2025
I am a rational liberal, yet a question about the sanctity of life floored me | Sonia Sodha
A decade ago, I’d have proudly – and smugly – donned my “I’m a liberal” badge. What’s not to like about liberalism, the idea that people are free to live their lives the way they want, so long as they’re not harming anyone else, and the state promotes equality of opportunity through a decent welfare state?…
Venezuelan opposition candidate accuses Nicolás Maduro of coup | Venezuela
The man widely believed to be the real victor of last year’s presidential election in Venezuela has accused Nicolás Maduro of staging a coup and “crowning himself dictator” after the South American autocrat claimed another six years in power. Maduro, a former union leader who has governed since 2013, in increasingly authoritarian fashion, was sworn…
Sudan’s army recaptures Wad Madani from rebel Rapid Support Forces | Sudan
Sudan’s military and its allies have taken back a strategic city from the rebel Rapid Support Forces, officials said. The recapture of Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira province, took place more than a year after it fell to the RSF. Wad Madani had previously been a haven for displaced families in the early months…
As Elon Musk Embraces the Far Right, Some of Its Leaders Reject Him
When Laura Loomer, a far-right activist, regained control of her Twitter account in late 2022, she knew whom to praise for her reinstatement. “Thank you, Elon!” she wrote to Elon Musk, who had recently bought the social network. In another post, Ms. Loomer, who had been booted from the platform in 2018 for writing an…
Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Sprint to Remake Meta for the Trump Era
Mark Zuckerberg kept the circle of people who knew his thinking small. Last month, Mr. Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, tapped a handful of top policy and communications executives and others to discuss the company’s approach to online speech. He had decided to make sweeping changes after visiting President-elect Donald J. Trump at Mar-a-Lago…