Category Archives: Opinion

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY – JANUARY 9, 2026 PREVIEW

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY: The latest issue features ‘The Donroe Doctrine’ – Donald Trump stakes his claim to the Western Hemisphere.

Donald Trump consigned the remnants of the rules-based international order to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea as US forces extracted Nicolás Maduro to face trial in the US. With allies and adversaries of Washington still adjusting to last weekend’s audacious assault on Caracas, Trump and his inner circle are thinking about their next steps to secure US interests in what they regard as “our hemisphere”.


Our reporting team, led by Latin American correspondent Tom Phillips, gauges the reaction to Maduro’s abduction on the ground in Caracas and among Venezuela’s closest neighbours, while Dan Sabbagh explains how the US military had planned and executed the operation.

Since the start of the US military buildup and blockade of Venezuela, Trump had claimed that Maduro needed to be “brought to justice” for his alleged role in drug trafficking, which Trump claimed had caused thousands of deaths in the US. But, as international commentators Julian Borger and Nesrine Malik explain, that has proved the thinnest of justifications and already by last Saturday it was clear that Venezuela’s huge oil reserves were uppermost on his mind.

Spotlight | Iran in turmoil
An ailing economy and plummeting exchange rate have prompted the biggest street protests in many years, report Deepa Parent and William Christou

Science | Is de-extinction really possible?
Bringing woolly mammoths and dire wolves back to life captured the public’s imagination last year but, Patrick Greenfield reports, there are questions around what can actually be achieved

Feature | The power and purpose of guilt
Psychologist Chris Moore saw first-hand how powerful and complex an emotion it is, as he explains to Emine Saner

Opinion | Adieu to the French art of lunch
Paul Taylor mourns the demise of a convivial lunch at a bistro serving freshly prepared food and the end of an unpretentious part of working culture

Culture | Is the crisis in masculinty just a joke?
It’s a ridiculous time to be male – and that’s good news for a new genre of social media comedy poking fun at the manosphere, finds Matthew Cantor

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2026

U.S. Forces Intercept Oil Tanker That Defied Blockade of Venezuela

The U.S. had been pursuing the Russian-flagged tanker as part of its pressure campaign against Venezuela. The move deepens a confrontation with Russia.

Europe and Rest of World Try to Come to Terms With Trump the Imperialist

Needing support to fend off Russia in Ukraine, European leaders are cautious about criticizing President Trump on Greenland, Iran, Venezuela and much else.

Stephen Miller Offers a Strongman’s View of the World

President Trump’s trusted adviser is casting his hard-right gaze abroad, saying the world must be governed by “force.”

Cuba’s Long-Suffering Economy Is Now in ‘Free Fall’

Warner Bros. Board Rebuffs Paramount’s Latest Buyout Offer

The board said the blockbuster deal it reached with Netflix last month posed less risk.

FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE – WINTER 2026 PREVIEW

Winter-2026-foreign-policy-cover-world-minus-one-small

FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘The World Minus One’ – The emergence of a post-American order.

The World-Minus-One Moment

Managing the global order with an antagonistic Washington. By Amitav Acharya

The Pillars of the Global Nuclear Order Are Cracking

U.S. allies and partners are taking steps toward a post-American nuclear order.Rebecca Lissner,  Erin D. Dumbacher

Can China Replace an Absent America in the Climate Fight?

Beijing never bought the argument that reducing emissions would cause economic harm. Kelly Sims Gallagher

Cyberdefense Enters a Dangerous New Phase

Allies fear that Washington is retreating from leadership at the worst possible time. Rishi Iyengar

THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2026

Venezuela Braces for Economic Collapse From U.S. Blockade

Venezuela could lose the bulk of its oil export revenues this year if the U.S. blockade stays in place, a scenario that would set off a humanitarian crisis.

Zelensky’s Assessment Darkens as Europeans Gather to Talk Peace

With Russia still seen as unlikely to stop fighting Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s tone has shifted from upbeat to cautionary.

Stephen Miller Asserts U.S. Has Right to Take Greenland

Why Trump Refused to Back Machado: Fears of Chaos, and Fraying Ties

In China, a Debate About Political Power Ignites After Maduro’s Capture

The reactions revealed a society divided: Some saw what happened in Venezuela as a playbook for seizing Taiwan, while others warned about ideological rigidity.

Chevron’s Risky Bet to Stay in Venezuela May Now Give It an Advantage

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE – JANUARY 12, 2026

People walking down a freezing street pass a cat snuggly sleeping in a window.

THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE: The latest cover features Harry Bliss’s “Wintry Mix” – Braving the cold.

What Will New York’s New Map Show Us?

