Spotlight
The Return of Nuclear Cinema
Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film, “A House of Dynamite,” signals a revived concern with the risky realities of nuclear weapons — while the treaties meant to contain them are allowed to lapse and the memories of the devastation they can cause recede.
Enemy of My Enemy
India’s growing engagement with the Taliban reflects the shifting geopolitical realities of the region, while Pakistan — once a favored ally of the group — appears to be losing influence.
What Venezuelans Are Thinking Amid US Saber-Rattling
Some Venezuelans, exhausted after years of failed attempts to remove Nicolás Maduro through elections, protests and international sanctions, now see military action as the only option left. Others are more skeptical, fearing that a U.S. invasion will unleash violence and chaos — with no guarantee that democracy will follow.
Reckoning With Belonging in Britain
A reflective essay on identity, belonging and the shifting meaning of Englishness in an age of political upheaval explores the migrant experience — from asylum hotels to far-right rallies — and questions what it means to call the U.K. home.
Lebanon Is Still Haunted by Its Last War
Nearly a year after Lebanon’s war with Israel formally ended, the resulting peace feels fragile. Hezbollah faces intense international pressure to disarm, while Israeli strikes continue and fear of renewed conflict is spreading from Beirut’s suburbs to the southern border villages.
Putin Updates His Syria Strategy
The very existence of Syria’s new leader serves as a stark reminder to Moscow of what it has lost. For Russia’s influential, pro-war military bloggers, often a barometer of nationalist sentiment, the welcome given to interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa was a slap in the face.
As a Tenuous Ceasefire Holds, Will Gaza Dare To Dream Again?
As the ceasefire was announced, everyone in Gaza was caught between joy and disbelief — smiling, crying, uncertain whether to hope. It felt like the first deep breath after years of suffocation, a long pause from an even longer fear.