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If 2023 was artificial intelligence’s breakout year, then 2024 was when the rules of the road were established. This was the year that U.S. government agencies acted on the White House executive order on AI safety. Over the summer, the European Union’s AI regulation became law. In October, the Swedes weighed in as the Nobel […]
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Russian retaliation for a Ukrainian targeted strike, the United States killing an Islamic State leader in Syria as U.S. diplomats visit Damascus, and Canada’s cabinet reshuffle. World Brief will be taking a short break for the holiday season. The newsletter will return to your inbox on […]
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the conditions for an Israel-Hamas truce agreement, Ukraine’s involvement in the killing of a top Russian military officer, and the discovery of mass graves in Syria. Final Concessions U.S., Israeli, and Qatari officials convened in the Middle East on Wednesday to try to finalize a cease-fire […]
This year, the Global Engagement Center, an agency that leads the U.S. State Department’s efforts to counter foreign disinformation, offered a $1 million grant to applicants proposing a video game “that builds cognitive resilience to authoritarianism and promotes democratic norms and values.” The posting showed just how seriously the U.S. government takes gaming—a $455 billion […]
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at France’s fourth prime minister this year, Russia targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and a deadly Israeli attack on a post office in Gaza. Who Is François Bayrou? French President Emmanuel Macron appointed centrist Pau Mayor François Bayrou, 73, on Friday to be the country’s next prime minister. […]
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Romania’s invalidated election, a massive European Union-Mercosur free trade deal, and demands to suspend South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s powers. ‘Aggressive’ Russian Attacks Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the country’s ongoing presidential election on Friday, citing alleged Russian interference. The top court’s decision is final and binding. […]
In the 1990s, the feel-good first decade after communism’s implosion, headlines in Central Europe were dominated by the likes of Vaclav Havel, the charming playwright-turned-Czech president who championed civic democracy. Yet, from the start, extreme-right rabble-rousers and brooding nativists lurked in the margins. Decades of Soviet rule had reinforced illiberal attitudes that surfaced in my […]
The surprise win of Calin Georgescu, an ultranationalist and admirer of Russia, in the first round of Romania’s presidential elections on Nov. 24 raises the once-unthinkable specter of an extended pro-Russian border with wartime Ukraine. Should Georgescu triumph in a runoff vote on Dec. 8 and become president of Romania, there would be a trio […]
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the likely ouster of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, a no-confidence vote against French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump butting heads with NATO over how to approach Russia-Ukraine peace talks. ‘Grave Act of Rebellion’ Six South Korean opposition parties submitted a motion […]
What’s your favorite holiday dish? Mine is a Thanksgiving classic: the sweet potato casserole, topped with a generous heap of marshmallows. It’s a divisive food—you either love it or think it’s sickly sweet overkill. Very American, right? Actually, the dish has surprisingly international origins. It’s a product of the business strategy of two German brothers […]