Edward Said portrait

Edward Said Saw the Future of Israel and Palestine

How the literary theorist’s life and work shed light on the epic failure of U.S. Middle East policy.

A municipal worker walks past a graffiti of a young person wearing a face mask during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown in Mumbai on May 4, 2020.

Science and Pseudoscience in India

Modi’s false hope in a raging pandemic.

Peruvian presidential candidate Pedro Castillo delivers a speech to supporters from a balcony at his campaign headquarters during his closing rally in Lima on June 3, ahead of the June 6 runoff election against Keiko Fujimori.

Peru’s New President Will Polarize the Country

This weekend, Peruvians may gamble on a leftist political unknown or bring a controversial right-wing politician into office.

The Biden Agenda

A sortable guide to the administration’s policies—and the people putting them into practice.

Shadow Government

A front-row seat to the Republicans' debate over foreign policy, including their critique of the Biden administration.

Two men talk after the end of the ExxonMobil annual shareholders meeting on May 28, 2008 in Dallas, Texas.

Can Elites Start the Climate Revolution?

Financial capital and the courts are quietly creating the conditions to stop global warming—if politics does its part, too.

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with officials at the White House to discuss migration issues.

Biden to Tap Career Diplomat as Top Official on Refugee Policy

And the president is set to announce nominees for two senior USAID posts.

Myanmar nationals hold a vigil in Thailand

Myanmar Pressure Campaign Stalls at the United Nations

The military regime’s neighbors resist sanctions, fearing it would divide regional powers.

Supporters of President Donald Trump protest outside the Clark County Election Department on November 7, 2020 in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

U.S. Democrats Can Learn From the European Left’s Failures

The demise of center-left parties across Europe is a warning to Democrats.

Forces loyal to Yemen's Houthi rebels carry the coffins of fighters killed in battles with Saudi-backed troops.

Washington Has Yemen Policy Backward

The Houthis have defeated Saudi Arabia—and peace won’t come by dictating terms to the victors.

The Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts missiles.

Israel’s Iron Dome Won’t Last Forever

The recent war in Gaza exposes the limits of a key pillar of the country’s defense strategy.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador speaks during the daily briefing at the National Palace on May 28 in Mexico City, Mexico.

Why Has AMLO Accused USAID of a “Coup Against Mexico”?

Ahead of elections this weekend, Mexico’s president has ramped up attacks on civil society groups.

A pedestrian walks in Taiwan.

Taiwan’s Governmental Overconfidence Keeps Creating Crises

An energy shortage threatens critical semiconductor supply lines as COVID-19 surges.

Anti-corruption activists in Kyiv.

Ukraine Wants to Be Cryptocurrency Central

Kyiv’s big bet on digital money could backfire and make the country’s corruption problems worse.

Workers take down the LeBron James banner.

The U.S. Midwest Is Foreign Oligarchs’ New Playground

Forget Manhattan or Monaco; it’s cities like Cleveland that are now attracting ill-gotten money from abroad.

Security officers record Bobi Wine.

Twitter’s Presence in Africa Won’t End Internet Censorship

Big Tech companies see an opportunity for growth on the continent, but they risk becoming accessories to authoritarian regimes.

A man wearing a patriotic suit and Donald Trump themed tie joins supporters queueing before President Donald Trump holds a rally on Oct. 26, 2020 in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

Biden Is Going Protectionist. Republicans Are Going Off the Deep End.

Even after Trump has left office, ultranationalist views are still dominating his party.

Biden delivers remarks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Did Biden Break the Glass on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?

Washington’s new focus on human rights could redefine the United States’ long-standing approach.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) faces Yang Jiechi (left), director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office.

‘Stronger’ Bets the United States Can Outlast China

When it comes to the mutual relationship, Beijing gets a vote.

In the Magazine

In the Magazine

biden-foreign-policy-report-card-100-days-nicolas-ortega-illustration

The Biden 100-Day Progress Report

We asked 25 experts to grade the administration’s start on foreign policy

An illustration combining images of Janet Yellen and Mario Draghi.

Janet Yellen and Mario Draghi Have One Last Job

The U.S. treasury secretary and the Italian prime minister have spent decades shaping this economy. But can they control what comes next?

How Biden Will—and Won’t—Battle the Pentagon

What the new president really thinks about the military—and what the military really thinks about him.

The Most Vital 100 Days Since FDR

Just like Roosevelt, Biden must show that government still works.

A FOCUS ON RACE AND FOREIGN POLICY

race-international-relations-colonialism-foreign-policy-illustration

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 protest against anti-Asian violence.

We Don’t Have the Words to Fight Anti-Asian Racism

Tangled questions of Asian identity need answers that aren’t defined by U.S. terminology alone.

George Floyd mural unveiled in Brooklyn.

As America Seeks Racial Justice, It Can Learn From Abroad

Other countries offer good lessons for acknowledging and redressing past wrongs.

visual stories

Brussels COVID protest

The Month in World Photos

May brought an explosion of violence in Israel and Gaza—plus volcanic eruptions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, “sea snot” in Turkey, and the delivery of COVID vaccines around the world.

Above and below: Health workers Safina Bibi and Zubaria Mukhtar from a clinic supported by Greenstar Social Marketing visit women in a settlement for Afghan refugees in the suburbs of Islamabad on April 1.

The Global Gag Rule’s Long Shadow in Pakistan

Biden repealed major restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, but anti-abortion ideology still limits crucial reproductive care in the places that need it most.