Economics
Pakistan’s Establishment Could Shape the Election. It Could Not Completely Shape the Voters.
Pakistan’s general election has produced exactly the kind of result that makes the word “winner” unusually difficult to use. Candidates aligned with imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan have won more National Assembly constituencies than…
Europe Just Gave Ukraine €50 Billion. Most of the Important Work Will Not Happen on the Battlefield.
The European Union finally agreed this week on a €50 billion financial package for Ukraine covering the period to 2027, overcoming the Hungarian veto that prevented agreement at December’s summit. All twenty-seven EU governments, including…
Iran and Pakistan Both Say They Were Fighting Terrorists. They Ended Up Bombing Each Other.
Iran and Pakistan exchanged military strikes across their shared border this week in one of the most serious confrontations between the two neighbours in years. On Tuesday, Iran launched missiles and drones into Pakistan’s southwestern…
America and Britain Have Bombed the Houthis. The Hard Question Is Whether Punishment Will Actually Make Them Stop.
The United States and Britain launched strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, hitting sites associated with missiles, drones, radar and other military capabilities after weeks of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red…
Nobody Says They Want a Regional War. That Does Not Mean the Region Cannot End Up in One.
The war that began in Gaza three months ago is increasingly becoming a regional system of interconnected confrontations. Hamas deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in Beirut on Tuesday, in an explosion widely attributed…
The Houthis Cannot Control Global Trade. They Have Discovered They Do Not Need To.
A conflict that began in Gaza is increasingly affecting container ships thousands of kilometres away. Yemen’s Houthi movement has launched missiles and drones towards commercial vessels travelling through the Red Sea and has seized at…
Europe Has Finally Agreed on a New Migration System. The Hard Part Is Making Borders Both Controlled and Humane.
After years of arguments that repeatedly divided northern and southern Europe, eastern and western Europe, governments and human-rights organisations, the European Union reached a political agreement this week on a major overhaul of its migration…
The EU Has Agreed to Open Membership Talks With Ukraine. That Does Not Mean Ukraine Is Joining Anytime Soon.
The European Union made one of its most consequential decisions since Russia invaded Ukraine this week. On Thursday, EU leaders agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and granted candidate status to Georgia.
Milei Says Argentina Has No Alternative to Economic Shock. The Real Question Is Who Absorbs It.
Javier Milei became president of Argentina today, completing an extraordinary transformation from television economist to congressman to head of state in only a few years. His inaugural address was strikingly different from the optimism normally…
Climate Change Has Already Caused Damage That Cannot Be Adapted Away. Now Comes the Harder Question: Who Pays?
COP28 opened in Dubai this week with an agreement that climate negotiations have struggled towards for decades. Governments formally operationalised a new Loss and Damage Fund intended to provide financial support to developing countries facing…
Argentina Has Chosen Radical Change. Winning the Election Was the Easy Part.
Argentina has chosen Javier Milei. Economy minister Sergio Massa conceded tonight after Milei won the presidential runoff by a decisive margin, completing one of the most extraordinary political rises in modern Argentine history. Milei entered…
Portugal’s Prime Minister Resigned Without Being Convicted of Anything. That May Be What Political Responsibility Is Supposed to Mean.
Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa resigned on Tuesday, ending nearly eight years at the head of government after prosecutors investigating alleged corruption surrounding lithium mining, hydrogen production and major investment projects searched government ministries and…
