Next in the Nuclear Arms Race: A Flying Plutonium Reactor
Reading Time: 3 minutes A deadly explosion in Russia provided a glimpse of a future in which tiny plutonium reactors could propel unstoppable nuclear bombs.
Is the Cold War in the Persian Gulf About to Turn Hot?
Reading Time: 2 minutes The hidden cyber war between the US and Iran saw the world’s first known cyber weapon tested a decade ago. Now that conflict, which has so far been fought with hidden means, is on the brink of explosion.
Comedian Dethrones Chocolate Mogul in Ukraine Election
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ukraine’s next president, whose previous job was to play the president on TV, has been accused of Russian connections, but Russia says it’s “too early” to congratulate him.
Afghanistan Forces Intimidate, Rob US-Hired Contractors
Reading Time: 1 minute Afghan army personnel stole over $780,000 worth of equipment from local contractors hired by the US, often at gunpoint.
Are US Tax Dollars Wasted on Afghan Helicopters Nobody Will Fly?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Afghan forces are unlikely to field enough pilots to fly US-supplied Black Hawk helicopters after planned US withdrawal.
Recognition of Ukrainian Church Increases Risk of War With Russia
Reading Time: 4 minutes Orthodox religious politics are often Byzantine. Yet the earthly repercussions of the split between the Ukrainian and Russian churches could be severe.
Europe Struggles With Common Identity, Army, as Brexit Deal Reached
Reading Time: 2 minutes An orderly Brexit could actually enable grand European projects such as a common army. Whether that would fix relations with the US is another matter.
Brazil to Move Embassy to Jerusalem as Gaza Violence Subsides
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brazil will become the third country in recent months to move its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, president-elect Jair Bolsonaro announced on Thursday.
Erdogan Says Turkish Operation in Syria to Target Kurds
Reading Time: 1 minute A day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to attack Kurdish forces in Syria, social media were abuzz with reports of an impending Turkish operation against these troops, who have been the main US ally on the ground against the Islamic State.https://twitter.com/metesohtaoglu/status/923178493269237760The enclave of Afrin and the Kurdish-held city of Manbij, both in northern Read More
Is the Fall of Kirkuk Iran’s Answer to Trump?
Reading Time: 2 minutes In a lightning advance, Iraqi forces captured the oil-rich city of Kirkuk from Kurdish forces on Monday, sending thousands of civilians fleeing.The fighting between two US-trained and -equipped forces that have been central to the war against the Islamic State was a slap in the face to US foreign policy. US-supplied Iraqi tank knocks over Read More
More on Climate Change Science from MIT Expert
Reading Time: 2 minutes Prof. John Reilly, the co-director of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, was one of the scientists drawn in President Donald Trump’s announcement last week that the US would pull out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. WhoWhatWhy interviewed Reilly prior to the events of last week. An Read More
Donald Trump vs. the Tide of History on Climate Change
Reading Time: 5 minutes While scientists say the US president’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change is disastrous, they also describe a cyclical pattern where, driven by greed, humanity periodically comes to the brink of catastrophe.
WhoWhatWhy Is Not Just Ahead of the Curve on Domestic Issues
Reading Time: 1 minute It hasn’t just been WhoWhatWhy’s domestic coverage that has been far ahead of the curve: with our limited resources we got many of the international stories right too. For example, according to mainstream media reports, it now seems increasingly likely that Donald Trump might try to play Russia and China off of each other, by cozying Read More
No Learning Curve: Syria Will Immediately Test Trump
Reading Time: 7 minutes Donald Trump’s “bromance” with Vladimir Putin, as well as the foreign-policy skills of his tentative generals-rich cabinet, will face a dangerous challenge in Syria as soon as he takes office.
Why Do Many Around the World See Trump as a Peacenik?
Reading Time: 6 minutes Hundreds of millions around the world welcomed Trump or saw him as the lesser of two evils, despite his xenophobic campaign. It has a lot to do with Clinton’s hawkishness and the fear of nuclear war.
Experts: Syrian ‘Black Hole’ Deepens As US Election Approaches
Reading Time: 4 minutes As the Syrian army advances on shattered East Aleppo and US Secretary of State John Kerry struggles to find his footing against the Russians, Western media is ripe with speculation that the offensive is timed to the US election. As The New York Times put it, “The strategy of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Read More
Why Brexit Panics Eastern Europe
Reading Time: 5 minutes Big-power rivalries and home-grown dysfunction raise fears along eastern periphery of the European Union.
Investigating the Investigators: The Panama Papers
Reading Time: 5 minutes While many concerns have been raised about the way the Panama Papers investigation has been handled, there has been little actual evidence of objectionable actions on the part of the ICIJ — until now.
Confused by the Bloody War in Syria? Here’s the WhoWhatWhy.
Reading Time: 5 minutes Syria is a mess. And the narrative in mainstream media keeps swinging from one extreme to another, failing to grasp the complexities of the situation.
An Explosive Situation Is Brewing in Turkey
Reading Time: 5 minutes Turks against Kurds, ISIS against Kurds, Russia against ISIS, Turkey against Russia — who will be the winner? And how will it affect the rest of the world?