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High school students in matching maroon and gray jackets sit in a classroom and study at desks piled high with stacks of books, notebooks, and papers at their sides.
High school students in matching maroon and gray jackets sit in a classroom and study at desks piled high with stacks of books, notebooks, and papers at their sides.

Why China Is Cracking Down on Elite Education

The campaign is motivated by corruption concerns and an old-fashioned egalitarianism.

China Brief
James Palmer
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin while welcoming him to Beijing Capital International Airport. Several other officials stand in a crowd behind and around them.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin while welcoming him to Beijing Capital International Airport. Several other officials stand in a crowd behind and around them.

What Does Putin Want From Xi?

Russia seeks to resolve several trade issues during this week’s summit. But China holds the cards.

World Brief
Alexandra Sharp
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, gestures to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, gestures to Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Washington Might Be Ready to Bargain With Beijing

The United States may be accepting the reality of Chinese power.

Analysis
Robert A. Manning
French President Emmanuel Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan acknowledge the crowd after an event in Gyumri, Armenia, on May 5.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan acknowledge the crowd after an event in Gyumri, Armenia, on May 5.

Can Armenia’s Democracy Prevail?

Unconditional Western support for the incumbent prime minister could backfire.

Argument
Kenneth Roth
An armed Israeli soldier stands guard near children standing by closed shop doors.
An armed Israeli soldier stands guard near children standing by closed shop doors.

Three Concrete Steps to Advance Palestinian Freedom

Legal reform and structural change may lack flair, but they can improve the situation on the ground.

Argument
Hady Amr
Iranian women watch the Si-o-Se Pol bridge on the Zayandeh River in Isfahan, Iran, on July 13, 2002.
Iranian women watch the Si-o-Se Pol bridge on the Zayandeh River in Isfahan, Iran, on July 13, 2002.

The World Keeps Asking Iran the Wrong Question

Even before the Islamic Republic, the country has always wanted the same thing.

Argument
Ali Hashem
A view of a street in Tehran, Iran, on May 12.
A view of a street in Tehran, Iran, on May 12.

The Myth of Zero Enrichment

Tehran regards Washington’s demand as tantamount to unconditional surrender, but there may yet be a way forward.

Argument
Sina Azodi
U.S. President Donald Trump is greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump is greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

What Happened When Trump Met Xi

Historian Rana Mitter on the new balance of power between Washington and Beijing. This article has an audio recording

Insider
Ravi Agrawal
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure (left) shakes hands with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure (left) shakes hands with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

G-7 Finance Ministers Discuss Economic Fallout of Iran War

Rising oil prices and growing bond market volatility have raised fears of a global recession.

World Brief
Alexandra Sharp
A still image from the “AI Iran” YouTube channel, captured on May 18.
A still image from the “AI Iran” YouTube channel, captured on May 18.

Iran Is Winning the Vibe War

Disinformation experts need a new framework in the era of AI slop.

Argument
Peter Benzoni
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, stands in front of a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system during his visit to a military training area on June 11, 2024 in Mecklenburg, Germany.
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, stands in front of a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system during his visit to a military training area on June 11, 2024 in Mecklenburg, Germany.

Ukraine Has a New War Strategy—and It’s Working

A year ago, the Ukrainian government decided to take the fight directly to Russia. It hasn’t looked back since.

Analysis
Paul Hockenos
President Trump frowning slightly against a clear blue sky with an American flag out of focus behind him.
President Trump frowning slightly against a clear blue sky with an American flag out of focus behind him.

Iran Could Be Trump’s Greatest Failure

A lot of things have gone horribly wrong—and it’s not over yet.

Argument
Ravi Agrawal
Flags of Israel and Somaliland fly alongside each other at the entrance to a fruit farm between the capital city of Hargeisa and Port city of Berbera in Somaliland on February 19.
Flags of Israel and Somaliland fly alongside each other at the entrance to a fruit farm between the capital city of Hargeisa and Port city of Berbera in Somaliland on February 19.

The Gulf’s African Aftershocks

How the Iran war is deepening proxy conflicts around the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.

Argument
Liam Karr
A woman is seen from behind with her neck craned to look at a large screen affixed to a four-story building with big windows. On the screen, Trump and Xi stand side by side and shake hands.
A woman is seen from behind with her neck craned to look at a large screen affixed to a four-story building with big windows. On the screen, Trump and Xi stand side by side and shake hands.

Trump’s China Pragmatism Is Welcome

Rivalry with Beijing is inevitable. Economic rupture would be disastrous.

Argument
Fareed Zakaria
A black and white photograph from a low angle shows a smiling man in a suit reaching out to shake hands with several people. His arm is extended toward the camera, and the hands of three other people in suits enter the frame from the sides, reaching back toward him. The background features a clear sky and the top of a manicured hedge.
A black and white photograph from a low angle shows a smiling man in a suit reaching out to shake hands with several people. His arm is extended toward the camera, and the hands of three other people in suits enter the frame from the sides, reaching back toward him. The background features a clear sky and the top of a manicured hedge.

How California Politics Set the National Tone

Ronald Reagan honed his right-wing conservatism in the Golden State. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Julian E. Zelizer
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