Gorbachev and Reagan: a friendship that ended the Cold War
Mikhail Gorbachev stepped onto a Washington street and began shaking hands to cheers and applause in 1990 — a bit of unaccustomed political showmanship worthy of his friend Ronald Reagan.…
When Iran got Reagan elected
What would the world be like had Khrushchev been assassinated instead of Kennedy? Chances are, as the wag said, Onassis would not have married Khrushchev’s widow. There are counterfactual possibilities…
Fatal decisions
TIMING is everything, especially in politics. Mistiming can be fatal, as three recent leaders, now out of power, have learned. In October 1999, PM Mian Nawaz Sharif decided to remove…
Trump’s first week orders and Pakistan
On Donald Trump’s inauguration day Western media was left struggling for headlines. His supporters focused on his anti-immigration executive orders, and his pledge to direct members of his cabinet “to…
Political dialogue is indispensable
Communication and negotiation are indispensable pillars of politics, serving as a bridge between conflicting ideologies and facilitating solutions that ensure governance, stability, and progress. History is replete with examples where…
Crooks together
EITHER Thomas Crooks — the 20-year-old sniper who shot Donald Trump during the recent election rally in Pennsylvania — was an excellent marksman and nicked only Trump’s ear deliberately, or…
Pacem in terris?
JUST before sitting down yesterday to write this column, I was listening to a History Extra podcast about the ‘history behind the headlines’ of 2024. It was a conversation between…
Carter’s centuries
JIMMY Carter’s extraordinary longevity partly accounts for his exceptional status among the US presidential pantheon. He was born when Calvin Coolidge occupied the White House, the Soviet Union was in…
Historic return
Donald Trump, after achieving a decisive landmark victory in the US presidential elections, has now emerged as the 47th President of the United States of America. According to media reports,…
Under the influence
I AM currently struggling to embrace the era of the influencer, especially as it enters the newsroom. This is despite me attempting to convince my previous employer to let us…
