Latest

List of Latest articles

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The Year of the Fire Horse Finds Xi on Edge

China’s president looks secure on the world stage, but trouble is brewing on the home front.

China Brief
James Palmer
Officials sit at long tables facing each other in an ornately decorated hall. A mural on the far wall depicts large birds resting in the branches of a tree. Chinese and EU flags stand in front of the mural.
Officials sit at long tables facing each other in an ornately decorated hall. A mural on the far wall depicts large birds resting in the branches of a tree. Chinese and EU flags stand in front of the mural.

Beyond Blocs

Europe and China will not align nor compete, but selectively cooperate

Argument
Wang Huiyao
A woman walks past a mural depicting an American drone, which is painted on the outer walls of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, on Feb. 1.
A woman walks past a mural depicting an American drone, which is painted on the outer walls of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, on Feb. 1.

Will the United States Attack Iran?

Tehran is threatening to “regionalize the war” if Washington uses force. This article has an audio recording

Insider
Ravi Agrawal
U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he is presented with the Grand Order of Mugunghwa and the Silla gold crown by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, South Korea.
U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as he is presented with the Grand Order of Mugunghwa and the Silla gold crown by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the Gyeongju National Museum in Gyeongju, South Korea.

Trump’s Trade Policy Is Teaching Partners Washington Can’t Be Trusted

From South Korea to Canada, allies are hedging their bets. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Clark Packard
A Palestinian man sleeps next to his horse in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Feb. 10.
A Palestinian man sleeps next to his horse in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Feb. 10.

Challenges Overshadow Hope in Gaza

Major fighting has ended, but irreconcilable positions will bedevil Trump’s peace plan. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Aaron David Miller, Lauren Morganbesser
Two men in suits standing in front of tall windowed doors.
Two men in suits standing in front of tall windowed doors.

Why Keir Starmer Is on the Brink

The Labour Party’s decades of backbiting and pettiness have collapsed on it. This article has an audio recording

Argument
John Kampfner
A pedestrian walks past an election poster bearing a photograph of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as snow falls.
A pedestrian walks past an election poster bearing a photograph of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as snow falls.

Takaichi’s Landslide Victory

A rare supermajority grants the Japanese prime minister a sweeping mandate to enact economic and defense reforms.

World Brief
Alexandra Sharp
The Spain Hall of the Prague Castle is prepared ahead of a meeting between U.S. and Russian leaders, where the New START nuclear arms control will be signed, in Prague on April 6, 2010.
The Spain Hall of the Prague Castle is prepared ahead of a meeting between U.S. and Russian leaders, where the New START nuclear arms control will be signed, in Prague on April 6, 2010.

The Real Risk After New START Isn’t Arms Racing

Without the treaty, nuclear forces will become hard to verify and harder to trust. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Decker Eveleth
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), places a red paper rose on the name of an elected candidate at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Feb. 8.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), places a red paper rose on the name of an elected candidate at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Feb. 8.

Can Sanae Takaichi Make Japan Great Again?

Despite a landslide victory, questions remain over the prime minister’s popularity and her fiscal plans. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
William Sposato
A man in a gray suit stands in the foreground of four camouflaged ballistic missiles on trucks.
A man in a gray suit stands in the foreground of four camouflaged ballistic missiles on trucks.

The Post-Cold War Nuclear Era Might Have Just Ended

The world is a more dangerous place as New START expires and China’s nuclear arsenal grows.

Argument
Fareed Zakaria
An illustration of a tombstone reading "RIP" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.
An illustration of a tombstone reading "RIP" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.

Who Killed the Liberal International Order?

A contested idea has seen many alleged deaths. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Nick Danforth
Donald Trump presents Golden Dome missile defense
Donald Trump presents Golden Dome missile defense

Why Missile Defense Now Raises the Risk of War

The delusion of invulnerability tempts leaders to take risks. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Azriel Bermant
Then vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China Zhang Youxia (front), swears an oath with members of the Central Military Commission after they were appointed during the opening of the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress on March 11, 2023 in Beijing, China.
Then vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China Zhang Youxia (front), swears an oath with members of the Central Military Commission after they were appointed during the opening of the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress on March 11, 2023 in Beijing, China.

Xi Jinping Can Never Trust His Own Military

China’s leader has created a system of permanent insecurity. This article has an audio recording

Argument
Deng Yuwen
A black-and-white composite photo of two protests: At left, from overhead, a large crowd of people carry signs and a People's Bicentennial Commission banner. At right, an old man with a white beard dressed in a Revolutionary War-era costume, rings a bell in front of the Washington Monument.
A black-and-white composite photo of two protests: At left, from overhead, a large crowd of people carry signs and a People's Bicentennial Commission banner. At right, an old man with a white beard dressed in a Revolutionary War-era costume, rings a bell in front of the Washington Monument.

The United States’ 250th Birthday Has Become a Test for the Nation

How to present history was also a roiling debate during the bicentennial. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Julian E. Zelizer
Police surround a protester holding a sign that reads "No Sport Washing."
Police surround a protester holding a sign that reads "No Sport Washing."

Will Geopolitics Overshadow the Milan Cortina Olympics?

What to know as the Winter Games kick off.

The Reading List
Chloe Hadavas
Load 15 More Articles
Loading graphics