You are here: Homepage Dossiers Defence Defence takes many forms. Resistance in queer and migrant communities. Women on the frontlines. Clothing that defies surveillance. In a violent world, how to can we preserve humanity—and maintain our search for the beauty in life? Foto: Roope Rainisto Humans and AI Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly and radically changing our lives. Reactions to this vary around the world. Some see AI as a threat to everything that makes us human, while others see great potential in this new technology Foto: Hosam Katan What will become of Syria? The Assad regime has been overthrown: this news shook the world in December 2024. Since then, a new government has come to power in Syria and many sanctions have been lifted. However, the new leadership's terrorist past has sparked mistrust. The initial euphoria has faded, at least since the brutal massacres of minorities – and yet hope for a new beginning remains Foto: Johnny Miller Informal Living Around one billion people live in informal settlements worldwide. Stereotypes of these dwellings often reduce them to poverty and deprivation. How are the people living in these places really doing? Photo: José María Cárdenas Camacho Mexico Between resilience and a fresh start: Mexico is beloved by tourists but also struggles with inequality and rising violence. Will the new President Claudia Sheinbaum be able to usher in change? Photo: Luisa Dörr Indigenous culture today Indigenous groups have long struggled to protect their traditional ways of life. Young activists are now building up international networks. Insights from a world that is being reshaped Photo: Solmaz Daryani Living in the desert Dry, empty and hostile to life: the desert is etched in our collective imagination. But this unique landscape is often not what we expect Photo: Swinde Wiederhold Parents and children Unconditional love and huge conflicts: few relationships are as emotional as those of parents and children. What connects us - and what have we always wanted to say to our parents? Photo: Franky Verdickt Voices from Taiwan Taiwan is a key democratic ally in Asia for the West. But, looking beyond the looming threat from China, what makes this place unique and what do people in Taiwan dream of? Photo: Antoine Bruy The limits of growth The limits of growth have been reached, the climate crisis is real, the war in Ukraine is shaking up global politics. With the world in crisis mode, it's time to consume less! Photo: Sayed Aman Sadat Women’s rights in Afghanistan Since the withdrawal of NATO in 2021, women in Afghanistan have been stripped of their rights, freedom and dignity by the Taliban. In this dossier, they raise their voices! Photo: Mustafah Abdulaziz Are we running out of water? Without water, life on our planet would be impossible, but we are too careless with it. A dossier on the complicated relationship between humans and the big Illustration: Felix Möller Polarised society How fairly do we all live together? Who has power, who is left on the sidelines? How do we deal with other people’s opinions? Our issue on culture clashes Photo: Jonas Bendiksen / Magnum Photos Underground We plunder raw materials, build secret escape tunnels and dig up remnants of prehistoric times: There is much more happening under our feet than we realise. A journey into the underground Photo: India Roper-Evans / SAVVY Contemporary Sustainable design Around the world, people design and create things by hand. A magazine exploring why we make things ourselves – with instructions for making ten objects from across the globe Photo: Natalia Kepesz Poland in upheaval Judicial reform, freedom of expression, women's rights: Poland is rife with dispute and the issues strike the heart of democrcacy. A deep dive into a divided nation Latest Foto: IMAGO / JNA Press Refugee camps | BangladeschSchools were buried under mud Driven from Myanmar, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. Without international aid, a never-ending humanitarian catastrophe looms large By Piyas Biswas09/03/2026 Visual: Julia Neller Soft Power | China“China is being idealised” From TikTok to AI: China expert Katja Drinhausen on how Beijing is shaping its country’s image and expanding its global influence By Ruben Donsbach08/31/2026 Foto: Andrew Esiebo/Panos Pictures Talk of the town | LagosLife stuck in traffic Lagos is Nigeria’s city of opportunity—yet its boom comes at a steep price: housing shortages and endless