The Globalist (February 23, 2024): As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, we look ahead to who might replace Jens Stoltenberg as the secretary general of Nato later this year.
Then: the latest on Israel’s bombardment of Rafah and Andrew Mueller’s ‘What We Learned’. Plus: is rebranding always a good idea?
China has increasingly turned to private companies in campaigns to hack foreign governments and control its domestic population.
Odysseus was the first privately built vehicle to make it to the moon, and points to a future in which NASA, companies and others rely on commercial lunar delivery services.
Some women wonder whether they will now have to pay to keep extra embryos stored permanently, or face criminal charges if they are disposed of.
In this year’s presidential election, more people are turning to Instagram for news, even as the platform tries de-emphasizing “political content.”
The Guardian Weekly (February 22, 2024) – The new issue features ‘Ukraine’s Lonely Road’ – After two years, is there a way out of Putin’s war?…
Shaun Walker reports on this week’s big story, the fall of the strategic town of Avdiivka to Russian troops has come at a grim time for Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. While the army is struggling to hold ground, war fatigue is setting in among parts of the population and disagreements among the leadership have been spilling into the open.
At the same time, the death of the jailed Russian critic Alexei Navalny last week – widely seen as another political assassination – appears to emphasise the strengthening hand of Vladimir Putin, who is expected to secure another six-year term as Russia’s president in tightly controlled elections next month. Amid a familiar wave of international outrage, our Russia affairs reporter Pjotr Sauer asks what Putin might do next.
Coupled with the possibility of a Donald Trump victory in the US elections later this year, it all makes for a deeply worrying outlook for Ukraine, reflected in the Kyiv-based illustrator Sergiy Maidukov’s haunting cover artwork for the magazine this week.
“This war is the hardest test of my life, similar to an endless ultramarathon,” writes Sergiy. “It is good to try to not think about the finish when running long distance. This is important knowledge to endure.”
Russian aggression and American wavering reveal just how ill-equipped the continent is
Russia is becoming more dangerous, America is less reliable and Europe remains unprepared. The problem is simply put, but the scale of its solution is hard to comprehend. The security arrangements based on nato that emerged from the second world war—and have prevented a third—are so much part of Europe’s fabric that remaking them will be an immense task. European leaders urgently need to jettison their post-Soviet complacency. That means raising defence spending to a level not seen in decades, restoring Europe’s neglected military traditions, restructuring its arms industries and preparing for a possible war. The work has barely begun.
Pre-budget thoughts for Jeremy Hunt from a fictitious Treasury adviser
The flimsiest of the cases is set to go first, and all face delays
There is no substitute for military aid to Ukraine
There was more to the period than violence, superstition and ignorance, argues a new book
It’s dangerous and it’s spreading. Liberals need to find a way to stop it
The ex-president’s invitation to Vladimir Putin to attack American allies is an assault on NATO. Ultimately, that is bad for America
The Globalist (February 22, 2024): Broadcast live from the Polish capital to assess the state of the fast-changing nation. We discuss the role that Poland has played in the diplomatic arena, take a look at Warsaw’s green ambitions with architect Marlena Happach and talk about the future of the media industry with voices from Polityka Insight and ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’.
Plus: Polish hospitality with Puro hotel.
The action under consideration could prevent people from making asylum claims during border crossing surges. The White House says it is far from a decision on the matter.
The Maricopa County attorney in Arizona said she would fight to keep a man who authorities believe bludgeoned a woman to death in a New York City hotel.
Intended to fight crime, Latin American prisons have instead become safe havens and recruitment centers for gangs, fueling a surge in violence.
A plaza in Tel Aviv has become a home away from home. “If I don’t know what to do, I come here,” one relative said.
The Globalist (February 21, 2024): G20 foreign ministers gather in Rio de Janeiro as a diplomatic spat engulfs Brazil and Israel. Then: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger juntas confirm their commitment to form a new tri-state confederation, the Philippines conducts joint air patrols with the US and we hear from Portugal’s foreign minister, João Cravinho on Ukraine and Israel.
Plus: the commercial airport set to open on Italy’s Amalfi Coast this summer.
The United States said the resolution could have disrupted its negotiations to free hostages and secure a temporary cease-fire, but its vote drew outcry from many diplomats and aid workers.
The decision, along with an order this month declining to block West Point’s admissions program, suggests that most justices are not eager to immediately explore the limits of its ruling from June.
The international police organization has toughened oversight of its protocols, which autocrats have used to pursue dissidents. But the autocrats have adapted.
The wife of Russia’s most famous opposition leader long shunned the spotlight, but his death in prison may make that impossible. “I have no right to give up,” she said.
The Globalist (February 20, 2024): Israel’s war cabinet sets a date for the ground invasion of Rafah, while Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, continues his Latin American tour in Venezuela. Sweden’s defence minister, Pål Jonson, tells us about his country’s path to Nato.
Plus: the EU’s mission to protect vessels against Houthi attacks, turmoil at Austrian property company Signa and a round-up of fashion news.
The sudden death of Aleksei Navalny left a vacuum in Russia’s opposition. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, signaled that she would try to fill the void.
Trump. Indian food. Matthew Perry. And books, books, books. Excerpts from letters obtained by The Times show Mr. Navalny’s active mind, even amid brutal prison conditions.
A Times investigation reveals how lax government oversight allowed shadowy oil tankers, covered by American insurance, to fund Iran’s regime.
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