The Signal
Current affairs. Strange world.

Latest

09
Jul
Here we go again

Here we go again

Briefing: Ninety American targets over one night, and an unsettled question of who collects at the Strait of Hormuz. A president-elect’s call for Colombian soldiers to disobey the man still in office. + Why is the U.S. government going so easy on white-collar crime?
7 min read
08
Jul
‘Someone knew, and someone was trading’

‘Someone knew, and someone was trading’

Feature: Why is the U.S. government going so easy on white-collar crime? John C. Coffee Jr. on how the White House is making corruption safe again.
10 min read
07
Jul
The wizard of Tehran

The wizard of Tehran

Briefing: Iran’s supreme leader, missing from his father’s funeral—as from everything. The first Western leader in post-dictatorship Syria, with two bombs, a block from the hotel. + Do America’s biggest media platforms really change minds?
6 min read
04
Jul
‘There is no road’

‘There is no road’

The weekend despatch: A Maya city found after 11 centuries, intact in the rainforest. A glow at the center of the galaxy that could be dark matter. + What are Boards of Canada doing in hell?
13 min read
02
Jul
At the neighbor’s pleasure

At the neighbor’s pleasure

Briefing: The trade pact America won’t renew—or give up on. In South Africa, migrants driven out by a deadline with no force of law. + Why is Turkey’s government moving so hard to kill off its opposition?
6 min read
01
Jul
No tanks required

No tanks required

Feature: Why is Turkey’s government moving so hard to kill off its opposition? Ezgi Başaran on the weakness behind a new show of strength.
8 min read
30
Jun
No good options

No good options

Briefing: Two Talibans vs. Pakistan. An Ebola strain with no vaccine. + What are Pakistan’s ruling generals getting from a war they can’t win, anyway?
5 min read
27
Jun
A 10-day peace

A 10-day peace

The weekend despatch: Tanker crews back to dodging fire in Hormuz, days after it officially reopens. Bronze Age correspondence, X-rayed through the envelope. + How does FIFA end up with its World Cup anthems?
11 min read
25
Jun
An order from no one

An order from no one

Briefing: An unofficial deadline to empty South Africa of migrants. The U.S. Supreme Court’s clearance to deport 350,000 Haitians and Syrians. + Has Iran ended America’s dominance in economic warfare?
6 min read
24
Jun
‘Shells within shells’

‘Shells within shells’

Feature: Has Iran ended America’s dominance in economic warfare? Nicholas Mulder on why the Americans can still squeeze their allies but not their rivals.
9 min read