Strait shooting? The growing peril to Taiwan
A decades-old policy of “strategic ambiguity” is breaking down; we ask about the risks and the stakes of a potential Chinese bid to take Taiwan by force. The number of diseases jumping from animals to...
4 Maj 202121min
The turn at a century: Northern Ireland’s anniversary
The province’s largest party aligned with Britain has lost its leader; in the 100 years since the island was split it has rarely seemed so close to reuniting. Diplomacy, as with so much else, had to g...
3 Maj 202122min
Illiberal-arts degrees: Hungary’s universities seized
Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s proudly “illiberal democracy” has nobbled nearly every institution. Now that his ruling party will run the higher-education system, expect a propaganda blitz. We examine ...
30 Apr 202122min
A word in edgewise: Turkey, Armenia and genocide
In calling the 1915 campaign against Armenians a genocide, President Joe Biden has rekindled tensions that never really faded—and has perhaps delayed a rapprochement. Chinese authorities fear religion...
29 Apr 202122min
A great deal to be desired: Europe-Britain trade
Europe’s parliament has overwhelmingly voted to extend a stopgap trade agreement. But the rancour behind the vote, and the deal’s thin measures, say much about future relations. Female soldiers are en...
28 Apr 202121min
SPAClash: the buzz and the bust
Special-purpose acquisition companies offer a novel way for companies to list on stockmarkets. We look behind the buzz, and something of a recent bust, to discover why they are a useful innovation bot...
27 Apr 202120min
Extremist prejudice: rebranding Navalny
Russian courts’ bid to designate opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s movement as a terrorist organisation is unsurprising: it fits a narrative of increasing repression at home and sabre-rattling at the...
26 Apr 202123min
Carbon date: Biden’s climate summit
President Joe Biden laid out ambitious emissions targets yesterday, but in order to be taken seriously on climate change, America has some reputation rebuilding to do. Researchers are starting to unde...
23 Apr 202122min
