Iran’s Return to Pragmatism
The events of 2024 shifted the balance of power in the Middle East—and inside Iran.
A Wider War Has Already Started in Europe
Putin’s not-so-quiet sabotage campaign against European democracies
The Consensus on Havana Syndrome Is Cracking
After long denying the possibility, some intelligence agencies are no longer willing to rule out a mystery weapon.
Photos of the Week: Siberian Tiger, Frosty Foliage, Snowball Fight
A snow-and-ice festival in northern China, destructive wildfires in Los Angeles, Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas celebrations in Addis Ababa, an oil spill off the cost of Crimea, and much more
Trump Is Right That Pax Americana Is Over
But will he bother to build something new?
Trump Is Facing a Catastrophic Defeat in Ukraine
If Ukraine falls, it will be hard to spin as anything but a debacle for the United States, and for its president.
The New Rasputins
Anti-science mysticism is enabling autocracy around the globe.
The Global Outrage Machine Skips the Uyghurs
China grandstands about Gaza while repressing a Muslim community within its own borders. Hardly anyone seems to notice.
Photos of the Week: Flaming Barrels, Flour Battles, Debutante Kisses
A Christmas carnival in Nigeria, New Year’s Eve fireworks around the world, a Polar Bear Plunge in New York, a photogenic archway in California, and much more
Why Liberals Struggle to Cope With Epochal Change
The error of their mythology about 1989 matters because we face another such moment of historical rupture today.
The Rise of John Ratcliffe
A partisan loyalist with a history of politicizing intelligence will soon be running the CIA.
Narendra Modi’s Populist Facade Is Cracking
India is now a testing ground for whether demagoguery or deteriorating living conditions exert a greater sway on voters.
Photos: Remembering Jimmy Carter’s Life of Service
A collection of images of Jimmy Carter’s life as a husband, father, farmer, sailor, governor, president, diplomat, volunteer, and teacher.
How Putin Tapped a Well of Ethnic Hatred in Russia
Radical nationalists have infiltrated the country’s police and politics.
2024: The Year in Volcanic Activity
Scenes from the wide variety of volcanic activity on Earth over the past year
The ‘Anthropological Change’ Happening in Venezuela
Maduro is still in place, but a pro-democracy movement is transforming the beleaguered country.
The Price of Humiliating Nicolás Maduro
A new kind of repression is gripping Venezuela, and its logic is menacingly opaque.
South Korea’s Crisis Is Nowhere Near Over
Ongoing political chaos will entrench the country’s economic and social problems—and leave Seoul woefully unprepared for Trump.
Photos of the Week: Relic Crown, Floating Village, Ice Harvest
A Christmas fair in Romania, an enormous indoor ice rink in Paris, a surfing Santa Claus in Australia, a sunset camel safari in India, a cyclo-cross race in Belgium, and much more
Bashar al-Assad Exploited Alawites’ Fear
To move forward, Syria needs to guarantee their safety.