World
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping Stake Out a New World Order
Russia and China’s leaders claim to reject a ‘Cold War mentality’ while escalating their anti-Western rhetoric.
Italy’s Giorgia Meloni Is Defying Early Expectations
Her election prompted concerns about far-right tendencies, but she’s governed more like Thatcher than Orbán.
Vladimir Putin’s Meddling in the Balkans
Russia’s ‘hybrid occupation’ of Serbia threatens to derail its peace plan with Kosovo.
U.S. Getting More Serious About a TikTok Ban
Plus: Grand slams ⚾, Pong 🏓, and a March Madness update 🏀!
Why You Should Visit Iraq (Really)
Twenty years after the U.S.-led invasion, Americans still know far too little about this complicated country.
French Pension Reform Muscled Through
Facing potential defeat, Macron sidesteps the National Assembly.
American Submarines Headed Down Under
Plus: Last chance to enter the TMD March Madness pool!
China’s Middle East Power Play
A Beijing-brokered normalization deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia may lack staying power, but it signals China’s long-term strategy.
Exotic Fish and Russian Missiles
A small aquarium brings a bit of normalcy to those living near the frontlines.
After the Battle for Bakhmut
On the ground as Russian forces close in on a nearby town—and some weary locals refuse to leave.
The Japan-South Korea Thaw
In the face of threats from China and North Korea, can America’s East Asian allies find ways to cooperate despite a painful past?
A Renewed Push to Designate Mexican Drug Cartels as Terrorist Organizations
Plus: What’s going on with schoolgirls in Iran?
The Rise of Xi Jinping’s China
Former National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley on the risk of competition turning into confrontation: A Dispatch Q&A.
COVID-19’s Origins Back Under the Microscope
“[Whether] this was a lab leak or not, it’s absolutely conceivable that the next epidemic could be started by a laboratory.”
Worrying Nuclear Reports Out of Iran
The Islamic Republic’s nuclear enrichment creeps toward weapons grade.