Germany was an obvious choice for the WHO, for political and technocratic reasons. But it remains to be seen whether Berlin’s clout is going to be enough to overcome the organization’s biggest shortcomings: global rivalries spurred by China’s rise and nationalistic policies that prevent access to reliable information. The WHO’s […]
Read Time : 16 Minutes
U.S.-China Detente Would Pose Its Own Dangers
Already the economic costs of confrontation and technological decoupling are pushing business and political leaders to advocate a modus operandi of defusing the tension. Other areas of possible cooperation might drive a push for de-escalation. A majority of Americans and allied populations, especially in Europe, consider climate change a top […]
Read Time : 7 Minutes
What to Watch in South Asia Next Year
If you would like to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Thursday, please sign up here . Last week, we looked at the most surprising stories from South Asia in the past year. This week, we turn to 2022. Below, we’ve rounded up four key questions for the […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
China Slams UK’s Military Intelligence Report, Says MI6 ‘seeing Too Many James Bond Films’
China on Friday expressed displeasure over UK intelligence that alleged indirect interference of the Chinese government in the UK Parliament. Slamming the intelligence reports published by UK Military Intelligence, Section 5 (MI5) in which it said a British lawyer of Chinese descent is “involved in political interference activities” in the […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
University In Netherlands Hit By Funding Scandal, Stops Accepting Donations From China
A Dutch university in Amsterdam will no longer accept donations from China to support a human rights centre. The university was under the government’s radar for the possibility of espionage for the Chinese government. This comes after media reported that the Vrije Universiteit (Free University) of Amsterdam had received funding […]
Read Time : 27 Minutes
Mario Draghi Doesn’t Have ‘Whatever It Takes’ Anymore
The stakes of Italy’s presidential race extend beyond the figure of Draghi and his technocratic prowess. It would be more accurate to think of it as the latest round in the decades-long struggle to reconcile Italy’s position as a member of the inner circle of Europe—and the euro—with the shifting […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
As the U.S. and Russia Talk Ukraine, Where’s Europe?
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday, please sign up here . Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken joins four-way talks on Ukraine , Turkey’s central bank makes its interest rate decision, and Biden considers redesignating the Houthis […]
Read Time : 12 Minutes
What 2021 Meant for the Fight Against Climate Change
Then, in November, the long-awaited United Nations Climate Change Conference (known as COP26) took place in Glasgow, Scotland. Although its president dubbed it the “ last, best hope ” to save the planet, its final pact dashed hopes: With no enforcement mechanisms, it failed to sketch a clear path to […]
Read Time : 39 Minutes
Is Biden’s Foreign Policy Grade A Material?
Is America back? U.S. President Joe Biden came into office vowing to reset the United States’ standing in the world and repair ties with its allies after its tumultuous Trump era. But his first year in office has been rocked by a series of foreign-policy crises—from Kabul to Kyiv—that have […]
Read Time : 13 Minutes
Gabriel Boric Bookends a Year of Demands for a New Social Contract
If you would like to receive Latin America Brief in your inbox every Friday, please sign up here . The highlights this week: We recap some of the year’s biggest stories , including how Gabriel Boric’s election victory in Chile is emblematic of a year where social inequality drove politics […]