Trust is very hard to build and easy to destroy. America and its partners are caught in a spiral of distrust.
Author: DAMIEN CAVE
Rattled by Trump, America’s Allies Shift to Defense Mode
The new auto tariffs are straining relations with U.S. allies and deepening doubts about America’s reliability as a partner.
Welcome to the Zero Sum Era. Now How Do We Get Out?
Zero-sum thinking has spread like a mind virus, from geopolitics to pop culture.
Vietnamese Journalist Gets 2 ½ Years in Prison for Facebook Posts
The sentence for Truong Huy San, an influential reporter, was the latest crackdown on speech by Vietnam, a rising regional power.
Trump’s USAID Cuts Halt Agent Orange Victims Program in Vietnam
Fifty years after the Vietnam War ended, President Trump’s gutting of foreign aid has halted American efforts to address a toxic legacy and build a strategic partnership.
Vietnam’s Drivers, Facing Steep Fines, Are Minding the Rules of the Road
Steep new fines — more than many people make in a month — have made the streets of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi less freewheeling than they used to be.
Trump’s Territorial Ambitions Rattle a Weary World
A distant era of global politics, when nations scrambled to grab territory, suddenly seems less distant.
‘No Use for Hatred’: A Village Seeks to Move On From a U.S. Massacre
The hamlet of My Lai is infamous for American war crimes, but now it holds lessons in resilience and how to let go of anger.
Vietnam Elects Luong Cuong as President, Reviving Power-Sharing Arrangement
The move restores a “four pillar” government structure that divides top-level duties to avoid the rise of a single strongman.
A Rest, a Reset and a Thanks for the Banter
After more than 350 editions, we are putting this newsletter on pause, with the editor who opened the Australia bureau departing and his successor set to arrive.