A curated selection of FP’s must-read stories.
Editors' Picks
List of Editors' Picks articles
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A collage illustration shows Chinese speedskaters and a ski jumper over a red line chart, grid lines, and Olympic rings. Charting China’s Winter Olympics Rise
How Beijing has navigated sports and soft power, from Lake Placid to Milan Cortina.
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Protesters hold up a sign that reads: "Democracy Dies in DARKNESS. BEZOS is the DARK," as well as a poster of Bezos's face with a "GREEDY" sticker attached to the forehead. The Demise of the Washington Post Is a Global Problem
What Jeff Bezos’s actions signal to news outlets around the world.
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A black and white headshot of Donald Trump looking at a man in glasses at left. Arms Control Was Once Trump’s Signature Issue
What is needed in this multipolar nuclear era is a president with the vision of his younger self.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he speaks during an end-of-year press conference in the State Department Press Briefing Room in Washington, DC on December 19, 2025. What Rubio Gets Right (and Wrong) About the Western Hemisphere
Washington needs to compete forcefully in its backyard without relying on force alone.
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French President Emmanuel Macron (right) takes a walk with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the grounds of Elysee Palace on May 07, 2025 in Paris, France. Europe Is Taking Baby Steps Toward an Economic Boom
The continent needs sweeping reforms—but is focusing on what it can do quickly.
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U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak to troops aboard USS George Washington at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on October 28, 2025 in Yokosuka, Japan. What War With Iran Would Look Like
Decapitation strikes against the country are likely. An invasion is not.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Two U.S. flags and a Cuban flag flutter on the roof a vehicle. What a Deal Between Trump and Cuba Might Look Like
The regime in Havana may concede on key issues but won’t give up power.
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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivers a speech during the European People’s Party congress in Valencia, Spain, on April 30, 2025. Greek Prime Minister Hasn’t ‘Given Up’ on Trans-Atlantic Ties
Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Trump, NATO, and how Athens thinks about strategic autonomy.
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Italian soldiers attend the opening ceremony of NATO's Trident Juncture exercise at the Italian Air Force base in Trapani, Sicily, on Oct. 19, 2015. NATO Is Thinking About Defense Spending Wrong
Prioritizing GDP-based targets doesn’t necessarily strengthen military capabilities, as Italy shows.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin wears the same hockey uniform as the group of players he greets on the ice. Russia Has Turned Sports Into a Weapon
The Olympic ban is a necessary counter to Moscow’s abuse.
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Donald Trump and Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia How Malaysia Unlocked Trump
A shared worldview, some personal rapport, and not being a U.S. ally makes all the difference.
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