Le Monde diplomatique - English edition

May: the longer view

2026-05-13T16:24:52Z

The month's archives.

- 2026/05 / perspective

Afghanistan-Pakistan border tensions

Fanny Privat — 2026-04-27T21:03:11Z

- Asia / Map, 2026/05 afghanistan pakistan

Strategic and commercial oil reserves

Cécile Marin — 2026-04-27T21:02:54Z

- Energy / Map, 2026/05 energy

Lebanon: where civilisations met and merged

Maya Jaggi — 2026-04-27T21:02:32Z

The gnarled, monumental olive trees leading to Nabil Nahas's studio in the mountains north of Beirut, portrayed by the renowned Lebanese-American artist in semi-abstract paintings, are silent witnesses to more than a thousand years of history. ‘They date from the Roman period,' and come from lands mentioned in the bible, Nahas told me at his studio in the Lebanese village of Ain Aar in February. ‘What's fascinating is that they're still alive.'

- 2026/05 / article

At Palmyra, heritage comes before people

Antoine Pecqueur — 2026-04-27T21:02:30Z

The ancient city of Palmyra in the Syrian desert has frequently been ravaged by war. As new reconstruction plans take shape, the drive to rebuild it risks sidelining the needs of local people.

- 2026/05 / article

Anthropic, Silicon Valley's conscience?

Félix Tréguer — 2026-04-27T21:02:29Z

Anthropic's recent clash with the White House over the use of AI in military and surveillance technology signalled lofty principles. Yet it's already embedded in the defence systems it claims to resist.

- 2026/05 / article

Vatican weighs in on AI

Zako Sapey-Triomphe — 2026-04-27T21:02:28Z

AI's advocates talk up the technology as a force that could transform humanity. The Vatican does not see progress, but a troubling new creed.

- 2026/05 / article, 2026/05 vatican

Is Irish reunification back?

Cédric Gouverneur — 2026-04-27T21:02:26Z

Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU. Brexit has strained ties with Britain and renewed talk of a united Ireland.

- 2026/05 / article

Tensions rise between Islamabad and Kabul

Zia Ur Rehman — 2026-04-27T21:02:25Z

In the porous borderlands between Pakistan and Afghanistan, sporadic clashes have escalated into sustained, low-intensity conflict over security interests. It's not all-out war, but it's highly volatile.

- 2026/05 / article, 2026/05 afghanistan pakistan

Made in China means made in Yiwu

Maëlle Mariette — 2026-04-27T21:02:24Z

Place an order at Yiwu International Trade Market and a vast network of Chinese manufacturing springs into action. The goods may not be high-end, but this market has an extraordinary global reach.

- 2026/05 / article