Newsletter Archive

The massive blast at Beirut’s port Tuesday night that wrecked large parts of Lebanon’s capital is likely to have as enduring an impact on the impoverished Mediterranean country as the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, say diplomats and analysts.

The United States is pressing ahead with plans to push for the extension of a U.N. arms embargo against Iran that is due to expire in two months under the 2015 nuclear deal. The move is likely to face stiff opposition from other nations, including Russia and China.

Australia’s recent shift to a more combative stance against China will tighten political and military coordination among U.S.-allied nations that want to check Beijing’s maritime expansion, analysts said this week.

A Moscow court convicted 7 young Russians on extremism charges Thursday, handing several lengthy prison sentences in a closely watched case that seemed to encapsulate the limits of political youth activism in today’s Russia.

A traditional public assembly, known as a Loya Jirga, opened in Afghanistan Friday to determine whether a last set of 400 hardcore prisoners from the Taliban insurgency should be freed to clear the way for long-awaited direct peace talks between Afghanistan’s warring sides.