Foreign Policy
October 2026
Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Former ICC Judge
The United States imposed new sanctions on the international body in response
Today the Nobel Committee shamed itself beyond repair and demeaned the once great Nobel Peace Prize by giving it to the UN’s Navi Pillay,
It is clear that there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention.”
The all-out invasion of parts of northern Ethiopia by Eritrea is a matter of public record,
[T... T]he Ethiopian regime has been pursuing, in effect, an unprovoked war of aggression against Eritrea for more than three years,
She has no credibility in any normal sphere and has never done a thing to foster peace,
The Global Diesel Crisis, Explained
Russian Sabotage in Europe Is No Longer ‘Symbolic’
Initially, these attacks were more against symbolic objects,
Some groups who commit these attacks realize that this is also an option to earn good money,
I have heard from some European colleagues that they feel they don’t have the right legal tools to handle this,
What in the World?
Some Tout a U.S. Victory in Iran. I’m Not So Sure.
Behind her, a white hatchback car is parked along the street in front of a shaded structure
We won. Iran lost. Period,
This is the end of the regime.”
Brazil’s Far-Right Resurgence
The Bolsonaro family looks likely to retake the presidency
The problem is that [Lula’s Workers’ Party]—and its associated unions—are unable to see these workers as anything other than exploited labor, even though they prize their autonomy,
There is a pro-Trump majority today at the OAS, so letting the organization deal with the Nicaragua issue doesn’t take much political investment and can even free up [U.S. Secretary of State Marco] Rubio to deal with other things,
For working people, protection; for criminals, jail.”
Mecca Pact, Activated
I do not have any idea who else they work for but will, on reflection, ask them and, if there’s a conflict, I will terminate them, immediately!”
The bylaws have barely been agreed to, so I’m sure this is probably an earlier test than any of these countries would have wanted for this mutual defense agreement,
This is going to be some big yard,
The Houthis cannot be allowed to do what they’re doing because it would mean an economic and political crisis in Pakistan,
They view this as an in-kind early payment to Saudi Arabia” in case of a future conflict with neighboring India
Can America Stay Ahead of China on AI?
Matt Sheehan, a co-director of the China AI Initiative at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins FP’s Ravi Agrawal to explain the countries’ very different definitions of winning and why U.S. models are only months ahead of their Chinese competitors
How America and China Compare on AI
The Next Iran War Is This Iran War
The Iran war is, and always was, about regime change
To Understand France’s Unrest, Look Back to 1982
A large crowd gathers in a public square around a tall statue and monument base
Where the Saudi-Houthi War Stands Now
The Yemeni rebel forces ramp up strikes on Saudi airports, oil refineries, and other critical infrastructure
This is not a death. It’s a murder!”
Can a New Credit Rating Agency Help Africans Borrow at Better Rates?
The African Union is challenging the big three rating agencies’ approach to assessing African borrowing risk
In 2024, Africa accounted for nearly half of all global sovereign credit downgrades.”
The Real Danger May Be AI as Dumb as Us
But it was at least good for some ironic smirks among the very same AI “doomers” and effective altruists that the administration has spent the past few weeks bashing
Imagine the Hugging Face thing, but it’s more like Stuxnet,
America’s Best Answer to the China-Russia Alliance
Washington can exploit friction, strengthen allies, and make the axis harder to sustain
The Leverage Middle Powers Have in the AI Race
If they were to pull away from us on AI, then nothing else would matter.”
IMF Chief Issues Stark Economic Warning for 2027
Kristalina Georgieva urges world leaders to implement protective measures to help keep the lights on
Now may be a good time for a prudently hawkish bias in many countries' monetary policy,
We need to remember that, [compared] to the previous time, we have a much more mature system in Europe,
My message to the world’s economic policymakers will be this: we cannot keep delaying necessary policy action — you have the tools, now have the wisdom to use them... And yet we don’t see decisive action in the high-debt advanced economies where the need of the hour is for credible medium-term fiscal consolidation plans, supported in some cases by upfront fiscal measures,
I will never stifle the growth of a technology that will be bigger than the industrial revolution,
Yet again,... my message is: get your house in order.”
China Might Lap the United States on AI Adoption
Can Regional Powers Prevent Ethiopia’s Conflict From Spreading?
Addis Ababa’s forces have recaptured a key town as rifts deepen in the Horn of Africa
You can’t have a diplomat who says the time for talking is over,
We are not party to the domestic crisis facing Ethiopia now. It has nothing to do with us,
Ethiopian civilization cannot be realized without a sea outlet,
Nigeria cannot replace dependence on crude oil exports with dependence on exports of lithium, rare earths or other unprocessed minerals,... Agreements of this strategic importance warrant legislative scrutiny.”
China’s AI Rollout Has No Off Switch
What Does China’s New Military Base in Laos Mean?
It is its third overseas military base and its second in Southeast Asia; the other two are in Cambodia and Djibouti
How to Avoid Disaster in the Next Iran War
Iran’s nuclear program, missile and drone arsenal, and proxy groups still stand; control of the Strait of Hormuz remains contested; and perhaps most important, Russian and Chinese support is facilitating a rapid Iranian reconstitution
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey Trigger Mutual Defense Pact
Even the threat of joint involvement could dramatically shift the Saudi-Houthi conflict
With the current restriction, we cannot fully participate in NATO’s nuclear deterrence plans,
Neither of these developments will contribute to stability and predictability on the European continent,
Since nuclear deterrence is the queen of all deterrence, this decision is strategically important,
What’s Freezing the U.S. Housing Market?
A large, bright red promotional balloon floating in the sky with white text reading "NEW HOMES"
Trump’s Red-Dye Diesel Plan Has a Major Flaw
The Trump administration, growing increasingly fretful of high fuel prices just a month before the U.S. midterm elections, issued late Monday a novel executive order meant to make diesel fuel a little cheaper for beleaguered truckers and farmers
This doesn’t move the needle in any way on diesel availability,
It’s one thing to waive a tax and another thing to simply defer it. This just looks like a mess, but then again, it’s all a circus,