A man with a white beard and grey hair stands at a clear podium, speaking into a microphone. Behind him, a massive digital screen shows a close-up projection of his own face wearing a bright red baseball cap with a white star logo while holding a microphone. To the right of the projection on the screen, a large, dense crowd of supporters is visible, many with their arms raised in the air.
A man with a white beard and grey hair stands at a clear podium, speaking into a microphone. Behind him, a massive digital screen shows a close-up projection of his own face wearing a bright red baseball cap with a white star logo while holding a microphone. To the right of the projection on the screen, a large, dense crowd of supporters is visible, many with their arms raised in the air.

Will Lula Win the Century?

Brazil’s president is democratic, successful, and globally respected. This article has an audio recording

Review
Vincent Bevins
A black and white photograph of MI6 agent Kim Philby on the right, surrounded by sitting and standing photographers and journalists, all dressed in suits.
A black and white photograph of MI6 agent Kim Philby on the right, surrounded by sitting and standing photographers and journalists, all dressed in suits.

The CIA’s First Failed Coup

Kim Philby, parachute drops, and what really happened in communist Albania. This article has an audio recording

Review
Casey Michel
Books-in-brief-fiction-foreign-policy-July-2026
Books-in-brief-fiction-foreign-policy-July-2026

Surviving an Oil Spill in Louisiana, and More New Fiction for July

Stephanie Soileau’s ‘Should the Waters Take Us’ depicts a Cajun community in Louisiana. This article has an audio recording

Books
Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem
A line of commuters walking in profile against a cloudy sky, with a large, historic suspension bridge featuring two prominent towers softly blurred in the background. One person holds a brown umbrella.
A line of commuters walking in profile against a cloudy sky, with a large, historic suspension bridge featuring two prominent towers softly blurred in the background. One person holds a brown umbrella.

The Real Reason Nothing Works in Britain

Two new books hint at what’s actually beneath U.K. political and economic malaise. This article has an audio recording

Review
Marie Le Conte
A man in a blue suit and white dress shirt kicks a soccer ball mid-air on a green grass field. In the background, a referee in a yellow shirt, a young boy in a red uniform, and another player in a red kit look on, alongside bystanders standing near a red tent and net structures.
A man in a blue suit and white dress shirt kicks a soccer ball mid-air on a green grass field. In the background, a referee in a yellow shirt, a young boy in a red uniform, and another player in a red kit look on, alongside bystanders standing near a red tent and net structures.

When the Beautiful Game Meets the Ugliest Ego

A recent history of the World Cup suggests the tournament can triumph over Trump. This article has an audio recording

Review
Bobby Ghosh
01-Foreign-Policy-Magazine-Fiction-Books-June-2026
01-Foreign-Policy-Magazine-Fiction-Books-June-2026

Maggie O’Farrell’s Most Ambitious Novel Yet

Plus, a Venezuelan thriller in translation. This article has an audio recording

Books
Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem
Soldiers of the German armed forces Bundeswehr hoist a European flag in front of the Bundeswehr memorial dedicated to members of the German armed forces who lost their lives in the line of duty, on November 10, 2025 on the premises of the German Defence Ministry in Berlin, prior to a wreath-laying ceremony.
Soldiers of the German armed forces Bundeswehr hoist a European flag in front of the Bundeswehr memorial dedicated to members of the German armed forces who lost their lives in the line of duty, on November 10, 2025 on the premises of the German Defence Ministry in Berlin, prior to a wreath-laying ceremony.

Contain, Consolidate, and Co-Opt

How Europe has learned to live with great-power politics. 

Excerpt
Dimitar Bechev
A side-view medium shot of a woman with dark, short hair wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants, sitting with her hands clasped in her lap. She is seated on a red patterned armchair in a living room, with additional matching armchairs and a white bust sculpture visible in the background.
A side-view medium shot of a woman with dark, short hair wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants, sitting with her hands clasped in her lap. She is seated on a red patterned armchair in a living room, with additional matching armchairs and a white bust sculpture visible in the background.

