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A bright yellow electoral poster of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hangs from a chain-link fence that surrounds a packed-dirt clearing around several low buildings. A few trees are visible in the background beneath a cloudy sky. In the poster, Ramaphosa smiles while wearing a suit. Text beside his face says "Let's do more, together. Vote ANC."
A bright yellow electoral poster of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hangs from a chain-link fence that surrounds a packed-dirt clearing around several low buildings. A few trees are visible in the background beneath a cloudy sky. In the poster, Ramaphosa smiles while wearing a suit. Text beside his face says "Let's do more, together. Vote ANC."

Will South Africa’s ANC Be Forced to Govern in a Coalition?

The ruling party could still win—but everything from a hard-left coalition to a national unity government is possible.

Analysis
Ebrahim Fakir
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen from behind as he raises both hands into the air to greets supporters during an election campaign rally in Kolkata. People crowd against a barrier in the background, waving their hands and taking photos on their cell phones.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen from behind as he raises both hands into the air to greets supporters during an election campaign rally in Kolkata. People crowd against a barrier in the background, waving their hands and taking photos on their cell phones.

Modi’s Campaign Rhetoric Is Dangerous

With election results expected next week, the Indian prime minister is doubling down on anti-Muslim language.

Argument
Sushant Singh
Families who have fled from the war in Sudan carry their belongings while arriving at a transit center for refugees in Renk, South Sudan.
Families who have fled from the war in Sudan carry their belongings while arriving at a transit center for refugees in Renk, South Sudan.

Why Is the World Ignoring a Looming Genocide in Sudan?

Aid workers fear a new disaster as militia forces close in on a major Darfur city.

Analysis
Robbie Gramer
Filipino fishermen along with civilian volunteers arrive at a meeting point in the South China Sea on May 15.
Filipino fishermen along with civilian volunteers arrive at a meeting point in the South China Sea on May 15.

The Philippines Needs Butter, Not Just Guns

To counter China, Washington must help its ally address economic issues.

Argument
Alvin Camba

Recent

Israeli Forces Push Into Central Rafah
World Brief
Alexandra Sharp

Is Biden Deferring the Green Transition to Contain China?
Argument
Robert A. Manning

The Invisible Warriors of Ukraine’s Refugee Crisis
Analysis
Mendy Marsh, Lauren Messina

Can a U.S.-China Military Hotline Stop the Downward Spiral?
Analysis
James Crabtree

Asia & the Pacific

Elon Musk arrives to inaugurate a Starlink satellite unit at a community health center in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.
Elon Musk arrives to inaugurate a Starlink satellite unit at a community health center in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.

Will Elon Musk Test the South Asian Market?
South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman

How a Domestic Violence Trial Ended Kazakhstan’s Political Nihilism

Why a Small Pacific Island Territory Is Upending Nickel Prices

Taiwan’s Dinner Table Diplomacy

China

U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together after a meeting in Woodside, California.
U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together after a meeting in Woodside, California.

Are U.S.-China Talks Accomplishing Anything?
Analysis
Rishi Iyengar

Taiwan’s New President Pledges Not to Yield to China

Peru Learns to Read the Fine Print in China Deals

China and the U.S. Are Numb to the Real Risk of War

Middle East & Africa

A man in Tehran holds a local newspaper reporting on its front page the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing on March, 11 2023.
A man in Tehran holds a local newspaper reporting on its front page the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing on March, 11 2023.

Democracies Aren’t the Peacemakers Anymore
Analysis
Chester Crocker

Can South Africa Keep the Lights On?

Rwanda’s Undemocratic Election

Why Iran Believes It’s Winning Against Israel

Europe

The blue-and-white Israeli flag is projected onto the Brandenburg Gate at night in Berlin. Spectators watch from the street, many holding umbrellas.
The blue-and-white Israeli flag is projected onto the Brandenburg Gate at night in Berlin. Spectators watch from the street, many holding umbrellas.

How Germany Lost the Middle East
Analysis
Ruairí Casey

The U.S. Still Has a Lend-Leash Act for Ukraine

Biden’s Catch-22 in Ukraine

‘We Are Allied, but We Are Not Aligned’

Americas

A crowd of students in graduation robes protest as they walk out from the George Washington University commencement ceremony and onto the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Three women standing closest to the camera shout, with the two on either side of the woman in the middle holding up a Palestinian flag behind her.
A crowd of students in graduation robes protest as they walk out from the George Washington University commencement ceremony and onto the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Three women standing closest to the camera shout, with the two on either side of the woman in the middle holding up a Palestinian flag behind her.

