The Signal
Current affairs. Strange world.

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01
Oct
Barricades at the gate

Barricades at the gate

Briefing: France’s teenage revolt over packed, overheated classrooms. The prime minister’s crisis cell, and the hard-left party he’s blaming. & Why does Europe run on American tech?
5 min read
30
Sep
‘Weaponized interdependence’

‘Weaponized interdependence’

Feature: Why does Europe run on American tech? Filippo Blancato on a bargain that seemed to make sense at the time.
10 min read
29
Sep
The tank on the dock

The tank on the dock

Briefing: Canadian whisky turned back at the border at midnight. Whey, molasses, and two models of Can-Am motorcycle barred with it. & Why did Beijing break its promise to Hong Kong so early?
6 min read
27
Sep
Public enemy

Public enemy

Briefing: Who cares about Jimmy Lai? The last time a Chinese state visit ended with a political prisoner going free. & Is China as strong as it looks?
4 min read
25
Sep
Out of sight

Out of sight

The weekend despatch: How stable is China? The threat of Hong Kong. + What was John Coltrane’s “churning tension”?
15 min read
24
Sep
Orwell’s list

Orwell’s list

Briefing: London’s new center against foreign disinformation. A national gloom, and where it starts. & Why does nothing in the United Kingdom seem to work?
4 min read
23
Sep
‘Oh, the empire of course’

‘Oh, the empire of course’

Feature: Why does nothing in the United Kingdom seem to work? A.G. Hopkins on the decades of self-inflicted wounds that have hollowed out the British state.
13 min read
22
Sep
The guest list

The guest list

Briefing: Washington’s call for the members of the international war-crimes court to quit it. The UN General Assembly’s vote for a barred head of state to speak remotely. & An anti-war party banned from Russia’s elections for copyright infringement?
5 min read
19
Sep
Everyone but the Saudis

Everyone but the Saudis

Briefing: The Houthis at the mouth of the Red Sea. Free passage promised, with one exception. & What’s in the ruins of Gaza?
4 min read
18
Sep
Yet to be uncovered

Yet to be uncovered

The weekend despatch: Parsing 68 million tonnes of rubble in Gaza. When rigging an election isn’t enough. + Who’s Wesley Stace?
13 min read