International Affairs

The war entered a new phase when President Trump began a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explains what this means.

filmmaker Julia Loktev. Her latest film, "My Undesirable Friends: Part I - Last Air In Moscow," is a 5 1/2-hour documentary structured in chapters, following a close-knit group of independent Russian journalists and activists during 2021 and early 2022 as the Russian government branded reporters foreign agents in the months leading up to and just after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Yousafzai chronicled her childhood in the 2013 memoir, I Am Malala. In the new memoir, Finding My Way, she writes about her life at Oxford and beyond. It's the story of a college student who, like many others before her, tries marijuana, fails exams and falls in love for the first time. But it also reveals Yousafzai's efforts to deal with the trauma of the attack she had survived years earlier.

Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, attributes the Gaza deal in part to Trump's transactional nature and breaking of traditional diplomatic crockery.

Fourteen million people in Sudan have been displaced by war and famine. The Atlantic's Anne Applebaum writes about the scale of destruction in her article, "The Most Nihilistic Conflict on Earth."

Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour discusses the war between Israel and Iran, potential fallout from U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites, and how this may affect Tehran's authoritarian regime.

Ahmed al-Sharaa founded the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, but is now advocating unity. The Atlantic's Robert Worth discusses al-Sharaa's leadership and the Trump administration's group chat on Signal.

Benjamin's grandfather, a labor leader, was appointed president of Haiti in '57, but was overthrown after 19 days in office. He talks about his family's resilience and the lasting effects of the coup.

With wars raging around the world and high tariffs looming, Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes says Trump's agenda may be chaotic — but she remains optimistic about possible good elements.

Essayist Phil Klay says Trump tried to use the military to push his partisan agenda before, and may further erode norms around the military as he looks for those willing to "go with his whims."

Georgetown professor Daniel Byman discusses Ukraine’s daring offensive into Russian territory. And he reflects on the future of Gaza, after Israel’s military operation ends.

Each year, nearly half a million migrants cross the perilous stretch of jungle between South and Central America. Pulitzer Prize-winning Atlantic reporter Caitlin Dickerson made the harrowing journey.

Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon, shares Hamas’ goal of destroying the state of Israel. New Yorker writer Dexter Filkins talks about his reporting trip to the Lebanese/Israeli border.

Anne Applebaum, has been writing for years about the rise in authoritarianism around the world and the erosion of democracy. Her latest book, "Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want To Run The World," is a potent read on how today's autocracies are not just ruled by one powerful leader, but are instead a sophisticated interconnected network.

Time correspondent Simon Shuster has been interviewing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since 2019, when Zelenskyy was still a famous entertainer and satirist. Shuster talks about Zelenskyy's rise to power, the infamous call with Trump that led to Trump's first impeachment, and how the war with Russia has changed him. Shuster's new book is The Showman.

New Yorker writer Evan Osnos explains the contentious relationship between China and the U.S. and discusses the significance and possible results of Wednesday's meeting between Biden and President Xi.

New York Times journalist Isabel Kershner says before war broke out between Israel and Hamas, it sometimes looked as if Israel was headed toward a civil war. Her new book is The Land of Hope and Fear.

New York Times reporter Mark Mazzetti says prior to Oct. 7, Israel's leadership was focused on an attack by Iran and its proxies —not Hamas. "They were ... myopic about what the true threat was."

Terrorism expert Daniel Byman explains the origins of the war between Israel and Hamas, and where it may lead. His books include A High Price: The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism.

The U.S. used atomic weapons against Japan 78 years ago. We listen back to archival interviews with psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton and journalists Lesley M.M. Blume and Evan Thomas about the decision.