World Politics Review
World Politics Review's Trend Lines podcast features in-depth interviews with experts and leading policymakers, offering uncompromising analysis of international affairs. Each episode delves into global political trends and issues, providing listeners with insightful perspectives on world events.
Episodes
Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tigray Are Back on a War Footing
What do you think of the audio versions of articles, read by an AI-generated voice, that we've been featuring on this podcast feed of late? Our publisher wants your comments. Listen to the episode to find out where to send your thoughts. In this briefing, originally published March 27, 2025, Fred Harter looks at the potential for fresh conflict in Ethiopia. Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tigray Are Back
The World Could Use a Crimes Against Humanity Treaty
Israel has resumed attacks in force on Gaza this week, breaking a two-month ceasefire and undermining U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that he would end both the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine conflicts quickly and easily. To some, Trump's seeming empowerment of both Israel and Russia, coming on the heels of former President Joe Biden's earlier failure to deter Russian aggression or use U.S. l
Trump's Bluster Won't Help a Caribbean Region That Needs Solutions
This week U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to the Caribbean, where he will visit Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname. Having already traveled to Central America and the Dominican Republic in February, this is Rubio's second trip to the hemisphere in the two months since President Donald Trump returned to the White House on Jan. 20. Trump himself has already demonstrated his new administrat
In Mexico, the Push for a National Care System Is Gaining Momentum
At the heart of unpaid care work in Mexico lies a paradox: The labor sustains the economy, even as it creates barriers to women joining the workforce. All told, the value of uncompensated domestic labor in Mexico amounts to more than 26 percent of GDP, outpacing both the manufacturing sector and trade, according to the country's statistics agency. Yet roughly 20 million Mexican women are not emplo
Regional Divisions Are Fraying West Africa's Security Cooperation
In January, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, having already established the Alliance of Sahel States, or AES, as an alternative regional grouping. The move has had a multitude of consequences, including ongoing diplomatic spats between the AES states and those that remain committed to ECOWAS, as well as challenges to tr
The Global Order Got Over COVID-19 Pretty Quickly
Five years ago last week, the world shut down. The coronavirus that caused COVID-19 had first emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. By March 2020, it had become a global pandemic leading to mass death and grinding the global economy to a halt, with some labeling it "the most disruptive global event since the Great Depression and World War 2." Hoping to prevent those ill with the deadly respir
The EU's Common Agricultural Policy Has Created a Farming Crisis
European farmers have been in the news in recent months due to high-profile protests against climate policies, which they argue put a disproportionate burden on their already thin margins, as well as European Union trade deals, which they claim expose farmers to unfair competition from global producers. Combined, the twin pressures have radicalized many in the sector, while putting a spotlight on
The U.N. Thought It Was Prepared for Trump's Return. It Wasn't
This article by Richard Gowan was published at worldpoliticsreview.com on March 19, 2025. It is now almost exactly two months since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House and set about weakening the United Nations. On his first day in office, Trump announced that the U.S. would quit the Paris Agreement on climate change as well as the World Health Organization. At the time, I argu
Lebanon's Postwar Reconstruction Is at a Standstill
NABATIEH, Lebanon - After more than a year of tit-for-tat airstrikes and several months of higher-intensity combat, the devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel ended with a ceasefire in late November 2024. In addition to the nearly 4,000 people killed during the conflict, the fighting caused an estimated $6.8 billion in damage to housing and infrastructure. Nearly 120,000 homes have been dest
For Xi, Boosting China's Domestic Consumption Means Working Harder
The meetings last week of China's National People's Congress, or NPC, and the Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, or CPPCC, ended with commitments to maintain economic growth at around 5 percent, keep unemployment at 5.5 percent and increase the fiscal deficit target to 4 percent, the highest in 30 years. However, the annual session of China's two-chambered rubber-
With Trump, the Chaos Is the Point