Romania Has Perfected the Art of Forgetting

In a new memoir, Nobel laureate Herta Müller condemns her homeland for failing to reconcile with history. This article has an audio recording

Review
Laura Mills
A narrow, paved alleyway is covered by a canopy of red and white flags and portraits of a man hanging from wires overhead. Below, a few men are scattered throughout the street. On the left, a man sits on a plastic chair next to a table, looking at his phone. In the center, two men sit at another table conversing with a man standing nearby. To the right, another man sits alone against a brick wall. Two white cars are parked in the middle of the alleyway.
A narrow, paved alleyway is covered by a canopy of red and white flags and portraits of a man hanging from wires overhead. Below, a few men are scattered throughout the street. On the left, a man sits on a plastic chair next to a table, looking at his phone. In the center, two men sit at another table conversing with a man standing nearby. To the right, another man sits alone against a brick wall. Two white cars are parked in the middle of the alleyway.

Authoritarian Transformation in Istanbul’s Old City

Two new books seek to capture the changing reality of Turkey and the world.

Review
Selim Koru
A person on a waterfront promenade holds a long, vibrant red dragon streamer with yellow characters painted on it. In the background, the sun sets behind a dense skyline of modern skyscrapers.
A person on a waterfront promenade holds a long, vibrant red dragon streamer with yellow characters painted on it. In the background, the sun sets behind a dense skyline of modern skyscrapers.

There’s No Need to Fear China’s Economy

Beijing can’t easily afford to escalate any economic struggle with Washington. This article has an audio recording

Review
Theodore Bunzel
A collage of ten various book covers is arranged against a background divided horizontally into cream and olive green. The covers for New Skin and Babylon, South Dakota are the largest and most prominent in the center. Other visible titles include John of John, Prestige Drama, All Them Dogs, and Glyph. The covers vary in style, featuring abstract graphics, landscape photography, and illustrated portraits.
A collage of ten various book covers is arranged against a background divided horizontally into cream and olive green. The covers for New Skin and Babylon, South Dakota are the largest and most prominent in the center. Other visible titles include John of John, Prestige Drama, All Them Dogs, and Glyph. The covers vary in style, featuring abstract graphics, landscape photography, and illustrated portraits.

Two Novels Take on the Post-American Dream

Plus, more international fiction releases in May.

Books
Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem
The shells of midrise residential buildings covered in scaffolding rise up against a clear blue sky. In the foreground are colorful tents and booths of vendors lining a street, where cars and vans pass by.
The shells of midrise residential buildings covered in scaffolding rise up against a clear blue sky. In the foreground are colorful tents and booths of vendors lining a street, where cars and vans pass by.

Can Africa Follow Asia’s Development Model?

An economics writer known for his work on Asia turns his eye toward the fastest-growing continent.

Review
Howard W. French
An illustration shows three people in a small wooden boat on a turbulent sea, facing a massive whale that is partially transparent, revealing its skeleton. One person in the boat holds an oar, another holds a harpoon, and a third watches the whale with a hand on their head.
An illustration shows three people in a small wooden boat on a turbulent sea, facing a massive whale that is partially transparent, revealing its skeleton. One person in the boat holds an oar, another holds a harpoon, and a third watches the whale with a hand on their head.

Decolonizing ‘Moby-Dick’

Literature’s obsessive quest for anti-canonical adaptations pursues the white whale at its peril. This article has an audio recording

Review
Rhoda Feng
An up-close portion of the Riverwalk apartment building is pictured as gray clouds loom to the left.
An up-close portion of the Riverwalk apartment building is pictured as gray clouds loom to the left.

Did London’s Dirty Money Really Kill a Teenage Fantasist?

Patrick Radden Keefe’s “London Falling” is a mystery that turns into a tragedy. This article has an audio recording

Review
James Palmer
A camera on a smartphone shows a piece of chicken and waffle on a plate.
A camera on a smartphone shows a piece of chicken and waffle on a plate.

The Fight Over the Future of Meat

The United States lost the EV race to China. Food could be next. This article has an audio recording

Excerpt
Bruce Friedrich
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