China or the U.S.? Two Meetings Offer Competing Showcases of Global Power.

1 September 2026 at 12:56

As Xi Jinping gathered with the leaders of Russia and Iran, Europe challenged the Trump administration at the G20, offering a split-screen view of a changing world.

A New World Order Is Coming. We Aren’t Ready.

NYT > Top Stories

By: Margaret MacMillan

1 September 2026 at 08:00

We must be honest about the seriousness of the situation we’re in.

How the Pentagon Is Getting Into the Venezuelan Oil Business Under Trump

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By: Edward Wong · Rebecca F. Elliott and Anatoly Kurmanaev

1 September 2026 at 05:50

The Defense Department’s Office of Strategic Capital, founded by the Biden administration to give loans to bolster the U.S. defense industry, is helping lead President Trump’s oil deal.

President Trump said his defense secretary and secretary of state reached an agreement with the Venezuelan government on securing billions of barrels of oil reserves “through a partnership with private business.”

U.S. Strikes May Have Targeted a New Type of Iranian Naval Mine

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By: John Ismay

1 September 2026 at 00:19

The U.S. military said its attacks against Iran were in response to a threat to the Strait of Hormuz.

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz seen from Musandam, Oman, on Monday. The strait has been under constant threat since the United States and Israel launched a combined assault against Iran on Feb. 28.

Summit With Russia, India and Iran Shows Leverage Wars Have Given Xi of China

NYT > Top Stories

By: Paul Sonne and David Pierson

31 August 2026 at 23:11

A two-day conference of the 10-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Kyrgyzstan shows the limits of U.S. economic warfare.

Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, center, and the Kyrgyz president, Sadyr Japarov, left, during a welcoming ceremony in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday.

Why the United States Can’t Quit Its Wars

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By: Greg Jaffe

30 August 2026 at 18:38

The country’s longest war came to an end exactly five years ago. Today it offers lessons for policymakers seeking to avoid an endless war in Iran.

A U.S. military helicopter over Kabul, Afghanistan, in May 2021.

Trump’s Venezuelan Oil Deal Relies on a Powerful and Divisive Partner

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By: Rebecca F. Elliott · Anatoly Kurmanaev and Edward Wong

30 August 2026 at 01:47

The administration will work with a private Venezuelan oil company that has close ties to the country’s government.

Venezuela is believed to have one of the world’s largest reserves of oil but it produces very little oil because of mismanagement, corruption and U.S. sanctions.

‘A New Form of U.S. Colonialism’: Venezuelans Bristle at U.S. Oil Takeover

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By: Julie Turkewitz

30 August 2026 at 00:50

A deal giving the U.S. majority control of vast Venezuelan reserves strikes at the heart of national identity.

Supporters of Venezuela’s government rally to demand the release of ousted President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in Caracas, Venezuela, in January.

Carney Has Canadians’ Support on Trump. Now Comes the Hard Part.

NYT > Top Stories

By: Matina Stevis-Gridneff

29 August 2026 at 12:03

The U.S.-Canada trade war has galvanized Canadians behind their prime minister’s decision to walk away from negotiations. What happens when the time comes for talks to restart?

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, after trade talks with the US collapsed earlier this month.

Trump Says U.S. Struck Deal for Control of More Than 65 Billion Barrels of Venezuela’s Oil

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By: Rebecca F. Elliott · Simon Romero and Edward Wong

29 August 2026 at 17:30

The president said an agreement between the countries covered more than 65 billion barrels of reserves. A U.S. official said it would involve a partnership with a private company.

An oil refinery in Punto Fijo, Venezuela, in 2021. Venezuela’s president, Delcy Rodríguez, said a U.S. oil deal would have a “significant impact on our nation’s revival.”

For Trump, the Iran War Is Stuck Between Combat and Genuine Peace

NYT > Top Stories

By: Peter Baker

29 August 2026 at 01:35

The war has deteriorated over the past six months into Mr. Trump’s own version of a “forever war,” with no clear goals and no end in sight.

President Trump has been unable so far to broker an agreement to end the war on satisfactory terms.

Why Putin Is Fighting On, Even as His Problems Multiply

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By: Paul Sonne

28 August 2026 at 23:29

There is little sign that public exhaustion, economic headwinds or increased Ukrainian strikes are changing the Russian leader’s view that he will eventually achieve victory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that despite Moscow’s challenges, he believes Kyiv’s situation is worse.

Chevron Is in Talks to Expand in Venezuela, a Potential Win for Trump

NYT > Top Stories

By: Rebecca F. Elliott · Simon Romero · Anatoly Kurmanaev and Lisa Friedman

29 August 2026 at 00:30

President Trump’s administration has been pushing U.S. companies like Chevron to invest more in Venezuela’s oil industry.

A Chevron-chartered oil tanker was anchored near Maracaibo, Venezuela, in February. Chevron is the only U.S. oil company with a major footprint in the country.

These Tanks Can Hold 90 Million Barrels of Oil. They Have Just 22 Million.

NYT > Top Stories

By: Rebecca F. Elliott · Ruth Fremson and Leanne Abraham

28 August 2026 at 21:36

Oil companies and governments are consuming their once vast stockpiles as Iran and the United States continue to struggle for control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Clashes Cloud Shawn Fain’s Re-election Bid at U.A.W.

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By: Rebecca Davis O’Brien and Jack Ewing

28 August 2026 at 12:00

A federal investigation and conflict over Israel are preoccupying the United Auto Workers president ahead of a vote that would give him a second term.

Shawn Fain’s confrontational style, personnel moves and outspokenness as president of the United Automobile Workers have complicated his bid for re-election.

Six Months In, Iran Appears Stronger and U.S. Goals Unclear

NYT > Top Stories

By: Steven Erlanger

28 August 2026 at 11:55

Trump’s replacement of a military war with a heightened economic one is not expected to alter Iran’s strategy, while further impoverishing its people.

A man holding an Iranian flag in an apartment destroyed by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in Tehran earlier this year.

A Venezuelan Colonel Turned Actor Is Deported From Florida

NYT > Top Stories

By: Zane Irwin and Frances Robles

28 August 2026 at 01:10

A former lieutenant colonel in Venezuela’s National Guard living in Florida was deported, interrupting a lawsuit that accused him of ordering violent raids and torture.

Progressives Condemn Pick of Pro-Israel Democrat Atop House Panel

NYT > Top Stories

By: Annie Karni

28 August 2026 at 00:10

Outrage over making Representative Jared Moskowitz, who is vocally pro-Israel, the top Democrat on a Middle East policy subcommittee reflected the party’s rift over Israel.

On Tuesday, Representative Jared Moskowitz of Florida, a vocally pro-Israel Democrat, was chosen to serve as the ranking member on a key subcommittee with jurisdiction over Middle East policy.

Democratic Socialists Are the Toast of the Party in Uruguay

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By: Jack Nicas and Anita Pouchard Serra

27 August 2026 at 12:03

The success of progressive candidates in the United States is inspiring leftists abroad struggling under pressure from the Trump administration and its allies.

Participants at the Panamerican Congress in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Yielding on French Could Restart Trade Talks, Canadian Officials Say

NYT > Top Stories

By: Ian Austen and Vjosa Isai

27 August 2026 at 23:11

Canada’s minister in charge of trade with the U.S. was responding to comments by Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative. But that was before any mention of Lake Ontario.

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