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A Russian soldier patrols at a theater in Ukraine.
A Russian soldier patrols at a theater in Ukraine.

What the Fall of Mariupol Would Mean for the War

A propaganda win for Russia, a big battlefield boost, and a way to hide evidence of war crimes.

Taliban fighters in armored vehicles take part in a military parade.
Taliban fighters in armored vehicles take part in a military parade.

Afghanistan Regains Its Crown as Terror Central

The Taliban’s jihadi friends are back to threaten global security.

French far-right National Rally presidential candidate Marine Le Pen arrives to deliver a speech at a gathering with supporters as part of a campaign visit in Avignon, France, on April 14.
French far-right National Rally presidential candidate Marine Le Pen arrives to deliver a speech at a gathering with supporters as part of a campaign visit in Avignon, France, on April 14.

France’s Constitution Can’t Contain Marine Le Pen

By expanding executive power, previous presidents have primed the system for her abuse.

Asia

Yahya, an Afghan who identifies as gay and a non-conforming person, poses during an interview at an undisclosed location on September 28, 2021.
Yahya, an Afghan who identifies as gay and a non-conforming person, poses during an interview at an undisclosed location on September 28, 2021.

What the Taliban Means for Queer Afghans

China

Middle East & Africa

British Home Secretary Priti Patel and Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Vincent Biruta shake hands after signing an agreement at the Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda, on April 14.
British Home Secretary Priti Patel and Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Vincent Biruta shake hands after signing an agreement at the Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda, on April 14.

Britain Seeks to Send Refugees to Rwanda

Europe

Marine Le Pen leaves the polling booth as she votes during the first round of France's presidential election at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont, northern France on April 10, 2022.
Marine Le Pen leaves the polling booth as she votes during the first round of France's presidential election at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont, northern France on April 10, 2022.

Why Marine Le Pen Always Loses

Americas

Solar technicians from Alianza Ceibo/Amazon Frontlines help members
Solar technicians from Alianza Ceibo/Amazon Frontlines help members

Ecuador’s Distant Dream of a Green Recovery

china-us-foreign-policy-eleanor-shakespeare-illustration-hP
china-us-foreign-policy-eleanor-shakespeare-illustration-hP

What Exactly Is America’s China Policy?

The United States needs to right-size the China threat to know how to counter it.

how-beijing-sees-biden-nicolas-ortega-illustration-hp
how-beijing-sees-biden-nicolas-ortega-illustration-hp

How Beijing Sees Biden

For decades, Chinese leaders thought they knew the man who would become America’s 46th president. But he was changing all along.

Ukraine Crisis: What to Read

Illustration United States Ukraine
Illustration United States Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony marking the 1,030th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity by Prince Vladimir, the leader of Kievan Rus, in Moscow on July 28, 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony marking the 1,030th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity by Prince Vladimir, the leader of Kievan Rus, in Moscow on July 28, 2018.

Putin’s Thousand-Year War

The reasons for his anti-Western enmity stretch back over Russia’s entire history—and they will be with us for a long time.

German protesters hold signs in support of Ukraine.
German protesters hold signs in support of Ukraine.

How Putin Bungled His Invasion of Ukraine

Faulty assumptions, terrible logistics, and a ferocious Ukrainian resistance have turned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Ukrainian adventure to ashes—for now.

Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin

The Intellectual Catastrophe of Vladimir Putin

The meaning of Russia’s war in Ukraine is its own national weakness.

Long Reads

A closed McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow
A closed McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow
An older woman with a walking stick stands in front of piles of rubble and a destroyed house.
An older woman with a walking stick stands in front of piles of rubble and a destroyed house.

What Happens to the Homes Ukrainians Leave Behind?

Abandonment, destruction, or occupation of homes and property is a grim hallmark of modern conflicts.

Decoder-Haiti-Koltiz_Alexandra_Antoine_illustration-3-2
Decoder-Haiti-Koltiz_Alexandra_Antoine_illustration-3-2

Kòltiz, a Patriotic Haitian Practice of Solidarity

Haitian collaborative groups affirm that “every human is human.”

Several gas station signs displaying current prices are shown along a street.
Several gas station signs displaying current prices are shown along a street.

The Ukraine Crisis Offers a Rare Chance for Energy and Climate Cooperation

Russia’s war in Ukraine has exposed some difficult truths about the world’s energy needs.

visual stories

Protester throws debris
Protester throws debris

The Month in World Photos

Continued devastation and heartbreak in war-torn Ukraine, record flooding in Australia, and an International Women’s Day protest in Mexico City. This was March 2022.

Kharkiv residents sleep on the ground in the Kharkiv metro station on March 10.
Kharkiv residents sleep on the ground in the Kharkiv metro station on March 10.

Life Underground in Bomb-Shattered Kharkiv

Two weeks into the war, residents of Ukraine’s second-largest city are still surviving in squalid shelters.

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