Trump Is Still Losing the Battle for Public Opinion on the Iran War Trump’s turn to a more measured approach does not seem to have reassured voters about the wisdom of U.S. tactics in the war.

Trump’s turn to a more measured approach in the Iran war does not seem to have reassured voters about the wisdom of U.S. tactics, WPR columnist @charlicarpenter.bsky.social writes.

At Art Basel Qatar, Global Soft Power Ambitions Collide With a Culture of Repression Qatar is striving to project a progressive, cultured image abroad even as it maintains strict social control at home.

Qatar is striving to project a progressive, cultured image abroad even as it maintains strict social control at home.

Its hosting of Art Basel Qatar puts that contradiction on full display, @petalanyc.bsky.social writes for World Politics Review.

Milei’s Inflation Success Story Could Be Argentina’s Undoing Argentina’s economic situation is a constant litmus test for Milei’s reelection bid, making it both a self-fulfilling and self-defeating prophecy.

Javier Milei remains a super internationally, but domestically, the Argentine president is in real trouble. And as James Bosworth (@bloggingsbyboz.bsky.social) writes, every political challenge Milei faces brings his government one step closer to an economic crisis.

The Iran War and the Future of Civilian Protection Civilian deaths from U.S. airstrikes in Iran have called into question the Pentagon’s decision last year to gut a program dedicated to protecting civilians.

The Pentagon gutted a program dedicated to protecting civilians last year. Now, it’s conducting an AI-assisted air campaign in Iran that has reportedly killed some 1,700 civilians.

Alia Awadallah and Jesse Marks write on what comes next:

Milei’s Inflation Success Story Could Be Argentina’s Undoing Argentina’s economic situation is a constant litmus test for Milei’s reelection bid, making it both a self-fulfilling and self-defeating prophecy.

Internationally, Milei remains a superstar who has delivered an economic miracle.

Domestically, his government is in real trouble, James Bosworth (@bloggingsbyboz.bsky.social) writes in his latest column.

The Iran War and the Future of Civilian Protection Civilian deaths from U.S. airstrikes in Iran have called into question the Pentagon’s decision last year to gut a program dedicated to protecting civilians.

Civilian deaths from U.S. airstrikes in Iran have called into question the Pentagon’s decision last year to gut a program dedicated to protecting civilians, Alia Awadallah and Jesse Marks write for World Politics Review.

Contrary to Popular Opinion, NATO Will Be Fine Officials and analysts on both sides of the Atlantic are fretting that NATO is on thin ice, but those fears are exaggerated.

Officials and analysts on both sides of the Atlantic are fretting that NATO is on thin ice.

As WPR columnist @profpaulpoast.bsky.social writes, those fears are exaggerated.

After an Electoral Drubbing, Thailand’s Progressives Face a Reckoning Thailand’s reformist Future Forward Party is scrambling to regroup after a disappointing performance in elections earlier this year.

Thailand’s People’s Party lost ground in February’s elections not just to conservative forces, but to its own strategic compromises.

Andrew Nachemson reports from northern Thailand on where the progressive movement goes from here:

Contrary to Popular Opinion, NATO Will Be Fine Officials and analysts on both sides of the Atlantic are fretting that NATO is on thin ice, but those fears are exaggerated.

Trump’s threats to leave NATO are real. His ability to follow through, though, is constrained.

@profpaulpoast.bsky.social explains why NATO will be fine in his latest column for WPR:

After an Electoral Drubbing, Thailand’s Progressives Face a Reckoning Thailand’s reformist Future Forward Party is scrambling to regroup after a disappointing performance in elections earlier this year.

Thailand’s progressive movement regrouped after its party was dissolved in 2023, hoping 2026 would finally be the year it overcame a system tilted against it.

Instead, supporters are left wondering where the movement goes from here.

The Strategic Folly of Pakistan’s War With Afghanistan China-mediated peace talks have resulted in a temporary pause in the fighting, but Islamabad’s strategic miscalculations risk reigniting the conflict.

Pakistan has long assumed that the Afghan Taliban exercises centralized control over the TTP. But that assumption reflects a misreading of the Taliban’s fractured structure—and it is driving a military strategy unlikely to produce lasting results.

Hungary’s Lessons for Democracy If opponents of right-wing populists elsewhere hope to reprise Peter Magyar’s victory, they will need to learn from Hungary.

Some have interpreted Orban’s defeat as a sign that the global tide of right-wing populism has peaked. Is it?

As senior columnist @fridaghitis.bsky.social writes, the answer depends on whether his opponents in other countries can draw the right lessons.

Contrary to Popular Opinion, NATO Will Be Fine Officials and analysts on both sides of the Atlantic are fretting that NATO is on thin ice, but those fears are exaggerated.

Officials and analysts on both sides of the Atlantic are fretting that NATO is on thin ice.

In his latest weekly column for WPR, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social argues that those fears are exaggerated.

After an Electoral Drubbing, Thailand’s Progressives Face a Reckoning Thailand’s reformist Future Forward Party is scrambling to regroup after a disappointing performance in elections earlier this year.

Thailand’s progressive People’s Party is scrambling to regroup after a disappointing performance in elections earlier this year, Andrew Nachemson writes.

