Over recent months, on various battlegrounds across the Middle East, Israel has faced off against the Iran-backed Shia Muslim organisation Hezbollah. But for several hours last week, fears were high of a broader conflict after a round of violence sparked by an Israeli police raid on Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.
As Martin Chulov reports this week from southern Lebanon, retaliatory attacks may have failed to provoke all-out war – but it now seems only a matter of time before that outcome materialises. And Bethan McKernan considers how multiple crises are threatening Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s grip on power.
The Good Friday agreement 25 years ago may have marked the end of Northern Ireland’s Troubles but, in many places, the province remains divided and dysfunctional, as characterised by the continued presence of so-called peace walls in some communities. Rory Carroll reports from Belfast, where suspicion and sectarianism linger.
With the coronation of King Charles III coming up in early May, don’t miss our special report this week into the cost of the crown, the lavish public funding of Britain’s royal family and why the monarchy is so reluctant to talk about its finances.
Amid the race to net zero, frantic efforts are underfoot to develop emission-free air travel. But, asks Christopher de Bellaigue, can the aviation industry ever be green?
Culture ponders the difficulties of writing theatre shows based on the acting world’s most famous names. We also probe the rise of UFO-themed podcasts, as Nell Frizzell asks whether the ideas explored by some of them are really as outlandish as they first seem.
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