Letter

20
Oct
‘Not so much on Ukraine’

‘Not so much on Ukraine’

Russia’s pitch for a summit with the U.S. and China. A 1994 trade: 1,900 warheads for a promise. & Was blowing up Nord Stream a war crime?
6 min read
18
Oct
‘So they can own us’

‘So they can own us’

Alberta’s vote on leaving Canada. A Trump effect on the prairie, and Quebec’s “until the next time.” & Who’s behind the chaos in France?
4 min read
15
Oct
One hour of sun

One hour of sun

Costa Rica’s new mega-prison, designed by El Salvador. A strongman’s staying power, and a country with no army since 1948. & Is dictatorship winning?
5 min read
13
Oct
Flags of convenience

Flags of convenience

A second freighter in a week sinks mysteriously off Bulgaria. Navies are struggling to keep merchant ships safe. & What happened inside a Siberian plague lab?
5 min read
10
Oct
Applause in Nuremberg

Applause in Nuremberg

American sanctions on the world’s war-crimes court, hours after a former judge wins the Nobel. The fight over who answers to international law. & What happened inside a Siberian plague lab?
4 min read
08
Oct
No undo button

No undo button

A youth movement called Cockroach, in the streets of India after 130 million names disappear from its rolls. The world’s biggest democracy, with a voter database that can delete but not restore. & Is the West cracking up?
5 min read
06
Oct
Secrets by subscription

Secrets by subscription

A former spymaster, arrested over 2,000 classified files from inside his old service. The second careers of retired officials, and who hires them. & What do Middle Eastern states want with European football clubs?
5 min read
03
Oct
Dead air in Rio

Dead air in Rio

A shambles over Brazil’s last TV debate before Sunday’s presidential election. Candidates who’d rather not be questioned. & What’s in the weekend despatch?
5 min read
01
Oct
Barricades at the gate

Barricades at the gate

France’s teenage revolt over packed, overheated classrooms. The prime minister’s crisis cell, and the hard-left party he’s blaming. & Why does Europe run on American tech?
5 min read
29
Sep
The tank on the dock

The tank on the dock

Canadian whisky turned back at the border at midnight. Whey, molasses, and two models of Can-Am motorcycle barred with it. & Why did Beijing break its promise to Hong Kong so early?
6 min read