Contrary to Popular Opinion, NATO Will Be Fine Officials and analysts on both sides of the Atlantic are fretting that NATO is on thin ice, but those fears are exaggerated.

The headline says it all. I argue this week in @wpr.bsky.social that, despite all the bluster, NATO will be just fine.

www.worldpoliticsreview.com/contrary-to-...

The Strategic Folly of Pakistan’s War With Afghanistan China-mediated peace talks have resulted in a temporary pause in the fighting, but Islamabad’s strategic miscalculations risk reigniting the conflict.

China-mediated peace talks have produced a temporary pause in Pakistan’s war with Afghanistan—but Islamabad’s strategic miscalculations risk reigniting it, Siddhant Kishore writes for World Politics Review.

Hungary’s Lessons for Democracy If opponents of right-wing populists elsewhere hope to reprise Peter Magyar’s victory, they will need to learn from Hungary.

In her latest column for WPR, @fridaghitis.bsky.social writes that Peter Magyar’s success in defeating Viktor Orban could offer a blueprint for defeating right-wing populism—but only if his opponents elsewhere are willing to follow it honestly.

The Past, Present and Future of Drones Drones are often thought of as cutting-edge technology, but some models are turning back the clock to earlier eras.

Today’s wars are dominated by drones. And while drones are often thought of as cutting-edge technology, the reality is that drones have been with us for a long time.

In fact, some drones are now turning back the clock to the capabilities of earlier eras.

Xi Has the Upper Hand Going Into His Meeting With Trump Ahead of next month’s U.S.-China summit, Trump doesn’t appear to have a coherent plan for how to deal with Xi.

Ahead of next month’s U.S.-China summit, it is unclear that Trump has a coherent construct to guide his China policy.

Xi, meanwhile, has both a powerful stick and an enticing carrot.

The Strategic Folly of Pakistan’s War With Afghanistan China-mediated peace talks have resulted in a temporary pause in the fighting, but Islamabad’s strategic miscalculations risk reigniting the conflict.

While Pakistan’s diplomats were mediating between the U.S. and Iran, its armed forces were escalating a war with Afghanistan that barely registers in global discourse.

Siddhant Kishore examines why the conflict has no permanent end in sight:

Hungary’s Lessons for Democracy If opponents of right-wing populists elsewhere hope to reprise Peter Magyar’s victory, they will need to learn from Hungary.

Hungary’s election delivered a crushing blow to Viktor Orban and his 16-year grip on power.

If opponents of right-wing populists elsewhere hope to reprise Peter Magyar’s victory, they will need to glean the right takeaways, columnist @fridaghitis.bsky.social‬ writes.

Panama is caught between two major powers that both see the canal as a strategic asset worth fighting over, James Bosworth writes in his latest column for WPR.

Read more here:
www.worldpoliticsreview.com/panama-canal...

The Past, Present and Future of Drones Drones are often thought of as cutting-edge technology, but some models are turning back the clock to earlier eras.

If you know the history of drones, some of today’s developments seem very familiar indeed.
My latest for @wpr.bsky.social

www.worldpoliticsreview.com/drone-warfar...

The Past, Present and Future of Drones Drones are often thought of as cutting-edge technology, but some models are turning back the clock to earlier eras.

The war in Ukraine is often called the “first drone war.” But the reality is that drones have been with us for a long time, almost since the dawn of flight itself, @rikefranke.bsky.social writes.

Xi Has the Upper Hand Going Into His Meeting With Trump Ahead of next month’s U.S.-China summit, Trump doesn’t appear to have a coherent plan for how to deal with Xi.

Xi’s leverage over Trump is both economic and diplomatic: he can offer Trump a vision of great-power peace in Asia at a moment when Trump’s peacemaking agenda is floundering elsewhere.

Ali Wyne writes on why Xi now has the upper hand:

China’s New Supply Chain Rules Raise the Stakes for Foreign Businesses Under new regulations announced last week, companies could be sanctioned by Beijing simply for trying to comply with their home country’s laws.

China’s new supply chain regulations are as vague as they are broad—granting Beijing near-total discretion to determine their scope.

As columnist Mary Gallagher writes, that vagueness is itself the point.

The Coffee Trade Is Becoming More Complex. The Impacts Will Be Felt Worldwide Climate change, shifts in demand, and new regulations are transforming how coffee is produced and traded across regions.

Climate change, shifts in demand, and new regulations are transforming how coffee is produced and traded across regions.

The Past, Present and Future of Drones Drones are often thought of as cutting-edge technology, but some models are turning back the clock to earlier eras.

Drones are often thought of as cutting-edge technology, but some models are turning back the clock to earlier eras, @rikefranke.bsky.social writes.

Xi Has the Upper Hand Going Into His Meeting With Trump Ahead of next month’s U.S.-China summit, Trump doesn’t appear to have a coherent plan for how to deal with Xi.

Ahead of next month’s U.S.-China summit, Trump doesn’t appear to have a coherent plan for how to deal with Xi, Ali Wyne writes for World Politics Review.

China’s New Supply Chain Rules Raise the Stakes for Foreign Businesses Under new regulations announced last week, companies could be sanctioned by Beijing simply for trying to comply with their home country’s laws.

With new regulations announced by Beijing last week, China has significantly raised the stakes for foreign businesses caught between Washington and Beijing, WPR columnist Mary Gallagher writes.