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About 500 pupils and their parents protest against the language education reform in front of the parliament in Latvia on Feb 10, 2005.
About 500 pupils and their parents protest against the language education reform in front of the parliament in Latvia on Feb 10, 2005.

Latvia Is Going on Offense Against Russian Culture

The Baltic nation is taking cultural cohesion into its own hands—and risking backlash.

Rep. Mike Gallagher presides over the first hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in Washington on Feb. 28.
Rep. Mike Gallagher presides over the first hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in Washington on Feb. 28.

The Real Risk of the China Select Committee

Why alienate the very people whose expertise and connections might help Congress understand the Chinese government?

Norwegian Home Guard soldiers assist security at Norway’s Karsto gas processing plant.
Norwegian Home Guard soldiers assist security at Norway’s Karsto gas processing plant.

Insurance Agencies Would Love to Know Who Blew Up Nord Stream

An era of gray zone warfare and sabotage creates tough financial questions.

A U.S. Army Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is seen in a military exercise between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the U.S.-led international coalition near Deir ez-Zor, Syria, on Dec. 7, 2021.
A U.S. Army Bradley infantry fighting vehicle is seen in a military exercise between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the U.S.-led international coalition near Deir ez-Zor, Syria, on Dec. 7, 2021.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaks to the press in The Hague, the Netherlands.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaks to the press in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The Netherlands’ Eternal Prime Minister Survives Another Populist Wave

Dutch parties keep changing, but the politics remain the same.

Then-Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda attends a central bank symposium.
Then-Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda attends a central bank symposium.

Japan Has Raised Inflation but Can’t Shake Stagnation

Top banking chief Haruhiko Kuroda is leaving with his work half done.

Supporters carry placards displaying a portrait of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest in Karachi.
Supporters carry placards displaying a portrait of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest in Karachi.

A Coup Would Put Pakistan Squarely in China’s Bloc

An isolated junta would be cripplingly dependent on Beijing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

It’s a New Great Game. Again.

Across Central Asia, Russia’s brand is tainted by Ukraine, China’s got challenges, and Washington senses another opening.

A COMAC C919 narrow-body airliner on display during the 2021 China Aviation Industry Conference And Nanchang Air Show on October 30, 2021 in Nanchang, China.
A COMAC C919 narrow-body airliner on display during the 2021 China Aviation Industry Conference And Nanchang Air Show on October 30, 2021 in Nanchang, China.

If China Arms Russia, the U.S. Should Kill China’s Aircraft Industry

Beijing’s aerospace future is uniquely dependent on Western companies. U.S. and EU trade sanctions could bring its indigenous aviation sector to a halt.

Young men walk in front of a billboard promoting Russian army service.
Young men walk in front of a billboard promoting Russian army service.

Putin’s War on Young People

Almost unnoticed, a generation of Russians has come of age during his 23 years in power.

Members of the transgender and LGBTQ community light candles as they  pay tribute to victims of hate crimes in Uganda and all over the world, in Kampala, Uganda, on Nov. 23, 2019.
Members of the transgender and LGBTQ community light candles as they pay tribute to victims of hate crimes in Uganda and all over the world, in Kampala, Uganda, on Nov. 23, 2019.

How U.S. Evangelicals Helped Homophobia Flourish in Africa

Anti-gay sentiment had previously existed on the continent, but white American religious groups have given it a boost.

A Likud Party election banner hanging from a building shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a caption above reading in Hebrew "Netanyahu, in another league", in  Tel Aviv on July 28, 2019.
A Likud Party election banner hanging from a building shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a caption above reading in Hebrew "Netanyahu, in another league", in Tel Aviv on July 28, 2019.

How Modi and Bibi Built a Military Alliance

India and Israel have strengthened their defense ties in recent years—but a new book makes the relationship sound more sinister than it is.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Kai Wegner, the CDU’s top candidate in Berlin, depart after the end of a joint press conference in Berlin on Feb. 13, one day after the city-state’s elections. The campaign placard behind them reads “Celebrate Berlin. Fire the Council.”
Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Kai Wegner, the CDU’s top candidate in Berlin, depart after the end of a joint press conference in Berlin on Feb. 13, one day after the city-state’s elections. The campaign placard behind them reads “Celebrate Berlin. Fire the Council.”

Germany’s Conservatives Are Ready for a Culture War

The Christian Democrats aren’t the center-right party of Angela Merkel anymore.

U.S. Marines walk past a toppled statue of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in Baghdad.
U.S. Marines walk past a toppled statue of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in Baghdad.
Family members grieve on the coffin of murdered civilian Ruslan Nechyporenko, 47, during his graveside funeral in Bucha, Ukraine.
Family members grieve on the coffin of murdered civilian Ruslan Nechyporenko, 47, during his graveside funeral in Bucha, Ukraine.
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China, Ukraine, and How Biden Plans to Balance Both

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Can U.S. President Joe Biden really support Ukraine against Russia for “as long as it takes,” as he has pledged? Congressional support for this aid has largely been bipartisan and wide-r...Show more

Protesters gather during a rally against the government's controversial judicial overhaul bill in Tel Aviv on March 18.
Protesters gather during a rally against the government's controversial judicial overhaul bill in Tel Aviv on March 18.

Ehud Barak on Israel’s Escalating Crisis

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Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been protesting weekly against their government’s plans to overhaul—and weaken—the country’s judiciary. Several former military officials have ...Show more

BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 05: A general view of the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech in the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2023 in Beijing, China.China's annual political gathering known as the Two Sessions will convene leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 05: A general view of the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech in the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2023 in Beijing, China.China's annual political gathering known as the Two Sessions will convene leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Inside China’s ‘Two Sessions’

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Every year, the top Chinese legislative and advisory bodies meet for two weeks to rubber-stamp decisions already made by the Chinese Communist Party. It’s called the “two sessions,” ...Show more