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Individuals gather in Paris for a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people.
Individuals gather in Paris for a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people.

The Israel-Hamas War Is Dividing Europe’s Left

A political hot potato singes progressives across the continent.

Israeli volunteers tend to plants in a greenhouse growing tomatoes in Moshav Sde Nitzan, in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip, on October 25, 2023.
Israeli volunteers tend to plants in a greenhouse growing tomatoes in Moshav Sde Nitzan, in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip, on October 25, 2023.

Israel’s Wartime Economy Can’t Hold Up Forever

The country’s massive military mobilization has created serious economic strain.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry shake hands.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry shake hands.

Blinken’s Whirlwind Shuttle Diplomacy Weekend

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues to butt heads with key regional leaders on calls for an Israel-Hamas cease-fire.

Pictured sitting at a table from left to right are Finnish Navy commander Toni Joutsia; Markus Paljakka, the lieutenant commander of the Finnish Border Guard; Risto Lohi, the detective inspector of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); and Robin Lardot, the head of the NBI. Above them hang screens with pictures of a Hong Kong-registered ship thought to have intentionally damaged the Balticconnector pipeline.
Pictured sitting at a table from left to right are Finnish Navy commander Toni Joutsia; Markus Paljakka, the lieutenant commander of the Finnish Border Guard; Risto Lohi, the detective inspector of Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI); and Robin Lardot, the head of the NBI. Above them hang screens with pictures of a Hong Kong-registered ship thought to have intentionally damaged the Balticconnector pipeline.

A Pipeline Mystery Has a $53 Million Solution

Who sabotaged Finnish infrastructure—and was it war or not?

A man is seen from behind as he leans in to examine a glass case at an exhibit hall dedicated to a retired atomic bomb base in Tibet. The case includes photos and walls of text, and it is flanked on either side by two sculptures of mushroom clouds. The entire room is lit by dim, red-tinted light.
A man is seen from behind as he leans in to examine a glass case at an exhibit hall dedicated to a retired atomic bomb base in Tibet. The case includes photos and walls of text, and it is flanked on either side by two sculptures of mushroom clouds. The entire room is lit by dim, red-tinted light.

It’s Time to Talk About No First Use

Long a nonstarter in Washington, it may now be the best source of common ground with Beijing.

Two armed and masked militants of the Islamic Jihad Movement are seen inside a tunnel underneath Gaza City.
Two armed and masked militants of the Islamic Jihad Movement are seen inside a tunnel underneath Gaza City.

Hamas and the New Lessons of Irregular Warfare

Military strategies need urgent revisions to counter—and learn from—fast-evolving irregular threats.

A photo collage illustration shows Russian President Vladamir Putin walking with a shadow cast before him on a red field. In front of him is the crown of a Russian tsar and a Soviet-era statue with hammer, sickle, and star.
A photo collage illustration shows Russian President Vladamir Putin walking with a shadow cast before him on a red field. In front of him is the crown of a Russian tsar and a Soviet-era statue with hammer, sickle, and star.

The Inevitable Fall of Putin’s New Russian Empire

What history tells us about collapsed empires trying to restore their former possessions.

An illustration of an ominous gas mask on a green background with programming code replacing the eyes
An illustration of an ominous gas mask on a green background with programming code replacing the eyes

Can Chatbots Help You Build a Bioweapon?

Artificial intelligence can help users engineer pathogens—but that’s not the real danger.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, wearing a suit and tie, is seen in profile against a black and white striped background.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, wearing a suit and tie, is seen in profile against a black and white striped background.

Elon Musk Is the Messy Hero of Our Messy Age

For better and worse, he represents how change happens in our current society.

Rubble cleared in Gaza after Israeli airstrike in Israel-Hamas war.
Rubble cleared in Gaza after Israeli airstrike in Israel-Hamas war.

Can Our Leaders Avoid the Terrorism Trap?

For Israel and Palestine, the only way to break the cycle of violence is to understand the difference between justice and vengeance.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Israel.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Israel.

Blinken, Nasrallah Address Israel-Hamas War

In dueling speeches, the U.S. urged Israel to protect Palestinian civilians while Hezbollah celebrated Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

A ray of sunlight filtered through heavy cloud cover shines through a dark blue sky onto a range of low mountains.
A ray of sunlight filtered through heavy cloud cover shines through a dark blue sky onto a range of low mountains.

Armenian-Azerbaijan Peace Might Finally Be on the Table

Economic connections could rebuild a relationship wracked by war.

Supporters of Hezbollah gather at Ashura Square in the southern suburbs of Beirut to listen to the speech of the secretary-general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on Nov. 3.
Supporters of Hezbollah gather at Ashura Square in the southern suburbs of Beirut to listen to the speech of the secretary-general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on Nov. 3.

Will There Be a Wider War in the Middle East?

How Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, and other countries in the region are watching Israel’s war on Hamas.

Republican Congressman Brandon Williams of New York holds an Israeli flag as he looks down on a crowd of protesters below as they stage a demonstration in support of a cease fire in Gaza. The crowd holds signs that say Ceasefire, Jews Say Ceasefire Now, and Philly Jews Say Never Again is Now. Reporters and photographers are seen on the columned balcony framing the scene in the Cannon House Office Building.
Republican Congressman Brandon Williams of New York holds an Israeli flag as he looks down on a crowd of protesters below as they stage a demonstration in support of a cease fire in Gaza. The crowd holds signs that say Ceasefire, Jews Say Ceasefire Now, and Philly Jews Say Never Again is Now. Reporters and photographers are seen on the columned balcony framing the scene in the Cannon House Office Building.

Is America Really ‘Indispensable’ Again?

The new debates over aid to Ukraine and Israel have opened an old wound: avoiding too many foreign entanglements.

Trucks transporting Afghan refugees with their belongings are seen along a road toward the Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham border.
Trucks transporting Afghan refugees with their belongings are seen along a road toward the Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham border.

What in the World?

Test yourself on the week of Oct. 28: Israel’s bombardments of Gaza intensify, Congo’s crisis deepens, and Russia ditches a key treaty.

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