Donald Trump may hate to hear it, but Barack Obama was right about avoiding “stupid shit”

The World Cup finalists are strikingly different teams 

But a degree of protection from coercion remains possible

America’s quest for AI dominance is scary. China is not the solution

Some governments are lowering the age of criminal responsibility. That may backfire

The NATO chief Mark Rutte is quite annoying. It is in a worthy cause

German tanks are returning to a region they once razed

Can Taiwan use its chipmaking industry to strong-arm Donald Trump?

Some at college or university are testing no better than ten-year-olds

Autocracies are taking over conflict mediation. The deals they are making look different

Forget middle-power coalitions. Japan and its neighbours know that only America can deter China

Being rich helps, but being open to immigration works best of all

So has FIFA, the outfit that administers it

The leaders of America, China and Russia scorn consensual politics. That is a mistake

Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, examines why conflict exerts a “strange pull”

Ideological certainties have hurt Cubans for 70 years. Time to give cynicism a chance

Shashank Joshi looks back on eight years as defence editor

The wrong way to beat populists who deny the existence of hard problems

In the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, more parents are teaching their children

The country is not as isolated as its critics hope, but it is alienating some true friends