Hush-hush talks staged near Paris by independent organizers bring leaders of enemy sides in the Afghan war together for informal talks. Will this lead to official peace negotiations?
U.S.
Mali’s Crisis: Is the Plan for Western Intervention ‘Crap’?
Though significant differences over details remain, French officials tell TIME to expect an international intervention plan into Mali to get accepted by the U.N. before the year’s end
How Rabbits Can Save the World (It Ain’t Pretty)
With no religious taboos against consuming bunny meat, the animal may be a key ingredient in the fight against hunger. It also can be raised grain-free.
What If There Was a Cold War Between the U.S. and China?
We’re already seeing a return to Cold War era containment strategies as the relationship between the world’s two largest economies deteriorates, argues Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group and author of ‘Every Nation …
A Deeply Divided European Union Faces Its Own Budgetary Cliff
France, Germany and Britain become central antagonists in more general discord over a multiyear E.U. budget — and risk preventing Europe from fulfilling one of its most basic operational tasks
France’s Right-Wing Civil War: Leadership Vote Plunges UMP into Chaos
Allegations of voter fraud add further bile to the leadership race for France’s main conservative party, as it chooses between its neo-Gaullist roots or drifting towards the far right of Marine Le Pen
Is Gay Marriage Too Progressive for the French?
The leftist government of French President François Hollande tables legislation to legalize same-sex marriages and adoptions amid rising opposition and public hesitation
What Should the Middle East Expect from Obama’s Second Term?
“This is my last election,” President Barack Obama told then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in comments picked up by a mike in Seoul last March. “After my election, I have more flexibility.”
The Other Concession Speech: Netanyahu Congratulates Obama
Like his friend Mitt Romney, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quite plainly wanted just one term for Barack Obama. Now, he must move on.
Five Countries Where the U.S. Election Matters Most
From Syrian rebels to polar bears, global stakeholders hope for changes after Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election
Drones: A Non-Issue in U.S. Presidential Debate Riles Pakistan
The two U.S. presidential candidates found no reason to quarrel over the American use of drones overseas. But Pakistanis see it differently.
The Cuban Missile Crisis at 50: America and Cuba Still Frozen in 1962
Raúl Castro’s decision this week to let Cubans travel freely outside their communist island is a reminder of the jaded cold-war policies Washington and Havana adopted after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet standoff
The Artist Who Can’t Leave China: An Interview with Ai Weiwei
One of the world’s most-famous artists is having an important retrospective in the Smithsonian, but Ai Weiwei can’t attend because the authorities in Beijing won’t give him back his passport. He talks to TIME about his art, his …
