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Since February 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has spawned a range of viral slogans, memes, and images that continue to shape public perceptions of the war. There is the ominous Russian Z, the call to “be brave like Ukraine,” and a Ukrainian soldier giving the middle finger to a sinking Russian warship. Among the […]
In 1952, Britain was nearly bankrupt. Its great imperial possession India had declared independence, and other parts of the empire were being slowly dismantled. Yet the country still had pretensions to great-power status. It was, after all, still the third-largest economy in the world. “We’ve got to have this thing over here, whatever it costs. […]
England’s greatest, weirdest living author lives in a terraced house in Northampton, where he worships a snake god in the basement. Alan Moore revolutionized the comics industry in the 1980s with Swamp Thing, in which a nearly forgotten character was turned into an exploration of the United States’ environmental and historical horrors and glories, and […]
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the negotiating lines for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, Israel and Hezbollah inching closer to a truce, and a major national security trial in Hong Kong. Land, Troops, and NATO Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to discussing a cease-fire deal with Ukraine once U.S. President-elect Donald […]
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s looming return to office is causing sleepless nights in Europe. Diplomats expect Trump 2.0 will cause more headaches because the world is less stable today than it was in 2017. Chief among their fears is the growing partnership between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. “Trump is getting one global theater. […]
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Russia’s revised nuclear doctrine, a contentious New Zealand bill that could hurt the Maori people, and the sentencing of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. ‘That Means World War III’ Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered Moscow’s nuclear threshold on Tuesday in response to U.S. President Joe […]
A pair of undersea data cables in the Baltic Sea mysteriously stopped working in the last two days, and the first reaction from Germany and Finland, two NATO members, was essentially, “What have the Russians done now?” followed by, sotto voce, “Is there a chance this was an accident?” The two cables—one between Sweden and […]
Being the archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England, has always been a risky business. Modern incumbents are not likely to be murdered before their own altar, beheaded by Puritans, or burned as a martyr. But being the leader of 85 million believers in the world’s third-largest Christian group—the Anglican Communion—is still a […]
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a dramatic shift in U.S. weapons policy toward the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change negotiations at the G-20 summit, and the European Union considering suspending dialogue with Israel. ATACMS Get a Green Light On Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use the U.S. Army Tactical […]
Is U.S. President-elect Donald Trump the accomplished dealmaker he boasts to be, with the Russia-Ukraine war about to come to a peaceful end? We should take him on his word when he says he’s not keen on starting any new wars—but that’s not at all the same as crafting a settlement in an ongoing conflict. […]