A medium close-up of two young boys standing in a tropical jungle. The boy in the foreground wears round glasses and a tan undershirt with suspenders. The boy behind him has curly hair, wears a tan button-down shirt, and holds a long, forked wooden staff. Other boys are visible in the blurred background.
A medium close-up of two young boys standing in a tropical jungle. The boy in the foreground wears round glasses and a tan undershirt with suspenders. The boy behind him has curly hair, wears a tan button-down shirt, and holds a long, forked wooden staff. Other boys are visible in the blurred background.

A ‘Lord of the Flies’ for Our Time

This is the perfect project for the creator of ‘Adolescence.’

Review
Jordan Hoffman
A man walks past a mural depicting a football and a flag of Curaçao in Willemstad, Curaçao, on April 10.
A man walks past a mural depicting a football and a flag of Curaçao in Willemstad, Curaçao, on April 10.

The 156,000 and the 1.4 Billion

What Curaçao figured out about World Cup soccer that India still hasn’t.

Argument
Bobby Ghosh
A man pushes his bike through debris in Bucha, Ukraine, on April 6, 2022.
A man pushes his bike through debris in Bucha, Ukraine, on April 6, 2022.

War Is an International Crime. Why Does It Go Unpunished?

A sweeping legal history reveals how the international community failed to live up to the promises of Nuremberg.

Review
Laura Mills
Soldiers in full combat gear and helmets perform a tactical exercise on a green, hilly field. Thick white smoke billows from a canister in the foreground, partially obscuring the view. Some soldiers run across the open grass toward military vehicles, while others are positioned in a shallow trench, aiming their rifles.
Soldiers in full combat gear and helmets perform a tactical exercise on a green, hilly field. Thick white smoke billows from a canister in the foreground, partially obscuring the view. Some soldiers run across the open grass toward military vehicles, while others are positioned in a shallow trench, aiming their rifles.

I Was the Russian Commander in a War Game. This Is How I Defeated NATO.

Decision paralysis and divisions among alliance members were easy to exploit. This article has an audio recording

Report
Franz-Stefan Gady
A person on a waterfront promenade holds a long, vibrant red dragon streamer with yellow characters painted on it. In the background, the sun sets behind a dense skyline of modern skyscrapers.
A person on a waterfront promenade holds a long, vibrant red dragon streamer with yellow characters painted on it. In the background, the sun sets behind a dense skyline of modern skyscrapers.

There’s No Need to Fear China’s Economy

Beijing can’t easily afford to escalate any economic struggle with Washington. This article has an audio recording

Review
Theodore Bunzel
American conservationist and biologist George Schaller makes notes on the skull of a Marco Polo sheep during his expedition to the Wakhan Corridor of northeastern Afghanistan.
American conservationist and biologist George Schaller makes notes on the skull of a Marco Polo sheep during his expedition to the Wakhan Corridor of northeastern Afghanistan.

A Foreign Correspondent of Animal Kingdoms

How a headstrong field biologist helped birth the worldwide conservation movement. This article has an audio recording

Review
Christina Larson
A photo illustration shows a close-up shot of a red gift box topped with a large, shiny red satin bow. Attached to the ribbon is a white square gift tag featuring a black line-art icon of a globe within a rectangular frame. In the soft-focus, blurred background, the face of a smiling person is visible behind the gift.
A photo illustration shows a close-up shot of a red gift box topped with a large, shiny red satin bow. Attached to the ribbon is a white square gift tag featuring a black line-art icon of a globe within a rectangular frame. In the soft-focus, blurred background, the face of a smiling person is visible behind the gift.

How to Choose a Gift for Trump

An expert in diplomatic gift-giving describes the use and abuse of official presents.

Essay
Paul Brummell
A very large, greyish-brown pig smirks and reclines comfortably against a wooden crate. To the right, a much smaller pink piglet sits upright on a stack of colorful wooden crates, looking toward the larger pig with a smile.
A very large, greyish-brown pig smirks and reclines comfortably against a wooden crate. To the right, a much smaller pink piglet sits upright on a stack of colorful wooden crates, looking toward the larger pig with a smile.

A Confused ‘Animal Farm’ for a Confused Time

What the latest Orwell adaptation says about our politics. This article has an audio recording

Review
Jordan Hoffman
In a photo released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as he oversees test launches of short-range ballistic missiles.
In a photo released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, as he oversees test launches of short-range ballistic missiles.

North Korea’s Strongwoman-in-Waiting

Kim Jong Un is orchestrating his daughter’s ascent through a campaign of maternal statecraft.

Analysis
Donggak Heo
A man wearing a harness floats in a spacecraft.
A man wearing a harness floats in a spacecraft.

‘Project Hail Mary’ and the Politics of Science Fiction

Even the most entertaining tale carries a political message.

Review
Tim Brinkhof
A vibrant illustration showing a hand dropping saffron threads onto a map of the Persian Gulf, where cargo ships sail. A purple crocus flower and bowls of saffron accent the orange and purple landscape.
A vibrant illustration showing a hand dropping saffron threads onto a map of the Persian Gulf, where cargo ships sail. A purple crocus flower and bowls of saffron accent the orange and purple landscape.

Saffron’s Last Gasp

The Iran war is choking supply of the world’s most expensive spice. This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Kamran Yousuf
A photo illustration of Elizabeth Bathory, a castle, and a butcher's knife.
A photo illustration of Elizabeth Bathory, a castle, and a butcher's knife.

The Real Origin of the World’s Most Famous Female Serial Killer

A new book explores the geopolitical scheming that created the blood countess legend.

Review
Nora Biette-Timmons
Adam Scott as Ohm Bauman in Hokum.
Adam Scott as Ohm Bauman in Hokum.

‘Hokum’ Is Haunted by Ireland’s Dark History

A new horror film reckons with the country’s buried sins—and the women erased by them. This article has an audio recording

Review
Drew Gorman
A collage of ten various book covers is arranged against a background divided horizontally into cream and olive green. The covers for New Skin and Babylon, South Dakota are the largest and most prominent in the center. Other visible titles include John of John, Prestige Drama, All Them Dogs, and Glyph. The covers vary in style, featuring abstract graphics, landscape photography, and illustrated portraits.
A collage of ten various book covers is arranged against a background divided horizontally into cream and olive green. The covers for New Skin and Babylon, South Dakota are the largest and most prominent in the center. Other visible titles include John of John, Prestige Drama, All Them Dogs, and Glyph. The covers vary in style, featuring abstract graphics, landscape photography, and illustrated portraits.

Two Novels Take on the Post-American Dream

Plus, more international fiction releases in May.

Books
Chloe Hadavas, Allison Meakem
A group of people, some wearing face masks, sit in a darkened room facing a large floor-to-ceiling projection of a polar bear standing on an ice floe in an Arctic landscape.
A group of people, some wearing face masks, sit in a darkened room facing a large floor-to-ceiling projection of a polar bear standing on an ice floe in an Arctic landscape.

The Planet Is Doing Better Than You Think

Apocalyptic headlines overlook conservation and biodiversity successes.

Argument
John L. Gittleman, Stuart Pimm
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