The Great Democratic Success Story That Wasn't
Timothy McLaughlin
The Obama administration seemed to take special pride in its policy toward Myanmar. American statecraft had coaxed the country's reclusive military dictatorship onto a path of democratic transformation, Kurt Campbell, who served as an assistant secretary of state at the time, wrote in his 2016 book, Pivot: "One of the world's most isolated, tragic, and magical lands had finally opened to the world because of intrepid American diplomacy, perhaps fundamentally changing the trajectory of Asia."Then,...
A Tour Through Solar Eclipses of the Past
Alan Taylor
Gil Nartea / AFP / Getty
As much of North America prepares for the upcoming total solar eclipse next week, I thought it would be fun to share some images from the recent (and not-so-recent) past of previous eclipses--annular, partial, and total--from around the world. Also pictured are some of the many observers sharing th...
Photos of the Week: Snow Blooms, Giant Eggs, Dragon's Teeth
Alan Taylor
Maryland National Guard / Reuters
A wildfire in Venezuela, cherry blossoms in eastern China, a deadly terrorist attack in Russia, a surf competition in Australia, Holy Week processions in Spain, a full moon above Istanbul, a vast solar-power farm in Texas, and much more
Benjamin Netanyahu Is Israel's Worst Prime Minister Ever
Anshel Pfeffer
If Benjamin Netanyahu had accepted defeat in June 2021, finally yielding the stage to a coalition of his opponents, he could have retired at the age of 71 with a decent claim to having been one of Israel's more successful prime ministers.He had already surpassed the time in office of Israel's founder, David Ben-Gurion, becoming the country's longest-serving prime minister in 2019. His second stretch in office, from 2009 to 2021, coincided with perhaps the best 12 years Israel had known since its ...