A curated selection of FP’s must-read stories.
Editors' Picks
List of Editors' Picks articles
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An illustration of Manus, an artificial intelligence agent, on May 15, 2025. Why Did Beijing Kill a $2 Billion AI Deal?
The flow of global capital is hitting new walls.
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A man runs past national flags of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states in Cebu, Philippines, on May 5, ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit. Is the Iran War Pushing Southeast Asia into China’s Arms?
U.S. guarantees have not shielded Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam from economic shock.
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A digital billboard reading "End the Iran war now" in Times Square in New York City on April 30. Iran Has All the Hallmarks of a Forever War
There is a way out of this mess—but not right away.
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U.K. Conservative Party election material is seen at Margaret Thatcher House in Romford, England, on May 2. Britain Leaves Two-Party Politics Behind
Local elections this week will lay bare growing fragmentation across the United Kingdom.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, steps away after posing for a “family photo” with the 55 government officials who were invited to the first Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington. The New Critical Minerals Map
Fears of Chinese and U.S. trade retaliation have spawned deals that exclude both powers.
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Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he walks off stage at the end of a campaign rally at the Santander Arena on November 04, 2024 in Reading, Pennsylvania. The End of America’s Soft Power
The United States has given up on one of its core international strengths.
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A photo illustration of a map of the United States sinking into a pool of crude oil. This Energy Crisis Is Undoing the Last Ones
The Western-led order that emerged after the 20th century’s three energy shocks is losing its grip.
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Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Shengmin raises his right hand in a salute to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is walking a level lower in a red-carpeted auditorium. The Deeper Pattern Behind China’s Military Purges
Xi’s new commanders are the men his last generals blocked.
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A trader walks beneath a stock display board at the Dubai stock exchange in the United Arab Emirates on March 8, 2020. The Real Meaning of the UAE’s OPEC Exit
The geopolitical realignment goes much deeper than just oil markets.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of an informal meeting of the European Council in Cyprus on April 23. Giorgia Meloni’s Populist Formula Failed
The Italian prime minister hasn’t convincingly delivered the renewal she once promised.
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An aerial photo shows Doha in the booming petrostate of Qatar. For What AI Could Do to Democracies, Look to the Petrostates
Societies will become richer, but history suggests that wealth may not be equally distributed.
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Trump and Xi are seen up close as they stand next to each other, both wearing dark suits and ties and smiling slightly. Trump is leaning closer to whisper something in Xi's ear. What Five Decades of Summits Reveal About U.S.-China Relations
The real test for the Trump-Xi meeting will come afterwards.
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The Ras Laffan facility, the principal site for Qatari production of liquefied natural gas, north of Doha on Feb. 6, 2017. The Hormuz Hit to Helium
The Iran war is choking off a critical input for chipmaking and AI infrastructure.
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Incoming Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar waves the national flag during election night celebrations in Budapest on April 12. How to Rebuild Hungarian Democracy
Peter Magyar must avoid reproducing the very abuses he seeks to dismantle.
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Republican Sen. Susan Collins speaks at a hearing inside the Senate Dirksen Office Building. Trump’s Iran War Approaches a Fresh Legal Hurdle
Pressure will increase on congressional Republicans to vote to end the war if it surpasses the legal time limit.
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