Countries are increasingly using sanctions, including travel bans, to bring rogue players into line. But history tells us that they don’t really work. The Statue of Liberty holds a Do Not Enter sign.Illustration by News Decoder Editor’s note: On 16 June...
Half a century ago, Richard Nixon plunged the United States into a constitutional crisis. The crisis under Trump feels much worse. A protestor is detained near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, California 8 June 2025, following a protest over...
With housing prices at sky-high levels, people in Spain say it is time for their government to take action. Governments elsewhere are taking notice. A protest in Madrid 13 October 2024 over high rents and a shortage of long term rentals. (Credit: Leah Pattem)...
The Labour government wants to renew trade with Europe. The Tories had failed to do that after Brexit. We take a look back at that last attempt. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, and European...
For eons, European nations were at war with each other. The formation of the European Union was meant to change that. Isn’t that a good thing, Mr. President? A teacher stands before a map of Europe in a classroom. Illustration by News Decoder. This article was...
Australia is its own continent but it has key strategic relationships with two big nations that don’t like each other. Political isolation is not an option. A koala bear lurks behind U.S. President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping. (Illustration by...
Around the world we see the rise of autocrats. Once they hold power it is difficult to oust them. But their fall often leaves a vacuum and chaos. A carnival float depicting Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in Nice, France, 15 February 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis...
Interlocking economies have turned China and the United States into powerful frenemies. What happens when the illusion of friendship dissolves? A box of U.S. flag picks labeled “Made in China.” (Illustration by News Decoder) Editor’s note: U.S....
Both the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted international supply chains. Many thought it was time to bring supplies closer to home. A container ship docked in Shenzhen, China. (Credit: Alexey_Lesik/Getty Images Pro) Editor’s note: On...
Donald Trump commands some 200,000 U.S. troops in more than 125 military bases in 149 countries. Why are they there in the first place? U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth salutes U.S. troops at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippines, 28 March 2025. (AP...