U.S. President Donald Trump's foreign policy is chaotic. This may be by accident or else the result of stupidity. But it is also partially by design. In his ghost-written books about business, Trump describes the benefits of keeping the other side off guard with unexpected negotiating tactics. Similarly, beyond the world of business negotiations, Trump believes in the "madman theory" of foreign po
Facing a Moment of Crisis, Europe Rewrites Its Economic Playbook
During the first week of March, a major transformation in European economic policymaking took place within the short span of 48 hours. It started in Brussels, where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an €800 billion "ReArm Europe" plan that would include the suspension of the European Union's fiscal rules for additional defense spending of up to 1.5 percent of GDP by memb
In Foreign Policy, Being Smart Is a Pretty High Bar
A couple decades ago, "smart power" was all the rage in U.S. foreign policy discussions, largely in response to the perceived foolishness of the administration of then-U.S. President George W. Bush for having become bogged down in two overseas wars. Advocates of smart power used those failed interventions to point to the limitations of hard-power instruments - like military and economic coercion -
The African Union Is Giving Djibouti's Diplomatic Model a Try
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti's long-serving foreign minister, took office as the African Union Commission's chair yesterday, four weeks after defeating Raila Odinga, Kenya's former prime minister and perennial opposition leader, in the race for the job. He succeeds Chad's Moussa Faki, who leaves after serving two four-year terms. Youssouf's victory represents a diplomatic victory for one of the
France's Reset With New Caledonia Could Hit Some Roadblocks
France has restarted negotiations toward defining its future relationship with New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the southwest Pacific that is home to about 293,000 people. The move ends nine months of political limbo following violent protests, including roadblocks and riots, that erupted across the territory in May 2024. The protests came in reaction to French President Emmanuel Macr
Hegseth's Patriarchal Vision Will Make the U.S. Military Less Effective
In a major and unprecedented shakeup to the U.S. military's leadership, U.S. President Donald Trump removed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Brown in late February, while announcing his intention to replace Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the head of the U.S. Navy. The personnel changes have been framed as part of an effort to eradicate "woke ideology" from the U.S. military. It is not a c
Romania's Presidential Election Drama Has a New Twist
In a scenario that evokes memories of the period immediately following the end of the Cold War, a Central European nation is locked in a battle to fend off Russian influence while safeguarding its democracy. But this time around, there is a critical twist: As Romania strives to maintain the integrity of its representative government, one of the states seemingly working against it is the United Sta
MBS' Domestic Agenda Is Also Driving Saudi Arabia's Diplomatic Blitz
Saudi Arabia is in the middle of a diplomatic blitz. From hosting yesterday's talks between Washington and Kyiv over the war in Ukraine to positioning the kingdom as central to the "day after" plans for postwar Gaza and offering to help deconflict tensions between the U.S. and Iran, Riyadh appears to be everywhere. This "peace push" is tethered to the political agenda of Saudi Crown Prince Mohamme
'Dual Use' Can't Justify Russia's Attacks on Ukraine's Energy Grid
During the night of March 7, Russian forces carried out a concerted bombing campaign against Ukraine's energy facilities. The acts were widely condemned by the international community, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who wrote on social media that he was "strongly considering large scale sanctions" based on the attack and urged both parties to the negotiating table. At the same time, Kremli
U.S. Aid Is Crucial to Defending Democracy in Latin America
"Why are there never coup attempts inside the United States?" an old joke among left-wing activists in Latin America goes. "Because there is no U.S. embassy there." It's a reference to U.S. actions during the Cold War to undermine democratically elected governments across the region, including Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz in the 1950s and Chilean President Salvador Allende in the 1970s. Unde
The War in Ukraine Is Changing How We Think of Drones and UAVs
The war in Ukraine has led to a fundamental shift in public perceptions of the military utility of drones. Until now, most people saw drones either as a more or less harmless toy with certain implications for privacy on one hand, and as a complex military system that roams the skies searching for terrorists on the other. The proliferation of drones and the accompanying high-resolution videos of th
