World Politics
11 books the US Army's top officer recommends to help understand the world
Secretary James Mattis has been heralded as a "warrior monk" for his prodigious knowledge and voracious reading habits.<p>But Mattis, a retired Marine general, is not the only US military officer who has supplemented his martial knowledge with academic achievement.<p>In that spirit, the US Army has …
MilitaryThe monster atomic bomb that was too big to use
In 1961, the Soviet Union tested a nuclear bomb so powerful that it would have been too big to use in war. And it had far-reaching effects of a very different kind.<p>On the morning of 30 October 1961, a Soviet Tu-95 bomber took off from Olenya airfield in the Kola Peninsula in the far north of Russia.<p>…
WarBannon's colleagues disturbed by interview with left-wing publication
Steve Bannon either feels incredibly secure in his White House job or it's a case of forgetting to tell a reporter "this is off the record," à la …
PoliticsTrump’s Latest Charlottesville Remarks Are Condemned Abroad
LONDON — President Donald Trump's claim that "two sides" were to blame for the unrest in Charlottesville appears to have further tarnished his reputation globally.<p>The foreign reaction has ranged from high-profile lawmakers calling Trump's remarks "trivializing" and "sickening," to one campaign …
Foreign PolicyTrump just congratulated Kim Jong Un for not attacking America
Seriously, he just did that.<p>President Donald Trump is praising North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un for pulling back on his threat to launch missiles near Guam.<p>“Kim Jong Un of North Korea made a very wise and well reasoned decision,” Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning. “The alternative would have been …
WarAt NAFTA Kickoff, U.S., Mexico, And Canada Already Show Signs Of Disagreement
Officials from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada met on Wednesday to begin renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement. In an opening statement, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer praised President Donald Trump for the fact that these negotiations were even happening.<p>"American …
Foreign PolicyTrump praises N.Korea's Kim for 'wise' decision on Guam
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for a "wise" decision not to fire missiles towards the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, which has eased escalating tension between the two countries.<p>Reclusive North Korea has made no secret of its …
Foreign PolicyThe 10 most important things in the world right now
Hello! Here's what you need to know on Wednesday.<p><b>1. US President Donald Trump had a meltdown at the "alt-left" over the Charlottesville protests</b>. He said the weekend's events, in which a woman died, was a "horrible moment for our country," but that "there are two sides to a story" and "not all of …
NAFTAWhat the Intel Leaks Are Telling Us About North Korea’s Nukes
The Friday Cover<p>The Friday Cover is POLITICO Magazine's email of the week's best, delivered to your inbox every Friday morning.<p>Kim Jong Un’s nuclear weapons and missile programs have passed the point of no return. That makes Trump’s threats of preventative war a fantasy.<p>In recent weeks, a deluge of …
North KoreaChina’s Crackdown on North Korea Over U.N. Sanctions Starts to Pinch
BEIJING — Trucks packed with seafood were backed up, bumper to bumper, at the Chinese border with North Korea. Protesters carried red banners demanding compensation. And Chinese businessmen who have been making big money from North Korean crabs, shrimp and squid were furious.<p>United Nations …
North KoreaRussia May Be Testing Its GPS Spoofing Capabilities Around The Black Sea
Preparing for a world where GPS connectivity isn't guaranteed sure isn't convenient but it may be entirely necessary.<p>James Cridland/wikicommons<p>Tyler …
Electronic WarfareWhat would a new US civil war be like?
In March, <i>Foreign Policy</i> asked a number of national security experts to estimate the likelihood of a second US civil war in the next 10-15 years. The …
Foreign PolicyAmericans’ views of trade aren’t just about economics. They’re also about race.
