The stark missteps recorded in the Afghanistan Papers recalled an historic about-face by an architect of the U.S. war in Vietnam. He was Robert McNamara, the Defense secretary who played a key role in escalating the conflict, only to end up wrestling with his...
The U.S. sends troops far from home on an ill-defined mission. Leaders lie. The conflict becomes a quagmire. That’s Afghanistan — or Vietnam redux. Family members of a U.S. soldier who died in Afghanistan look up as military helicopters fly over graveside...
Pro-democracy parties in Hong Kong have won a big electoral victory after months of protests. Will Beijing listen — or crack down? Pro-democracy protesters in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong, China, 26 November 2019 (EPA-EFE/FAZRY ISMAIL) Six months into often violent...
When the Cold War ended, many thought international relations had entered a new era. Now, resurgent nationalism is fanning old animosities. Indian Hindu nationalists at a training camp in Ahmadabad, India, 1 June 2019 (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) After the collapse of the...
Away from the hustle, an ancient rite unfolds in a Shanghai park. Parents looking to hitch offspring post want ads in a marriage mart. (Photo by Betty Fu) It’s a poignant ritual, played out every weekend in a shady corner of a Shanghai park. In People’s Park, scores...
A trip to Hong Kong taught me why Cantonese opera and ca trù singing, which I once thought boring, are so important to cultural identity. Like many young people, I used to consider ancient art forms to be boring and old-fashioned. A recent trip to Hong Kong changed...
In Afghanistan, people love to express themselves on their cars. The messages range from the personal to political to philosophical. In Afghanistan, people love to write messages on their cars. Messages about all sorts of things — love, politics, philosophy, you...
By Kaitlyn-Lee Mun It was a Sunday afternoon in early June at Hong Kong’s Kowloon Park. Cicadas buzzed incessantly, delivering a deafening chorus. On this humid day, the air like soup, people gathered to watch a weekly Kung Fu performance. I was in the crowd,...
Filipino journalists Fermando Sepe Jr. and Maria Ressa have exposed government corruption and abuse — and persist despite threats to their safety. Human rights activists demonstrate in front of an office where Rappler CEO Maria Ressa was detained, Manila, 14...
As protests against Hong Kong authorities become more violent, worries that China’s army might intervene are mounting. A protester confronts Hong Kong police near land just transferred to the People’s Liberation Army, Hong Kong, China, 29 June 2019...