Turkey's Contentious Foreign Policy and Domestic Politics
Turkey is nominally a close military and political ally of the United States and other NATO countries, as well as an important economic partner to the European Union. But reading headlines in recent months and years, one wonders how close the Turkish government really feels to its western partners. Under President Erdogan, Turkey has waged war against Kurdish allies of the United States in Syria a
The New Space Race Has Already Begun
The first space race, between the United States and the Soviet Union, was a geopolitical and ideological struggle between superpowers. Now five decades in the past, it pushed the limits of technology to extremes and realized some long-held dreams of humanity, like putting a human on the moon. But after the enormous gains of the 1950s and 60s, space exploration advanced more gradually. More countri
Everyone Has Come Out on the Losing End of Ethiopia's Civil War
In 2019, Ethiopia's young and dynamic prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve the longstanding tensions between his country and Eritrea. His announcement of domestic political reforms were received well both abroad and at home, many Ethiopians had felt excluded by a political system seen as having been captured by the country's Tigrayan ethnic minor
Macron's Reelection Bid Just Got More Complicated
French President Emmanuel Macron is comfortably ahead in the polls for the first round of France's presidential election, which takes place Sunday. With far-right candidate Marine Le Pen likely to finish second, the second-round runoff is shaping up to be a repeat of 2017. But while Macron won in a landslide in 2017 with more than 60 percent of the vote, this time the gap is much narrower, with le
Latin America Needs More Than Elections to Solidify Democracy
Across Latin America, countries have come a long way in building democratic institutions. Most hold competitive and inclusive elections, for example. But the pervasive presence of organized crime and corruption has made progress in other areas, like the rule of law, difficult, leaving trust in the state almost nonexistent in many parts of Latin American. Kevin Casas-Zamora, secretary-general of t
The International War on Waste
Plastics, e-waste and other hazardous waste are routinely traded across borders in what amounts to an "out of sight, out of mind" approach for the rich countries that produce them. The story is more complicated for the communities that receive and dispose of the waste. Hazardous waste poses risks to the health of local communities and the environment, spurring attempts to ban its movement across
Young People Deserve a Say in Tackling the Crises They'll Inherit
In many countries, COVID-19 has robbed an entire generation of at least a year of education and child care, not to speak of many social connections. Climate change is already threatening the wellbeing of young people around the world and will negatively impact them and future generations for decades to come. And the impacts of many social problems like unemployment and the rising cost of housing a
Getting Nuclear Nonproliferation Back on Track
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty's 10th Review Conference has been postponed repeatedly due to the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps a symbol of the degree to which global efforts to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons and reduce global stockpiles have stalled in recent years. North Korea continues to expand its nuclear capabilities, and the U.S., China and Russia are all investing heavily i
China's Military Buildup Is Challenging U.S. Deterrence in Asia
Mock amphibious assaults, regular intrusions into Taiwan's air defense zone and the militarization of artificial islands in the South China Sea are just some of the headlines that China's military buildup has generated in recent years. Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has combined advances in electronic warfare with state-of-the-art military hardware like ballistic anti-ship mis
2022 Is Shaping Up to Be a Year of Living Dangerously
Around the world in recent years, the enthusiastic embrace of globalization has given way to a backlash against liberalized trade. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, that shift toward a generalized closure, both between and within nations, has become almost a default setting, on display in everything from governments' rush to close borders in response to new variants to hyperpartisan pol
Rerun: Ali Wyne on the State of U.S.-China Relations
Earlier this month, senior U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators held a virtual round of talks to discuss concerns over the state of bilateral commercial ties. The meeting came after U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in public remarks that she would seek "frank conversations" with her Chinese counterpart "that will include discussion over China's performance under the phase-one agreement,
Rerun: The End of Asylum?
