A young skater’s emergence signals a pivot in the way an Olympic power defines success. But its handling of the table tennis competition suggests old expectations may persist, too.
Author: HANNAH BEECH
Winzar Kakiouea Is a One-Man Team From Nauru. His Olympics Might be Over in 10 Seconds.
Winzar Kakiouea, a 100-meter runner, is the only competitor at the Paris Games from the Pacific island nation of Nauru. His debut came and went in a flash.
After Trump’s Conviction, a Wary World Waits for the Fallout
Already braced for uncertainty about the U.S. election, countries in Europe and Asia are now even more unclear about the future of American diplomacy.
Where Did All the Hong Kong Neon Go?
A government crackdown on neon signs stems from safety and environmental concerns, but the campaign evokes the fading of the city itself.
Fighting to Govern Myanmar, From a Teeny Office in Washington
The National Unity Government of Myanmar, formed as an alternative to the junta that orchestrated a 2021 coup, has to battle global apathy and ignorance as it struggles for recognition.
Vietnam in Secret Talks to Buy Arms From Russia
Defying U.S. sanctions, a Vietnamese government document lays out a plan to buy Russian weapons, which officials see as a way to upgrade its military as a hedge against China.
Ancient Art or Fashion Forward? Both, Says a Top Batik Designer
Josephine Komara has redefined a cultural expression that was intricate and lovely but so locked in tradition it bordered on staid. “Tradition is the way we are,” she says. “Modern is the way we think.”
Under the Taliban, Afghanistan Is Trying to Make Due With Less
In a time of famine and money shortages, meals are a rallying point — and a topic of worry — during a season of change in Afghanistan.
For China’s Xi and Other Strongmen, Gorbachev Showed Exactly What Not to Do
Though Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms were praised in the West, the collapse of the Soviet Union schooled a generation of authoritarian rulers in the dangers of tolerating any signs of dissent or democratic yearnings.
Phyo Zeya Thaw, Burmese Pro-democracy Rapper, 41, Is Executed
The hip-hop star became a democracy activist in military-ruled Myanmar, and then a lawmaker. After the latest military coup, he joined the resistance, and was hanged for it.