Lone and level sands
Feature: How could an unexpected event transform a work of art? Bryan Singer on a secret monument in Southern Lebanon, its tangled politics, and his first film in seven years.
‘The Chernobyl parameter’
Feature: Why are so many countries rethinking their nuclear strategies? Serhii Plokhy on the emerging dangers of a new arms race.
‘You’d be paranoid too’
Feature: Can Europe defend its northern border? Paul Taylor on the Nordic bulwark against Russia.
The three-body problem
How much does North Korea depend on China and Russia for its future? Rachel Minyoung Lee on nuclear weapons, technology transfers, and a newly emboldened Kim Jong Un.
‘It’s a scramble’
Feature: Why are so many foreign powers involving themselves in Africa’s deadliest civil war? Alex de Waal on the plunder of Sudan.
The enemy of my enemy is still my enemy
How’s Iran’s standoff with Israel and the West affecting everyday Iranians’ feelings about the regime? Trita Parsi on why nationalism is surging while Islamic Republic’s popularity continues to tank.
Obscured by clouds
Why does North Korea keep threatening South Korea and its allies without ever going to war? Michael Breen on theater and reality in one of the most enigmatic places on Earth.
Just a shot away
Why the spread of major crime within the U.S. Special Forces? Seth Harp on a dark legacy of America’s war on terror.
Alternative history
What does Germany’s new military expansion mean for Europe? Liana Fix on Berlin’s mission to build the Continent’s most powerful army.
Cold cash
What do you do if you’re the European Union, and you’re sitting on more than $200 billion belonging to the Kremlin? Sir William Browder on a potential turning point in the Ukraine war.