According to article 14 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution." But that promise, which was enshrined three years later in the 1951 Refugee Convention, has never been completely honored. In fact, it has been progressively eroded in recent years across the Global North, even as the numbers of refug
Rerun: Addressing Gender Disparities in COVID-19 Recoveries
Around the world, the coronavirus pandemic has taken an especially high toll on women and girls. From public health to education to jobs and livelihoods, studies have revealed a gender disparity in the impact of COVID-19 that is particularly wide in lower- and middle-income countries. Yet for all the work that's been done, experts say there's still a lot they don't know about how these impacts are
Don't Underestimate Russia as a Global Power
Three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has reestablished itself as a force to be reckoned with on the global stage, intervening forcefully not only in former Soviet republics on its periphery, but also in global hotspots like Syria and Libya. Despite Russia's resurgence, some Western leaders have a noticeable tendency to dismiss it as an overrated, overhyped power. John McCai
The AUKUS Defense Pact Is Shaking Up ASEAN
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne is finishing up a four-nation tour of Southeast Asia this week, having begun her trip in Malaysia before moving on to Cambodia, Vietnam and finally Indonesia. A main goal of the visit is to conduct follow-up talks after Canberra agreed in late October on a new "comprehensive strategic partnership" with the main regional bloc, the Association of Southeast
A Climate Showdown in Glasgow
The annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, known this year as COP26, is underway in Glasgow, Scotland. High-profile figures from the private sector and philanthropic organizations, as well as national political leaders, have all gathered to discuss ways to reduce emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases—all while the scientific community warns that the window to avert a global catast
The Global Minimum Tax Deal Could Short-Change Poorer Countries
A new agreement negotiated under the auspices of the G-20 and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development aims to crack down on tax havens by subjecting the world's largest and most profitable multinational corporations to a minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent. The deal has been agreed by 136 countries and jurisdictions, collectively representing more than 90 percent of the glo
Ali Wyne on the State of U.S.-China Relations
Earlier this month, senior U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators held a virtual round of talks to discuss concerns over the state of bilateral commercial ties. The meeting came after U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in public remarks that she would seek "frank conversations" with her Chinese counterpart "that will include discussion over China's performance under the phase-one agreement,
In Afghanistan and Beyond, Qatar Flexes Its Diplomatic Muscle
With its rich natural gas reserves and strategic location, the Gulf monarchy of Qatar has long played an important role in regional and global diplomacy that belies its small size. It has mediated or facilitated a number of sensitive negotiations, including the talks that led to the peace agreement the United States signed in February 2020 with the Taliban. Since then, and even after the Taliban
'America Is Back' Won't Save the U.S.-Led Global Order
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the United States and its allies enjoyed a near monopoly on economic, military and ideological power in a suddenly unipolar world. Over the decade and a half that followed, the U.S. emerged as the dominant power atop a liberal international order in large part shaped by its preferences. But the rise of China and resurgence of Rus
The Most Fearless Country in Europe
The government of Lithuania caused a stir this summer when it announced that it would allow Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in the capital, Vilnius, with plans to open a reciprocal Lithuanian representative office in Taipei. China responded by withdrawing its ambassador to Vilnius and demanding that Lithuania do the same. And in May, the Lithuanian parliament passed a resolution labeling China
A Deadly Year for Latin America's Environmentalists
According to a report released last week, 2020 was the deadliest year on record for environmental and land rights activists around the world. The human rights organization Global Witness recorded 227 killings of such activists a tally which it said was almost certainly an undercount. As the report makes clear, the victims were most often killed while resisting the activities of extractive indust
A Deadly Year for Latin America's Environmentalists
According to a report released last week, 2020 was the deadliest year on record for environmental and land rights activists around the world. The human rights organization Global Witness recorded 227 killings of such activists a tally which it said was almost certainly an undercount. As the report makes clear, the victims were most often killed while resisting the activities of extractive indust
'Born in Blackness': A Conversation With Howard French
