but the leaders of the new democracy did not address the economic inequality of the apartheid era. Today it is tearing the nation apart.

In the early 1990s, Nelson Mandela and his political party, the ANC, ended apartheid peacefully but the leaders of the new democracy did not address the economic inequality of the apartheid era. Today it is tearing the nation apart.

The Tokyo Olympics have gone ahead despite the global pandemic, but it’s the not the first-time world events have conspired against the games. 40 years ago, the Olympics ran head long into the Cold War, and sport became collateral damage in a standoff between the USSR and the United States. This is the story of how Australia and its athletes were caught up in the crisis, and a how the impact of that time is still being felt today.

The Caribbean nation of Haiti, whose president was recently assassinated, is the world’s poorest and most unstable country. Yet this was not always the case. For over a century it was France’s richest colony and later became the first black-led republic. Why has Haiti become such a mess?