Could Russia make an Olympic comeback?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted its ban on Russia participating in the Olympic Games on Tuesday, one that it had imposed following the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The IOC said it didn’t want to hold Russian athletes “responsible for their government’s actions,” meaning they’ll be able to compete in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. But why ease restrictions now? The committee said that Russia has relinquished control of regional sports organizations in occupied parts of Ukraine (though the tide had already been turning). The IOC still hasn’t decided whether Russian athletes can display their flag or colors, or even play its anthem. In practical terms, the decision allows Russians to compete in team sports at the Olympics – they had already been permitted to participate in individual events, just not under the Russian flag.
Hamas says it’ll dissolve its Gaza government
Hamas announced on Monday that it had dissolved its government in Gaza, and is preparing to hand over administrative power to a United Nations-backed committee. This is a crucial step in Israel and Hamas’ ceasefire deal, which was signed nine months ago but has since remained at a standstill over the implementation of its second stage – Hamas’ disarmament, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza, and the strip’s reconstruction. The Board of Peace, US President Donald Trump’s new committee with the mandate of rebuilding Gaza, responded to Hamas’ announcement and said any transfer of power must be paired with a weapons handover — something Hamas hasn’t shown any willingness to do. That leaves the ceasefire at a familiar impasse, but also puts the ball in Trump’s court. Given that Hamas seems unlikely to disarm, will Trump push to revive negotiations anyway, or will the peace process remain stuck at a stalemate?
Is technology making the war on drugs unwinnable?
Well before the fentanyl crisis came to the United States, the drug was killing thousands of people annually in Estonia. After a decades-long campaign, the tiny Baltic nation managed to stamp out the drug, only to find the void filled by newer synthetic narcotics, known as “nitazenes,” which are significantly more powerful. As the US tries to tackle their own fentanyl crises, the experience of Estonia offers a cautionary tale about two things. First, about the difficulty of winning a “war on drugs” without addressing the socioeconomic factors that drive demand for intoxication. And second, that technology has reached a point where mindbogglingly powerful synthetic drugs can now be designed and produced with terrifying ease – in part because they don’t face the constraints of climate, soil, or labor that apply to narcotics like marijuana, cocaine, or heroin.