The history of Europe's Age of Exploration and Empire usually follows a familiar narrative. Starting in the late 15th century, European explorers set out to find maritime trade routes to the lucrative spice and textile markets of Asia. Happening by chance upon the "New World" of the Americas, they quickly established colonies whose wealth, mainly in the form of gold and silver, combined with advan
What to Watch for in Biden's U.N. Debut
The 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly will kick off next week in New York, and over the course of the following week, the assembly will host speeches from leaders and representatives of U.N. member states. The highlight will be U.S. President Joe Biden's first address to the U.N. since taking office in January, but as with previous years' diplomatic confabs, there will be plenty
Rerun: Why Innovation Will Be Key to Africa's Post-COVID Rebuilding
Most African countries have fared relatively well in their responses to the coronavirus pandemic, reporting rates of infection and mortality that are far below those seen across much of Europe and the Americas. Yet Africa is expected to take a huge economic hit from the pandemic and its associated containment measures, with the African Development Bank forecasting that an additional 50 million peo
A Haitian Solution to Haiti's Crisis
Relief efforts are continuing in Haiti following the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the country on Aug. 14, causing widespread destruction in the southern peninsula, near the quake's epicenter. The death toll has surpassed 2,200, with 344 people still missing, according to the Haitian Civil Protection Agency. More than 12,000 people have been injured and nearly 53,000 houses destroyed. The dis
Confronting East Asia's Demographic Transition
The results of China's once-a-decade census, released in May after a one-month delay, showed that the population of mainland China grew at an average rate of 0.53 percent each year between 2010 and 2020. The official results contradicted an earlier report by the Financial Times, which indicated the census figures would actually show a population decline. What is certain, though, is that the combi
Hunger: The Other Pandemic
2020 will forever be known as the plague year, but it was also a year of increased hunger around the world. That's according to a multiagency United Nations report released last month, which found that the number of undernourished people in the world rose by 118 million, to a total of about 768 million—nearly one-tenth of the global population. Much of that increase was due to COVID-19, a crisis
Tackling the Threat of Zoonotic Diseases
In recent decades, scientists have identified dozens of new, potentially deadly pathogens that originated among other animal species but have the capacity to infect humans. SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is one such zoonotic virus, and humankind's vulnerability to them is increasing as a result of population growth, globalization, climate change and other processes. A recently launche
Rerun: Cubans Are Still Waiting for Something New From Biden
During his campaign for the presidency last year, Joe Biden pledged to reverse what he called "the failed Trump policies" toward Cuba. But now, Biden's White House is signaling that it is in no hurry to lift the severe sanctions and other measures imposed on Cuba by former President Donald Trump, much less return to the historic detente with Cuba that was pioneered by Biden's old boss, former Pr
Israeli Foreign Policy After Netanyahu
Over the course of his 12 uninterrupted years as prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu left a profound mark on Israel's foreign policy. Since taking the reins from him last month, his successor, Naftali Bennett, has tried to capitalize on some of Netanyahu's accomplishments—such as the diplomatic normalization agreements with Arab states that are known as the Abraham Accords— while also charting a n
The End of Asylum?
According to article 14 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution." But that promise, which was enshrined three years later in the 1951 Refugee Convention, has never been completely honored. In fact, it has been progressively eroded in recent years across the Global North, even as the numbers of refug
Colombia Braces for More Protests, With Few Offramps
After Colombians took to the streets on April 28 to protest a tax reform plan, President Ivan Duque quickly rescinded the unpopular proposal. But that didn't stop the demonstrators, who continued to march in support of more fundamental economic changes to address persistent inequality and poverty, which has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Colombian security forces responded to the u
Pro-Democracy Activist Evan Mawarire on Zimbabwe's Deepening Crisis
When the late Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe was ousted in 2017, celebrations broke out across the country as people cheered the end of his 37-year grip on power. Among them was Evan Mawarire, a pastor and pro-democracy activist who has been imprisoned and tortured for demanding political reforms and an end to rampant corruption and poverty. But the hopes of Mawarire and his fellow Zimbabweans
The Evolution of China's 'Wolf Warrior' Diplomats
Like their counterparts from around the world, Chinese diplomats tend to be well-credentialed, sophisticated, multilingual and knowledgeable about their host countries and institutions. Yet an increasing number of Chinese envoys and officials are adopting a stridently nationalistic, even belligerent tone in their official statements. Some of these "wolf warrior" diplomats, have even shown a willi