North American Free Trade Agreement talks begin Aug. 16. (Reuters)<p>As U.S. trade officials gear up this week to begin renegotiating NAFTA, the trade pact with Canada and Mexico, what do voters really think about trade agreements?<p>Donald Trump is a protectionist president. On his first day in office, …
NAFTAThe Group That Got Ignored in Charlottesville
The "alt-right" is evil. White supremacism is evil. Neo-Nazism is evil.<p>I've been saying these things my entire career; I've spent more than a year …
Conservative ViewTrump’s North Korea Bluster Has Shattered U.S. Standing As Global Leader
The more stridently Trump says he is going to stop North Korea, the worse it looks when he fails, and the more Beijing stands to gain.<p>CANBERRA, Australia — Rivalry between great powers is plainly escalating in many parts of the world. When that happens, specific local issues often take on a much …
GeopoliticsThis is the Pentagon's not-so-secret civilian 'ghost' aircraft fleet
The Second World War saw the US government press a number of civilian aircraft into military service for use as transports and cargo haulers, thanks to a rising demand for vehicles<p>Known as the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, this force consists of hundreds of passenger and freight aircraft flown by …
WarBalance of Power: The Far-Right Comes Out of The Shadows
Far-right politics are coming out of the shadows on both sides of the Atlantic.<p>In America, Donald Trump’s refusal once again to unequivocally condemn …
BusinessTrump's stance on Virginia violence shocks America's allies
BERLIN/LONDON (Reuters) - America's closest allies condemned U.S. President Donald Trump in unusually strong and personal terms on Wednesday after he put part of the blame for violent clashes in the state of Virginia on those marching against gun-brandishing neo-Nazis.<p>British Prime Minister Theresa …
World NewsTheresa May Sharpens Her Response to Trump’s Charlottesville Remarks
LONDON — Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain on Wednesday criticized the reaction of President Trump to the violence in Charlottesville, Va., after initially declining to condemn the American leader’s stance.<p>Earlier this week, Mrs. May had said that Mr. Trump’s remarks were “a matter for him,” …
Foreign PolicyNAFTA talks must include discussion on fintech - Mexican negotiator
WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) must include a discussion of new financial …
NAFTAPence won't take questions from press in Chile
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence's isn't expected to take questions from reporters after meeting with Chile's president — even though Pence's public schedule had listed a "joint press conference" with Michelle Bachelet (bah-cheh-LET').<p>Pence spokesman Jarrod Agen tells reporters …
Foreign PolicyU.S. Allies Trust Vladimir Putin More Than President Trump 'to Do the Right Thing': Survey
(WASHINGTON) — Vladimir Putin is more trusted than Donald Trump to do the right thing for the world among citizens of numerous U.S. allies, including …
Foreign PolicyIf You're a Protester Who Wants to Fight Evil, Please Enlist in the US Military and Fight ISIS
Dear Members of Antifa,<p>Great job fighting 'Nazis.'<p>While both the Alt-Left and Alt-Right sides who gathered in Charlottesville this weekend were …
WarNo, Mr. President, both sides aren’t to blame for Charlottesville — or the Civil War
“There was a right side and a wrong side in the late war which no sentiment ought to cause us to forget.” So proclaimed the famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass in 1878, fighting back against an ascendant movement among whites for “reconciliation” — a movement premised on the idea that Americans …
WarCanadian dollar strengthens with oil prices as NAFTA talks loom
The Canadian dollar rebounded on Wednesday from a one-month low hit the day before against its U.S. counterpart, helped by higher oil prices, while investors awaited the start of negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement.<p>Prices of oil, one of Canada’s major exports, were …
NAFTAUK leader criticizes Trump remarks blaming "both sides"
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May has criticized President Donald Trump's remarks blaming "both sides" in weekend violence between white supremacists and counter-demonstrators in Virginia, declaring that there's "no equivalence" between the two groups.<p>Britain's leader, speaking in …
Foreign PolicyWorld leaders condemn Trump's remarks on neo-Nazis
World leaders condemned President Donald Trump's latest comments on the racially charged tumult in Virginia, lobbing words like "obnoxious" and "highly dangerous" in salvos that suggest Trump's domestic drama could further undermine his global relationships.<p>European leaders were among the most …
Politics'This is not a place to fight:' Under cover of dark, Confederate marker whisked out of cemetery
They came to the cemetery in the dead of night to avoid any commotion.<p>Four workers used a backhoe at 3 a.m. to remove a 6-foot monument that has stood in the Confederate section of Hollywood Forever Cemetery for more than 90 years.<p>The granite boulder commemorating Confederate veterans was taken …
HistoryCanada's dairy industry a major sticking point in NAFTA talks
US President Donald Trump will have the chance to turn a key campaign promise into reality, with this week's first official talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.<p>US President Donald Trump will have the chance to turn a key campaign promise into reality, with this week's first …
NAFTAThe big problem with the North Koreans isn’t that we can’t trust them. It’s that they can’t trust us.
What is the frightening situation between the North Korean regime of Kim Jong Un and the United States <i>about</i>? We have seen an escalation of words and actions suggesting possible war. But the North Koreans say, in so many words, that they just want security against attack by the United States. And …
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