Le Monde diplomatique in English
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English-language edition of @monde-diplomatique.fr. Subscribe: https://mondediplo.com/subscribe
In 1945 the Resistance invited ordinary French people to imagine their country’s future. A long-forgotten archive reveals their hopes and fears. mondediplo.com/2026/07/01ed...
When France dared to dream
Subscribers // by Benoît Bréville (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, July 2026)
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Having accused five Chinese refineries of buying Iranian oil, the US Treasury on 24 April put them on its ever-growing list of sanctioned companies. On the face of it, routine enough. But this time it didn’t go according to plan. mondediplo.com/2026/06/01ed...
When sanctions stop working
Open access // by Benoît Bréville (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, June 2026)
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Israel has occupied 1,000 square kilometres of its neighbours’ territory since 7 October 2023. As well as bombing campaigns and ground incursions into parts of Lebanon, it is also working to fracture neighbouring societies through strategic alliances. mondediplo.com/2026/05/07le...
Is Lebanon at risk of tearing itself apart?
Subscribers // by Karim Emile Bitar (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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When the latest Israeli assault began, Nabil Nahas had only just completed the magnum opus that will form Lebanon’s national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale of contemporary art, opening on 9 May.
Lebanon: where civilisations met and merged
Subscribers // by Maya Jaggi (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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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.
At Palmyra, heritage comes before people
Subscribers // by Antoine Pecqueur (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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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.
Anthropic, Silicon Valley’s conscience?
Subscribers // by Félix Tréguer (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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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.
Vatican weighs in on AI
Subscribers // by Zako Sapey-Triomphe (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU. Brexit has strained ties with Britain and renewed talk of a united Ireland.
Is Irish reunification back?
Subscribers // by Cédric Gouverneur (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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❗ My latest article on strategic oil and gas reserves is in @mondediplo.com 👉 It explores their history, the power dynamics they reveal, and—in an energy-dependent Europe—the vital need for energy sobriety. 🗞️ Available on newsstands this May! mondediplo.com/2026/05
May 2026
… the global energy shock; Iran war exposes a fragile energy system; United Nations rethinks its priorities; France called to account; Northern Ireland, are reunification talks on the table? Israel, f...
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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.
Tensions rise between Islamabad and Kabul
Subscribers // by Zia Ur Rehman (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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The city of Yiwu is small by Chinese standards, with fewer than 1.9 million inhabitants. But it is a global trade hub, home to the world’s largest wholesale market for small commodities. More than 80% of Christmas decorations are said to come from Yiwu. mondediplo.com/2026/05/08yiwu
Made in China means made in Yiwu
Subscribers // by Maëlle Mariette (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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The bombardment of Lebanon is part of a long-term strategy through which Israel seeks to weaken its adversaries. But Hizbullah also bears responsibility for the country’s ongoing fragility.
Is Lebanon at risk of tearing itself apart?
Subscribers // by Karim Emile Bitar (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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Zionist leaders long debated whether Palestinians might be induced to leave voluntarily or only by force. From the mid-1920s, as they bought up land and tensions grew, these ideas would harden.
Israel: from eviction to ethnic cleansing
Subscribers // by Ilan Pappe (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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The two key questions are: was France aware of a risk of genocide in Gaza? And if so, did it employ all means reasonably available to prevent it?
France called to account
Subscribers // by Benjamin Fiorini (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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Global energy markets were already under strain before the war in Iran: ever-rising demand for fossil fuels and a sluggish transition to renewables mean the whole system must now be rethought.
The Iran war exposes a fragile energy system
Subscribers // by Michael T Klare (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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With the US and China competing for development rights to two major tungsten deposits, Kazakhstan seems unlikely to escape the rentier capitalism model any time soon.
Kazakhstan still relies on its ageing industrial giants
Subscribers // by Charles Perragin (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, April 2026)
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Global energy markets were already under strain before the war in Iran: ever-rising demand for fossil fuels and a sluggish transition to renewables mean the whole system must now be rethought.
The Iran war exposes a fragile energy system
Subscribers // by Michael T Klare (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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Even the drawdown of 400 million barrels of oil has barely contained price rises. For gas, there is as yet no globally coordinated system for emergencies.
Global energy shock tests limits of oil reserves
Subscribers // by Eva Thiébaud (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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On 7 April, Trump didn’t go through with his threat to obliterate Iran. But in the absence of any resistance, his words did their work.
Just another day
Open access // by Benoît Bréville (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, May 2026)
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Reform UK’s breakthrough confirms the political fragmentation of the last few decades. In 1997 Labour and the Conservatives together won 73.8% of the vote, compared to 65.1% in 2010 and just 57.4% in 2024.
Nigel Farage’s long game
Subscribers // by Tristan de Bourbon-Parme (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, April 2026)
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After independence, Zimbabwe’s white minority lost its hold on land. Today, around Lake Kariba, dilapidated resorts still draw some nostalgic visitors, but who uses the lake is increasingly contested.
Ghosts of the past by the shores of Lake Kariba
Subscribers // by Léa Kalaora (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, April 2026)
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While some of China’s pensioners have never had it so good, with youth unemployment rising, many young people are losing faith that the system can deliver good jobs and upward mobility.
Dancers and riders: China’s winners and losers
Subscribers // by Renaud Lambert (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, April 2026)
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Kazakhstan’s vast mining and industrial complexes remain vital today, but output figures conceal hazardous working conditions and fragmented communities.
Kazakhstan still relies on its ageing industrial giants
Subscribers // by Charles Perragin (Le Monde diplomatique - English edition, April 2026)
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