Biden's Tour of Europe Leaves a Lot of Unfinished Business
"America is back at the table," President Joe Biden said at a press conference Sunday in Cornwall following his first G-7 summit. That statement perhaps best encapsulated Biden's message during his maiden voyage overseas. While he didn't mention his predecessor by name, the contrast with Donald Trump couldn't have been clearer. And it certainly came as a relief to the other G-7 leaders, as the sum
Sizing Up Biden's U.N. Diplomacy and Guterres' Second Term
During his first few months in office, President Joe Biden has largely followed through on his pledges to restore a more multilateralist U.S. foreign policy, rejoining a number of key international organizations and agreements that had been abandoned by his predecessor, Donald Trump. This new approach has come as a relief to many senior officials at the United Nations, particularly Secretary-Gener
The Case Against Restraint
Over the past decade or so, a school of thought known as "restraint" has been steadily gaining currency in the U.S. foreign policy establishment. While the idea encompasses a wide range of views and assumptions, proponents of restraint generally argue that in the wake of the Cold War, America overcommitted to its global responsibilities and stretched itself too thin, undertaking ill-conceived and
Harnessing New Technologies to Financially Empower Women
In 2015, a report from the McKinsey Global Institute found that up to $28 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 if women were allowed to achieve their full economic potential. Yet according to the World Economic Forum, there are more than 70 countries where women are not allowed to open bank accounts or obtain credit. The gender gap in financial account penetration tends to be widest in
The Saudi-Iran Détente and the Israel-Hamas War
In April 2018, Saudi Arabia's crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, said in an interview with The Atlantic that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "makes Hitler look good." MBS, as the crown prince is widely known, also dismissed the possibility of any talks between the two regional rivals. Just three years later, MBS has changed his tune, saying in a recent television
The Greens' Activist Vision for German Foreign Policy
Voters in Germany will go to the polls in September for elections that will be unusually consequential for the country's foreign and defense policy. Chancellor Angela Merkel is retiring after almost 16 years in the position, and three major parties recently announced their candidates to replace her. Much attention has focused on one of the candidates in particular: Annalena Baerbock of the Green p
Cubans Are Still Waiting for Something New From Biden
During his campaign for the presidency last year, Joe Biden pledged to reverse what he called "the failed Trump policies" toward Cuba. But now, Biden's White House is signaling that it is in no hurry to lift the severe sanctions and other measures imposed on Cuba by former President Donald Trump, much less return to the historic detente with Cuba that was pioneered by Biden's old boss, former Pr
The Myths and Realities of China's Digital Currency
Since last year, authorities in China have been conducting pilot programs for the country's new digital currency. The project, which Beijing has been researching since 2014, is an example of what's known as a central bank digital currency, which a number of other countries are experimenting with, but few of them are at as advanced a stage as China. A top official at China's central bank recently
The U.S. Military and the Legacy of Afghanistan
When U.S. President Joe Biden announced his decision last week to fully withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021, he justified it in part by pointing to an agreement signed by the Trump administration committing the U.S. to withdrawing by May 1. But he spent more time highlighting the disconnect between the original reasons the U.S. deployed its military to Afghanistan and the r
Can Biden Go Big on Arms Control With Russia?
One of President Joe Biden's first actions after taking office in January was to agree with Russian President Vladimir Putin on extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Better known as New START, it is the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Washington and Moscow, verifiably limiting each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed delivery
Matt Duss on a Progressive U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda
Throughout Donald Trump's presidency, a recurring theme among the Washington foreign policy establishment was how to repair the damage he was doing to America's global standing. For many, particularly the centrist current of the Democratic party, that meant restoring the traditional approach to American foreign policy that Trump consistently undermined during his four years in office. But some fi
Rerun: Dealing With an 'Infinitely More Assertive China'
This week on Trend Lines, Kevin Rudd, the former prime minister of Australia, joins WPR editor-in-chief Judah Grunstein to discuss the nature of the challenge China poses to the West, the implications of Xi Jinping's rule, and the future prospects of both China's rise and America's global leadership role. If you like what you hear on Trend Lines and what you've read on WPR, you can sign up for our
