Latest

List of Latest articles

South African Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe (L) South African Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald (C) and South African Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber (R) talk at the swearing in of cabinet ministers, on July 3, 2024, in Cape Town.
South African Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe (L) South African Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald (C) and South African Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber (R) talk at the swearing in of cabinet ministers, on July 3, 2024, in Cape Town.

How Trump Created a South African Team of Rivals

Pressure from Washington has united long-standing political enemies and cemented the government of national unity.

Donald Trump holds solar eclipse glasses.
Donald Trump holds solar eclipse glasses.

What I Got Wrong About Trump’s Second Term

I didn’t entirely see this coming. Here’s why.

Keir Starmer leans over to speak to Donald Trump.
Keir Starmer leans over to speak to Donald Trump.

Britain’s Abusive New Relationship With America

Keir Starmer is getting used to his very uncomfortable role in Donald Trump’s world.

A vintage poster shows a hand holding a social security check. The U.S. capitol is in the background. Lettering reads: A monthly check to you — for the rest of your life ... beginning when you are 65.
A vintage poster shows a hand holding a social security check. The U.S. capitol is in the background. Lettering reads: A monthly check to you — for the rest of your life ... beginning when you are 65.

Is Social Security a ‘Ponzi Scheme’?

To all retired Americans, its benefits are very real.

A woman is seen through the high window of a hotel with multiple windows all around her.
A woman is seen through the high window of a hotel with multiple windows all around her.
A bright red screen large enough to take up an entire wall shows large images of Xi Jinping. People are seen in shadowed silhouette, backlit by the screen, as they mill about a museum exhibit.
A bright red screen large enough to take up an entire wall shows large images of Xi Jinping. People are seen in shadowed silhouette, backlit by the screen, as they mill about a museum exhibit.

Why Isn’t China Playing Trump’s Game?

Beijing has opted for defiance instead of flattery. Will the strategy backfire?

Rescuers and police work at a site of a Russian strike in Ukraine.
Rescuers and police work at a site of a Russian strike in Ukraine.

Trump Threatens Russia With Sanctions Over Recent Ukraine Attack

But the U.S. president stopped short of denouncing Moscow’s large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

A crowd of hundreds of protesters is seen from overhead. Most participants are dressed for the cold in heavy coats, hats, and gloves, and many wave Serbian flags or picket signs.
A crowd of hundreds of protesters is seen from overhead. Most participants are dressed for the cold in heavy coats, hats, and gloves, and many wave Serbian flags or picket signs.

Street Protests Aren’t Enough to Transform Serbia

To topple Vucic, student activists must look to the ballot box.

Three soldiers with their faces covered stand on a balcony.
Three soldiers with their faces covered stand on a balcony.

How Wagner Cut Its Teeth in Syria

Russian mercenaries weren’t always welcomed by the state, but their fighting on behalf of Bashar al-Assad was a prelude to Ukraine.

David Sacks, U.S. President Donald Trump’s AI and crypto czar, speaks to Trump as he signs a series of executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.
David Sacks, U.S. President Donald Trump’s AI and crypto czar, speaks to Trump as he signs a series of executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.

Trump Goes All in on Crypto 

The U.S. president has embraced digital currencies after years of skepticism.

A woman sits on a couch and holds hands with a man whose head rests on her lap.
A woman sits on a couch and holds hands with a man whose head rests on her lap.

A Show About Nothing, This Time From Japan

‘Asura’ is impervious to a succinct pitch, which might be why too few people have seen it.

Books-in-brief-foreign-policy- March
Books-in-brief-foreign-policy- March

The Novels We’re Reading in March

From a killing in the West Bank to horror in a postapocalyptic convent.

An aerial view of a steel plant.
An aerial view of a steel plant.

Heavy Industry Is Europe’s Trump Card

The continent has an upper hand in its looming security competition with the United States.

An illustration shows Donald Trump in a blue suit shaking hands with a manin a green pinstriped suit. Between them is a waiter uncovering a silver tray that their hands reach across.
An illustration shows Donald Trump in a blue suit shaking hands with a manin a green pinstriped suit. Between them is a waiter uncovering a silver tray that their hands reach across.

Trump Can Work Dinner Deals Without Leaving Home

The U.S. can lead the way in culinary diplomacy—at Mar-a-Lago.

Against an orange sky with a large yellow sun setting on the horizon, a Patriot air defense system is seen as a black silhouette of the equipment.
Against an orange sky with a large yellow sun setting on the horizon, a Patriot air defense system is seen as a black silhouette of the equipment.

On Ukraine, Split the Difference Between Trump and Biden 

One U.S. president deferred too much to Zelensky, while the other is trying to dictate terms.

Loading graphics