[Leonid Bershidsky] Martial law won’t help Ukraine’s president

Imposing martial law after a naval clash with Russia in the Kerch Strait looked like a political masterstroke for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, coming ahead of an election that polls suggest he will lose. But by the time parliament had finished with his decree, it was clear he had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The president’s initial plan was to declare martial law throughout Ukraine for 60 days. With an election scheduled for March 31, this threatened to throw into disarray

Nov. 29, 2018

[Leonid Bershidsky] In Ukraine, Putin and Poroshenko don’t want all-out war

Sunday’s dramatic events in the Kerch Strait, where Russian troops seized three Ukrainian navy vessels, highlight the Kremlin’s resolve to hold on to the spoils of its aggression against Ukraine and flout its international obligations. They also show the lengths Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is willing to go to to remain in power.The clash had been brewing since April, a month before the opening of a new 19-kilometer bridge across the Kerch Strait between the Russian mainland and annexed

Nov. 28, 2018

[Brooke Sutherland] Trump-era vows take another blow with GM cuts

General Motors Co.’s aggressive cost-cutting plan shows the danger of taking corporate-investment pledges at face value in the Trump era. The automaker is on track to close five North American plants, four of which are in the US, and cut more than 14,000 salaried staff and factory workers. The company will close another two plants abroad. This belt-tightening is aimed at steering GM away from slower-selling sedans and adding to its firepower for electric and self-driving vehicle development. But

Nov. 28, 2018

[Shira Ovide] Don’t look now, but Microsoft is overtaking Apple

If you don’t follow the regular trials and tribulations of technology companies or have been living in a cave for five years, it might be surprising that Microsoft Corp. is poised to surpass Apple Inc. as the world’s most valuable public company. While the baton was passed briefly on Monday, it most likely won’t be long until Microsoft is firmly entrenched again as No. 1 in the world. This won’t be surprising to regular readers, but it will be to people whose opinion about Microsoft was frozen i

Nov. 28, 2018

[Leonid Bershidsky] Immigration politics aren’t really about immigration

A toothless United Nations document is stirring up political trouble throughout Europe, nearly toppling one government. The overreaction to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration shows how immigration politics have decoupled from the reality of people moving across borders.In July, the text of the Compact was approved by all 193 UN member states -- except the US, which had pulled out of the talks earlier.Member states are supposed to sign it formally at a special conference i

Nov. 27, 2018

[Andrew Browne] The world can change China

The behavior of Chinese officials at last weekend’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea, reportedly barging into the foreign minister’s office to try to cut mildly critical language on trade from a final communique, seemed intended to signal that China won’t budge an inch on US demands. Commerce Minister Zhong Shan has declared that those who assume Beijing will cave to President Donald Trump’s bullying “don’t know the history and culture of China.” As a matter of fact,

Nov. 27, 2018

[Lionel Laurent] Macron’s star has fallen down to earth

The French presidential cycle goes something like this: euphoria, then disappointment -- and then disillusionment, as the pace of reform slows down and popular unrest builds up. The violent clashes at this weekend’s protests show just how accelerated the decline can be once opposition takes root.Emmanuel Macron was supposed to be different. He came to power in 2017 through a grassroots movement that blew up the country’s traditional two-party establishment, put lots of first-time lawmakers in pa

Nov. 27, 2018

[Noah Smith] Can Democrats save capitalism?

With the Democrats having retaken the House of Representatives, and with socialists gaining more clout within the Democratic Party, the US is awakening to the reality of a reinvigorated left. Long decades of increasing inequality have taken some of the shine off of capitalism, and the disappointment wrought by the Great Recession seems to have been a catalyst for a socialist resurgence.But a big question looms in the background: What kind of new system does the left want?There are two basic alte

Nov. 26, 2018

[Therese Raphael] A Thelma and Louise Brexit? You know the ending

Committed Brexiters have arrived at the conclusion that the deal Prime Minister Theresa May has negotiated is not just bad; it’s worse than remaining in the European Union. That’s axiomatic. But what’s their plan? It’s not to cancel Brexit. And it’s not to hold a new public vote.Their preference appears to be for what they call a “managed” no-deal Brexit. The pitch is that this isn’t the catastrophic crash-out business fears, but a brisk exit to World Trade Organization rules, with key risks mit

Nov. 26, 2018

[Nisha Gopalan] Everything’s great in China’s economy. By decree

Consumers of brokerage research on China’s economy and companies have long known that they need to read between the lines. Securities firms are often circumspect in their judgments to avoid alienating powerful interests that could damage their business.So it’s curious that the head securities regulator went to the trouble of meeting with more than 30 brokerages and fund firms to admonish them to be careful in what they say. Liu Shiyu, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, told

Nov. 26, 2018

[Jack Fruchtman] Under Trump, is jail next for journalists?

The press is under serious attack, but not only because President Donald Trump prefers to call it “the enemy of the people” and revoke credentials at will. Waiting in the wings may well be prison terms.Between 1917 and 2009, only one person was convicted of violating the Espionage Act for leaking classified information to the press. Then the Obama administration came along and prosecuted eight government whistleblowers at a far higher rate than those undertaken by all previous presidential admin

Nov. 25, 2018

[Hussein Ibish] Saudi king gets a pass on Khashoggi. Why?

One of the central figures in the drama over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has remained an invisible man. Global attention has focused on the role played by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oct. 2 killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. But another figure deserves equal billing: the prince’s father, King Salman.The crown prince is often referred to as the “de facto ruler” of Saudi Arabia. But that’s not what he really is. The king has virtually total power. He h

Nov. 25, 2018