Rebooting U.S. Diplomatic Engagement in Africa
"Where the state is absent or weak, non-state actors, such as religious movements and institutions, traditional ethnic polities, militant organizations, or combinations of all three, take its place, some for better, some for worse." Those are the words of former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell, in his new book, "Nigeria and the Nation-State: Rethinking Diplomacy with the Post-Colonial Wor
The Significance of Pope Francis' Historic Trip to Iraq
Pope Francis traveled to Iraq earlier this month, his first trip overseas since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and the first-ever papal visit to the war-torn country. Francis said he wrestled with concerns that the three-day visit could facilitate the spread of COVID-19, but ultimately deemed it a worthwhile opportunity to encourage and show solidarity with Iraq's dwindling Christian mi
Biden's Review of Drone Strikes Is a Chance to Reject 'Targeted Killings'
On its first day in office, the Biden administration quietly placed temporary limits on counterterrorism drone strikes outside of active battlefields. According to the New York Times, which first broke the news last week, the new restrictions are intended as a stopgap while Biden's national security team conducts a broader review of U.S. counterterrorism operations overseas—including whether to re
A New Chief Prosecutor, and New Challenges, for the ICC
Last month, after months of jockeying for influence, member states of the International Criminal Court held a secret ballot to determine the court's next chief prosecutor. The winner was Karim Khan, a British lawyer with extensive experience on both the prosecutorial and defense side of international criminal cases. Khan will be only the third person to hold the job. He will take over from the cu
Why Innovation Will Be Key to Africa's Post-COVID Rebuilding
Most African countries have fared relatively well in their responses to the coronavirus pandemic, reporting rates of infection and mortality that are far below those seen across much of Europe and the Americas. Yet Africa is expected to take a huge economic hit from the pandemic and its associated containment measures, with the African Development Bank forecasting that an additional 50 million peo
Can Belarus' Stalled Protests Regain Momentum?
Just over six months ago, Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, was declared the winner of a presidential election. Like others before it, the outcome of the Aug. 9 vote was not in question—official results showed Lukashenko winning just over 80 percent of the ballots despite widespread reports of voter fraud and the violent suppression of opposition supporters. What happened n
Biden Confronts Trump's Disastrous Legacy on Immigration
Since he took office last month, President Joe Biden has moved quickly to overhaul Donald Trump's immigration policies. Among other measures, the new administration has moved to rebuild the U.S. refugee resettlement program, which had been gutted under Trump; ended the "safe third country" agreements that aimed to force asylum-seekers to first register their claims in other nations before traveli
Addressing Gender Disparities in COVID-19 Recoveries
Around the world, the coronavirus pandemic has taken an especially high toll on women and girls. From public health to education to jobs and livelihoods, studies have revealed a gender disparity in the impact of COVID-19 that is particularly wide in lower- and middle-income countries. Yet for all the work that's been done, experts say there's still a lot they don't know about how these impacts are
Decoding Kim Jong Un's Latest Show of Strength
North Korea's ruling Workers' Party has had a busy start to the year. Earlier this month, the Eighth Party Congress was held in the capital, Pyongyang: Eight days of meetings, including a 9-hour work report read out by leader Kim Jong Un himself. Just a couple days after those sessions wrapped up, Kim oversaw a celebratory military parade, the second one since October, featuring a new missile de
Trump's Poisonous Legacy: Emboldened Far-Right Extremists
The storming of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., by pro-Trump insurrectionists earlier this month was both shocking and utterly unsurprising. After all, for anyone paying attention to the rioters' social media posts in the days and weeks leading up to the event, they made their intentions clear. A subset of the participants appeared to have technical training, and had laid meticulous plans well in
What the End of the Qatar Boycott Means for the Gulf
Flights between Saudi Arabia and Qatar are resuming this week and the land border has reopened between the two countries—signs of a thaw in relations after three and half years of acrimony. Last week, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt agreed to end a travel and trade blockade they had imposed on Qatar in 2017. Those four countries, calling themselves the "anti-terror quart
Recommended
Deadline: White House
English Vocabulary Help
این نقطه
Solved Murders - True Crime Stories
紐約鳥｜New York Aperture
Doctor Zhivago Slow Read
Apple News In Conversation
The Young and Called Podcast .
Jubal Phone Pranks from The Jubal Show
پلی لیست | PlayList
English with Olivia | Slow Conversations & Vocabulary
Bible Tea