Campus Protests Reflect Impatience With U.S. Foreign Policy
Argument
Howard W. French

When Knowledge Stops at the Water’s Edge

How Fates Diverged in Hispaniola

The Pentagon Isn’t Buying Enough Ammo

South Africa’s Election

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at a podium onstage at an ANC rally. Zuma wears a shirt in the green-and-yellow party colors, as do many of the people crowded onstage behind him. He also raises one fist in the air as he speaks into the microphone.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at a podium onstage at an ANC rally. Zuma wears a shirt in the green-and-yellow party colors, as do many of the people crowded onstage behind him. He also raises one fist in the air as he speaks into the microphone.

South Africa’s Uncertain Election, Explained

The African National Congress risks losing its majority for the first time since 1994.

Explainer
Christina Lu
Two men, one in a t-shirt, the other in a uniform, beret and sunglasses, hold up a large painted portrait of Jacob Zuma in military garb and holding a spear. The men stand in front of a large stadium, with the crowd seen behind them.
Two men, one in a t-shirt, the other in a uniform, beret and sunglasses, hold up a large painted portrait of Jacob Zuma in military garb and holding a spear. The men stand in front of a large stadium, with the crowd seen behind them.

Why Jacob Zuma Still Looms Large in South African Politics
Analysis
Sisonke Msimang
Farmers work in a field donated to the Black community in Coligny, South Africa on Apr. 15, 2019.
Farmers work in a field donated to the Black community in Coligny, South Africa on Apr. 15, 2019.

Why Land Reform Matters in South Africa’s Election
Analysis
Michael Albertus
A man in a black t-shirt and dark jeans sits on the ledge of an apartment building roof. Behind him is a tall building and city scene with mountains in the background.
A man in a black t-shirt and dark jeans sits on the ledge of an apartment building roof. Behind him is a tall building and city scene with mountains in the background.

Can Zackie Achmat Change South Africa From Inside Parliament?
Profile
Andrew Green

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A man displays a newspaper article on the attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.
A man displays a newspaper article on the attack on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.

Why Political Assassinations Often Succeed
Insider
Cameron Abadi, Adam Tooze
Counter protesters (L) argue with supporters of US President Donald Trump during dual rallies with the "America First" group in Laguna Beach, California, on August 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MARK RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Counter protesters (L) argue with supporters of US President Donald Trump during dual rallies with the "America First" group in Laguna Beach, California, on August 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MARK RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

The End of Left Versus Right
Insider
Ravi Agrawal
American singer Beyoncé performs onstage at an arena in Sweden, surrounded by background dancers. Beyoncé wears large earrings and a short dress and elaborate jacket made out of the same holographic, silvery fabric. Two backup dancers kneel in bridge poses, and Beyoncé sits on top of them with her microphone as she looks out at the audience with a small smile.
American singer Beyoncé performs onstage at an arena in Sweden, surrounded by background dancers. Beyoncé wears large earrings and a short dress and elaborate jacket made out of the same holographic, silvery fabric. Two backup dancers kneel in bridge poses, and Beyoncé sits on top of them with her microphone as she looks out at the audience with a small smile.

How the Beyoncé Bump Affected Sweden
Insider
Cameron Abadi, Adam Tooze

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Mexican leftist presidential candidate for the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) party, Claudia Sheinbaum, greets supporters during a campaign rally in Chilchota, Michoacan state, Mexico, on May 2, 2024. (Photo by Enrique Castro / AFP) (Photo by ENRIQUE CASTRO/AFP via Getty Images)
Mexican leftist presidential candidate for the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) party, Claudia Sheinbaum, greets supporters during a campaign rally in Chilchota, Michoacan state, Mexico, on May 2, 2024. (Photo by Enrique Castro / AFP) (Photo by ENRIQUE CASTRO/AFP via Getty Images)

What to Expect From Mexico’s Elections

Polls suggest that former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum will succeed the highly popular Andrés Manuel López Obrador as Mexico's president. What are her... READ MORE

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Fareed Zakaria on an Age of Revolutions
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Iran After Raisi
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Reimagining Globalization
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Inside China’s New Diplomatic Push

In the Magazine

Current Issue: Spring 2024 Archives
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Spring-2024-print-foreign-policy-magazine-cover
A photo illustration shows a crowd of people filling the face of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A photo illustration shows a crowd of people filling the face of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The New Idea of India

Narendra Modi’s reign is producing a less liberal but more assured nation.

Essay
Ravi Agrawal
An illustration shows a tiger chasing a dragon up an economic indicator line against a graph paper background. The dragon is turning to snarl at the tiger.
An illustration shows a tiger chasing a dragon up an economic indicator line against a graph paper background. The dragon is turning to snarl at the tiger.

Is India Really the Next China?

