Shkumbin Gashi hangs a poster reading 'Congratulations Mr. President' at his bar in Rahovec, Kosovo on Nov. 6.

Biden in the Balkans

Fixing Trump’s Mistakes in the region will be easy. Avoiding Obama’s will be much harder.

The seal of the CIA

After Biden Win, U.S. Intelligence Community ‘Probably Doing Cartwheels’

Long maligned and vilified under Trump, the spy agencies hope to restore normality under Biden.

Security cameras with artificial intelligence facial recognition technology at the China International Exhibition on Public Safety and Security in Beijing on Oct. 24, 2018.

Note to Biden: Forget Trade, the Real War With China Is Over Tech

Just like Trump, Biden is stuck in the last century if he believes globalization is about trade and rust-belt manufacturing jobs.

Then-U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden speaks as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan  looks on during a luncheon at the State Department on May 16, 2013.

Biden Can’t Avoid Erdogan, but He Can Keep the U.S.-Turkish Relationship on Track

Turkey’s leader has caused many headaches in Washington in recent years, but letting ties deteriorate further would be disastrous.

Christopher C. Krebs, director of the Homeland Security Department's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency speaks before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 14, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Trump Ousts Cybersecurity Chief Over Election Claims

The outgoing president continues to spread falsehoods about fraud, even as the recently fired Chris Krebs calls the elections ‘the most secure’ in history.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to nurses as he visits Watford General Hospital on Oct. 7, 2019 in Watford, England.

The Coronavirus Is Killing Westerners. Immigrants Are Saving Them.

Foreign-born doctors and entrepreneurs are at the forefront of fighting the pandemic and resuscitating economies, but nativist politicians still want to keep them out.

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Open Radio Access Networks: The Building Blocks of 5G Success

How open networks can enable greater innovation, connectivity, and opportunities for companies and countries worldwide.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visit the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus, one of the oldest Greek Orthodox churches in the Syrian capital, in Damascus on January 7, 2020.

Russia Wants to Trade Syrian Refugees for Money

Moscow helped organize an international conference to help jump-start Syria’s reconstruction—but hardly anyone came.

U.S. President Donald Trump hugs the American flag during CPAC 2019 in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 2, 2019.

Trump’s Defeat Was World Historic

Populist authoritarians don’t usually leave through the ballot box. The Democrats’ success offers lessons for others.

A Black Lives Matter protest in Seoul

South Korea Struggles to Confront Its Own Racial Prejudices

Black Lives Matter has sparked change among a younger generation.

Police guard an entrance to Kabul University the day after an attack by a gunman at the university in Kabul on Nov. 3.

Crime Wave Further Rocks Confidence in Afghan Government

Afghan officials are trying to contain a spate of kidnappings and armed robberies that appear designed to bolster public thirst for Taliban-style justice—just ahead of a critical donor meeting.

In the Magazine

In the Magazine

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The Most Important Election. Ever.

Why the fate of the American republic—and the world—could depend on what happens Nov. 3.

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A Perilous Presidential Handoff

The presidential transition of power has long been a weakness of the U.S. political system. But never more so than now.

The Real Hacking Threat

It doesn’t matter if Russia actually sways the vote. What matters is whether Americans think it did.

Emerging Stronger From the Great Lockdown

The managing director and the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund lay out a strategy for sustained recovery.

Members of the Amhara militia

Sudan Will Decide the Outcome of the Ethiopian Civil War

Khartoum’s moves will determine whether the conflict remains a local affair or a regional conflagration.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari signs a landmark free trade agreement ahead of the African Union summit at the Palais des Congrès in Niamey, Niger, on July 7, 2019.

Meet the World’s Largest Free Trade Area

When it comes into effect, the African Continental Free Trade Area will remake African economies—and the world’s.

Supporters of President Donald Trump gather outside the governor's mansion to protest the results of the U.S. presidential election in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Nov. 7.

Liberal Chinese Americans Are Fighting Right-Wing WeChat Disinformation

Chinese-language social media has been dominated by racism and fake news.

An employee wearing protective equipment is seen at the headquarters of Russia's biotech company, BIOCAD, which is developing its own COVID-19 vaccine, in Siberia, Vektor on May 20.

Kremlin Spin Doctors are Leading Russia’s Vaccine Development

With Sputnik V, the country is conflating good headlines with good health.

Rap Against Dictatorship performs during a demonstration at the October 14th Memorial in Bangkok on Aug. 27.

Rap Against Dictatorship Turns Thai Protests Into Video Hits

Facing a military-backed government, Thai protesters find musical inspiration.

President-elect Joe Biden speaks to the media in Delaware.

And the Top Contenders for Biden’s Cabinet Are…

Biden’s final picks could ultimately hinge on two runoff Senate races in Georgia, which will determine who controls the upper chamber.

Philippine journalist Maria Ressa (C), is escorted by police after an arrest warrant was served, shortly after arriving at the international airport in Manila on March 29, 2019.

Biden Must Restore America’s Reputation as a Beacon of Press Freedom

After four years of hostility to journalists and a free press, the United States must repair the damage Trump has done at home and abroad.

Sisanda Henna, Megan Fox, and Brandon Auret in “Rogue.”

Hollywood Likes Feminists When They’re Imperialists

Female-led movies are repeating the same stale images of power.

Voices

Biotechnology company Moderna protocol files for COVID-19 vaccinations are kept at the Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida, on August 13, 2020.

The World’s Wild and Crazy Vaccine Ride Is Just Starting

Is it possible to have too many vaccines? We may soon find out.

President Donald Trump leaves Number 10 Downing Street after a reception on December 3, 2019 in London.

Trump Is in Denial—and America Is Unsafe

A house divided against itself can’t compete on the world stage.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference at the conclusion of the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France, on Aug. 24, 2019.

The U.K. Is Taking an Unexpectedly Moral Foreign-Policy Stance Post-Brexit

Economic considerations are being put aside for human rights.

A FOCUS ON RACE AND FOREIGN POLICY

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Why Is Mainstream International Relations Blind to Racism?

Ignoring the central role of race and colonialism in world affairs precludes an accurate understanding of the modern state system.

Black Lives Matter Protest London

When Did Racism Become Solely a Domestic Issue?

International relations theorists once explored racism. What has the field lost by giving that up?

People walk down 16th Street in Washington after volunteers painted "Black Lives Matter" on the street near the White House on June 5.

Seeing Race In a Pandemic

How the physical environment affects our experience of difference.

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Why Race Matters in International Relations

Western dominance and white privilege permeate the field. It’s time to change that.

Special insights on the post-pandemic world

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Culture Shock

Eight voices on the future of entertainment, culture, and sports.

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The Future of Travel

Seven predictions for how tourism will change.

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Will Schools and Universities Ever Return to Normal?

Nine experts on the future of education after the pandemic.

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The Future of the State

Ten leading global thinkers on government after the pandemic.

visual stories

Former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden delivers remarks in the pouring rain during a drive-in event in Tampa, Florida, on Oct. 29. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

The Month in World Photos

October brought the U.S. president’s coronavirus diagnosis and continued fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan—plus the shooting of peaceful protesters in Nigeria, a busy election season on both sides of the world, and massive flooding in Vietnam.

Artak Beglaryan, the elected human rights ombudsman for the Republic of Artsakh, stands in the wreckage of a Stepanakert school in Nagorno-Karabakh on Oct. 23. He was blinded by a land mine in 1995 and now works to document the ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan.

‘We Don’t Believe in a Political Solution’ in Nagorno-Karabakh, Fighters Say

After a month of heavy fighting over the disputed enclave between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a negotiated settlement seems far off—and civilians are paying the price.