Voters voted for it, even if they weren’t sure what it was. But maps are the ideal metaphor for our models of what the world might be. By Adam Gopnik

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Big Breakup

The congresswoman split with the President over the Epstein files, then she quit. Where will she go from here? By Charles Bethea

The Making of the First American Pope

Will Pope Leo XIV follow the progressive example of his predecessor or chart a more moderate course? His work in Chicago and Peru may shed light on his approach. By Paul Elie

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

Maduro Arrives at Manhattan Courthouse as Trump Expands Threats

Nicolás Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan leader, and his wife were set to be arraigned on drug trafficking and other charges.

After Venezuela, Trump Offers Hints About What Could Be Next

President Trump’s comments about Greenland, Colombia and Cuba offered a glimpse of how emboldened he feels after the quick capture of Venezuela’s leader.

A Test for Venezuela’s New Leader: Solidifying Power, but Pleasing Trump

Delcy Rodríguez must appease constituencies who loathe U.S. meddling while fielding Washington’s demands.

In Ukraine, a New Arsenal of Killer A.I. Drones Is Being Born

As the war grinds on, sophisticated Russian defenses have pushed Ukraine to develop a frightening new weapon: semiautonomous killing machines.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2026

Trump Plunges U.S. Into a New Era of Risk in Venezuela

President Trump opened a new chapter in American nation building as he declared that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for an indefinite period.

How Trump Fixed On a Maduro Loyalist as Venezuela’s New Leader

Inside the U.S. Operation to Oust Venezuela’s President

Inside Mamdani’s Decision to Revoke Executive Orders That Backed Israel

Among the tasks left for Mayor Zohran Mamdani by his predecessor, Eric Adams, were two politically delicate measures related to Israel and antisemitism.

Ukrainian Political Reawakening Puts Pressure on Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky is reshuffling his cabinet as a corruption scandal reshapes the political landscape at a pivotal point in peace negotiations.

Reason Magazine – February 2026 Preview

Reason magazine, February/March 2026 cover image

REASON MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘New York Turns Red’ – What Zohran Mamdani’s rotten ideas could do to the Big Apple.

Mamdani Can’t Ruin New York

Mayors come and go, but New York City remains fundamentally itself. Katherine Mangu-Ward

Zohran Mamdani’s Socialist Housing Plan Could Crash New York’s Rickety Rental Market

The city has the nation’s most regulated housing sector and the largest stock of government-owned and subsidized housing, and yet progressives blame its real estate troubles on the free market. Howard Husock

Is Zohran Mamdani Coming Around to Housing Deregulation?

New York’s new mayor has moved away from some of his far-left beliefs, acknowledging that private businesses play an important role in homebuilding. Christian Britschgi

NYC Schools Are Losing Students and Burning Cash. Mamdani Could Make the Situation Worse.

New York schools need more choice and better curricula, but the city’s new mayor wants to take choices away. Danyela Souza Egorov

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE – January 5, 2026

Current cover

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: The 1.4.26 Issue features the untold story of how Jeffrey Epstein got rich; the Rhinelander v. Rhinelander trial, one of the most scandalous trials of the Jazz Age; Supreme Court lawyer Thomas Goldstein’s double life as a high-stakes gambler; and more.

In Ukraine, a New Arsenal of Killer A.I. Drones Is Being Born

As the war grinds on, sophisticated Russian defenses have pushed Ukraine to develop a frightening new weapon: semiautonomous killing machines.

‘I Was Just So Naïve’: Inside Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Break With Trump

How the Georgia congresswoman went from the president’s loudest cheerleader to his loudest Republican critic. By Robert Draper

A Rupture Over Israel Is Tearing MAGA Apart

For 40 years, Christian Zionism was a powerful force in American politics. A new generation on the right is taking cues from elsewhere. By Jonathan Mahler

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2026

U.S. CAPTURES MADURO, TRUMP SAYS


Venezuelan Leader Flown Out of Country After ‘Large-Scale’ Attack

Trump to Address the Nation This Morning

  • The Trump administration had been working for months to oust Nicolás Maduro, who has led Venezuela since 2013.
  • In an interview with The Times, President Trump said “a lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops” were responsible for the mission’s success.

Why Haven’t Trump’s Tariffs Had a Bigger Economic Impact?

Steep import taxes have raised prices and affected U.S. businesses, but not quite as much as expected. A new report offers some reasons.

Mamdani Acts on Vow to Protect Renters With Move Against a Big Landlord

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said New York City would intervene in the Pinnacle Group’s bankruptcy case. Tenants have long complained about the company’s properties.

A Burning Ceiling, a Pulse of Heat and ‘I Felt Like I Was on Fire’

Right before the blaze that killed 40 people at a Swiss bar, fireworks attached to Champagne bottles sent up sparks that appeared to have ignited insulation.