The case for its economic ascent is strong, but government policies still stand in the way.

Analysis
Josh Felman, Arvind Subramanian

Modi’s Messenger to the World
Profile
Rishi Iyengar

Meet India’s Generation Z
Essay
Snigdha Poonam

Becoming Indian
Essay
Amitava Kumar

4 Books to Understand Modern India
Review
Mukul Kesavan

Weekend Reads

Many characters from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga in the desert on a motorcycles.
Many characters from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga in the desert on a motorcycles.

The New ‘Mad Max’ Makes the End of the World Fun Again

The fifth film in George Miller’s franchise deserves to be the blockbuster of the northern summer.

Review
Jordan Hoffman
A Uyghur family gathers for a meal during the Corban Festival in Xinjiang province, China.
A Uyghur family gathers for a meal during the Corban Festival in Xinjiang province, China.

China Is Trying to Remake Uyghur Kitchens
Argument
Timothy Grose
People look at their phones as they stand in line at an Apple store.
People look at their phones as they stand in line at an Apple store.

Immediacy Ruined Our Politics
Review
Gregory Jones-Katz
A man wears a Canadian flag with a marijuana leaf in place of a maple leaf during the annual 4/20 rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 20, 2018.
A man wears a Canadian flag with a marijuana leaf in place of a maple leaf during the annual 4/20 rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 20, 2018.

Where Canada’s Weed Legalization Went Wrong
Analysis
John Last

In Case You Missed It

An illustration shows piles of shipping containers and symbols of industry as protectionist islands in a sea.
An illustration shows piles of shipping containers and symbols of industry as protectionist islands in a sea.

America’s Zero-Sum Economics Doesn’t Add Up

Industrial policy and subsidies are nothing new and can be useful. But shutting off from the world will have consequences.

Essay
Adam Posen
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.

A New Multilateralism
Essay
Gordon Brown
A fireball erupts behind a turreted building as smoke fills the sky after an Israeli strike over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
A fireball erupts behind a turreted building as smoke fills the sky after an Israeli strike over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

10 Conflicts to Watch
Analysis
Comfort Ero, Richard Atwood
A globe with blocks and chunks missing from it sits atop the shoulders of a person looking into a dystopian horizon.
A globe with blocks and chunks missing from it sits atop the shoulders of a person looking into a dystopian horizon.

The Global Credibility Gap
Essay
Jared Cohen, Ian Bremmer
China-military-readiness-war-us-taiwan-Doug-Chayka-illustration
China-military-readiness-war-us-taiwan-Doug-Chayka-illustration

How Primed for War Is China?
Essay
Michael Beckley, Hal Brands
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.

No, the World Is Not Multipolar
Essay
Jo Inge Bekkevold
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.

6 Swing States Will Decide the Future of Geopolitics
Analysis
Cliff Kupchan

Subscribers’ Picks

An illustration of a blooming plum branch shows a statue of Chairman Mao at left with workers walking across a bridge before the scene turns into one of growth and modernity with city skyline plane and construction cranes.
An illustration of a blooming plum branch shows a statue of Chairman Mao at left with workers walking across a bridge before the scene turns into one of growth and modernity with city skyline plane and construction cranes.

What Produced the China Miracle?

A powerful new book challenges conventional wisdom about the role of the state in Beijing’s rise.

Review
Howard W. French
An Israeli soldier rests his head on the gun barrel of a self-propelled artillery howitzer as Israeli soldiers take positions near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 9, 2023.
An Israeli soldier rests his head on the gun barrel of a self-propelled artillery howitzer as Israeli soldiers take positions near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 9, 2023.

Why Realists Oppose the War in Gaza

If you’re surprised by the movement’s position, you never really understood it.

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
A sign for the U.S.-based McKinsey & Company management consulting firm is seen on a wall in Geneva, carved in a serif font in an expanse of gray stone.
A sign for the U.S.-based McKinsey & Company management consulting firm is seen on a wall in Geneva, carved in a serif font in an expanse of gray stone.

Consulting Firms Have Stumbled Into a Geopolitical Minefield

The era of free-flowing information is over.

Argument
Henry Farrell, Abraham Newman
A pencil-drawn portrait of Robert Lighthizer seen in profile, wearing glasses and looking to the right.
A pencil-drawn portrait of Robert Lighthizer seen in profile, wearing glasses and looking to the right.

The Man Who Would Help Trump Upend the Global Economy

As a potential U.S. Treasury secretary, Robert Lighthizer has more than trade policy to revolutionize.

