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Brazil’s election could reshape relations with China
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Brazil’s election could reshape relations with China
October 20, 2026

On Oct. 25, Brazilians will return to the polls to choose between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in an attempted coup. 

Europe’s diesel winter is coming, and Washington is about to make it worse
October 20, 2026

Saudi Arabia went looking for allies against Ansar Allah, and so far it has gotten statements of support. Egypt has declared its readiness to back the Kingdom, but its statement does not commit to any military involvement. Pakistan and Turkey have pledged troops under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed in August, but both governments say their forces will play “a supportive rather than active combat role” against the Houthis.

Europe’s diesel winter is coming, and Washington is about to make it worse
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Do we actually need ambassadors?
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Do we actually need ambassadors?
October 19, 2026

Critics of Trump’s diplomatic staffing don’t address why it’s important to have a top man on the ground in the Zoom era.

Worried about Russian meddling in UK politics? Wait till you see what Israel is up to
October 19, 2026

Andy Burnham’s government is rolling out a new “Centre for Information Defence”. But the outside actors most aggressively undermining what little remains of British democracy are nowhere in its sights

Worried about Russian meddling in UK politics? Wait till you see what Israel is up to
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The conceit of total dominance
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The conceit of total dominance
October 18, 2026

A strange conceit of American exceptionalism is the naked ambition of full-spectrum dominance. The idea is this: America must dominate every realm of potential conflict, land-sea-air as well as space and cyber and any other realm you can imagine, for that is the only way Americans can truly be “safe.” Such a conceit comes with a hefty price tag as Pentagon spending soars toward $1.5 trillion a year. But money is the least of it. The heftiest price tag is the constant state of warfare (and preparations for yet more war) that has characterized U.S. foreign policy since 1945.

Honoring Frances Stonor Saunders
October 18, 2026

In her revelatory work The Cultural Cold War, the late British author was the first to shine so unblinking a light on the sprawl of the C.I.A.’s cultural interventions.

Honoring Frances Stonor Saunders
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It’s been 70 years: Why does the U.S. still control South Korea’s military?
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It’s been 70 years: Why does the U.S. still control South Korea’s military?
October 17, 2026

Over seventy years ago, the US took control of South Korea’s military. To this day, it still controls it.

Could AI really kill us all?
October 17, 2026

STARK warnings from artificial intelligence researchers that advanced forms of the technology could wipe out humanity have raised questions over whether governments are moving fast enough to regulate it.

Could AI really kill us all?
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