Profile
Edward Alden

Books

A photo collage of historic black-and-white images of Soviet leaders: Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, and Mikhail Gorbachev, are toward the front, and a larger cutout of Joseph Stalin looms over them in the background. Behind that is a textured red background with the yellow hammer and sickle symbol of the Soviet Union.
A photo collage of historic black-and-white images of Soviet leaders: Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, and Mikhail Gorbachev, are toward the front, and a larger cutout of Joseph Stalin looms over them in the background. Behind that is a textured red background with the yellow hammer and sickle symbol of the Soviet Union.

Putting the Cold War on the Couch

A new psychological analysis of Soviet leaders fundamentally alters 20th-century history.

Review
Casey Michel
Fat Leonard: How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy, Craig Whitlock, Simon & Schuster, 480 pp., $32.50, May 2024
Fat Leonard: How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy, Craig Whitlock, Simon & Schuster, 480 pp., $32.50, May 2024

‘Fat Leonard’ Was a Crook U.S. Admirals Called Bro
Review
James Palmer
This article is adapted from The Divine Economy: How Religions Compete for Wealth, Power, and People, Paul Seabright, Princeton University Press, 504 pp., $35, May 2024
This article is adapted from The Divine Economy: How Religions Compete for Wealth, Power, and People, Paul Seabright, Princeton University Press, 504 pp., $35, May 2024

The Divine Marketplace Is Pretty Crowded
Excerpt
Paul Seabright
The book cover for The Jazzmen by Larry Tye.
The book cover for The Jazzmen by Larry Tye.

Duke Ellington, the Jazz Legend Who Became a Diplomat
Excerpt
Larry Tye
Smoke and Ashes: Opium’s Hidden Histories, Amitav Ghosh, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 416 pp., $32, February 2024 Empireworld: How British Imperialism Shaped the Globe, Sathnam Sanghera, PublicAffairs, 464 pp., $35, May 2024
Smoke and Ashes: Opium’s Hidden Histories, Amitav Ghosh, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 416 pp., $32, February 2024 Empireworld: How British Imperialism Shaped the Globe, Sathnam Sanghera, PublicAffairs, 464 pp., $35, May 2024

The Opioid High of Empire
Review
Nikhil Kumar
This essay is adapted from the book The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society by Joseph E. Stiglitz, W.W. Norton, 384 pp., $29.99, April 2024
This essay is adapted from the book The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society by Joseph E. Stiglitz, W.W. Norton, 384 pp., $29.99, April 2024

Where Global Governance Went Wrong—and How to Fix It
Essay
Joseph E. Stiglitz
The book cover for In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea by Jonathan White
The book cover for In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea by Jonathan White

Democracy Has Run Out of Future
Review
Ivan Krastev, Leonard Benardo

Trending

  1. Why Is the World Ignoring a Looming Genocide in Sudan?
    Analysis
    Robbie Gramer

  2. Modi’s Campaign Rhetoric Is Dangerous
    Argument
    Sushant Singh

  3. Can a U.S.-China Military Hotline Stop the Downward Spiral?
    Analysis
    James Crabtree

  4. Is Biden Deferring the Green Transition to Contain China?
    Argument
    Robert A. Manning

  5. Will South Africa’s ANC Be Forced to Govern in a Coalition?
    Analysis
    Ebrahim Fakir

  6. The Philippines Needs Butter, Not Just Guns
    Argument
    Alvin Camba

  7. China Is Trying to Remake Uyghur Kitchens
    Argument
    Timothy Grose

  8. What Produced the China Miracle?
    Review
    Howard W. French

  9. Israeli Forces Push Into Central Rafah
    World Brief
    Alexandra Sharp

  10. The Problem Isn’t Just Netanyahu. It’s Israeli Society.
    Argument
    Mairav Zonszein

Visual Stories

A woman wearing mittens, a coat, and a winter hat touches a flag with a soldier's face on it to her face. Behind her is a snowy graveyard scene with flowers and Ukrainian flags.
A woman wearing mittens, a coat, and a winter hat touches a flag with a soldier's face on it to her face. Behind her is a snowy graveyard scene with flowers and Ukrainian flags.

The Resilience of Ukraine’s War Widows

Perhaps tens of thousands of Ukrainian women have lost their partners in the conflict with Russia. They look to rebuild amid precarity and uncertainty.

Dispatch
Liz Cookman, Paula Bronstein
A man fishes at a port near the Lungmen, a nuclear power plant that has suspended its construction, in New Taipei City.
A man fishes at a port near the Lungmen, a nuclear power plant that has suspended its construction, in New Taipei City.

Taiwan Can’t Shake Its Nuclear Ghosts

The island’s resistance to a dependable—and desperately needed—source of energy has been shaped by a covert history.

Analysis
Jane Darby Menton, Andrew W. Reddie

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