commutes By Valentine Benjamin08/10/2026 Foto: Ole Witt für KULTURAUSTAUSCH From Exile | Belarus“Any open discussion gets political in Belarus” Exiled in Berlin, curator Anna Chistoserdova continues to push for a free Belarus Interview with Anna Chistoserdova08/06/2026The scam factories Cambodia has become a hub for online fraud — often run by trafficked foreign workers forced into the trade By Danielle Keeton-Olsen07/08/2026Photography | UkraineWar and a bit of peace The Kyiv photographer Vic Bakin portrays Ukrainian soldiers at home, far from the front line, in his photographic work “Hell Was Full” By Ole Witt05/07/2026 Foto: Ole Witt für KULTURAUSTAUSCH In exile | Hong Kong“I was threatened with ten years in prison” The activist Ray Wong is fighting for democracy in his homeland Hong Kong from Germany. Interview with Ray Wong Toi-yeung05/03/2026 Photo: Gundula Haage Hunting with drones In northern Georgia, Russian soldiers are pushing back the border. A few brave individuals are documenting the land grab on social media By Gundula Haage04/29/2026 Photo: Koshkin Serhii Culture wars | UkraineA question of guilt The Ukrainian soldier and writer Artur Dron calls on Europe to stop publishing Russian authors during the war. By Artur Dron04/29/2026 Foto: Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden Defence | ScandinaviaOne for all and all for one The Nordic countries feel the threat from Russia more acutely than most. But they are also among Europe's best-defended nations. According to security expert Elisabeth Braw, the key to that resilience lies in the strength of their civil society. By Elisabeth Braw04/09/2026 Photo: Amr Attamimi Sunny to partly cloudy The photo book “Photography from Yemen” changes the way we see a country torn apart by civil war. A conversation with editor Ibi Ibrahim By Ibi Ibrahim04/08/2026 Foto: Hannah Yoon Society | IndiaHome alone More and more people around the world are living alone. Have they embraced the ‘dolce vita’ – or merely succumbed to the dreary routines of late capitalism? By Suraj Yengde04/07/2026 Visual: Julia Neller Feminism | WarWho's afraid of Penthesilea? The notion of women going off to war still strikes people as unnatural. But the truth is, women have been fighting since the dawn of our species. By Morgane Llanque04/02/2026 Foto: Dieuveil Malonga Food culture | AfricaAfrica's culinary heritage Raised in the Republic of the Congo, trained in Germany, and shaped by travels across the African continent, Michelin-starred chef Dieuveil Malonga draws on an eclectic biography to enrich his cuisine By Dieuveil Malonga03/24/2026 Photo: B'Tselem Human Rights | Israel“The system is based on violence” Yuli Novak heads the Israeli NGO B’Tselem, which campaigns for the rights of Palestinians. As a result, she is under increasing pressure in her home country. By Judith Poppe03/24/2026
Defence Defence takes many forms. Resistance in queer and migrant communities. Women on the frontlines. Clothing that defies surveillance. In a violent world, how to can we preserve humanity—and maintain our search for the beauty in life?
Foto: Roope Rainisto Humans and AI Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly and radically changing our lives. Reactions to this vary around the world. Some see AI as a threat to everything that makes us human, while others see great potential in this new technology
Foto: Hosam Katan What will become of Syria? The Assad regime has been overthrown: this news shook the world in December 2024. Since then, a new government has come to power in Syria and many sanctions have been lifted. However, the new leadership's terrorist past has sparked mistrust. The initial euphoria has faded, at least since the brutal massacres of minorities – and yet hope for a new beginning remains
Foto: Johnny Miller Informal Living Around one billion people live in informal settlements worldwide. Stereotypes of these dwellings often reduce them to poverty and deprivation. How are the people living in these places really doing?
Photo: José María Cárdenas Camacho Mexico Between resilience and a fresh start: Mexico is beloved by tourists but also struggles with inequality and rising violence. Will the new President Claudia Sheinbaum be able to usher in change?
Photo: Luisa Dörr Indigenous culture today Indigenous groups have long struggled to protect their traditional ways of life. Young activists are now building up international networks. Insights from a world that is being reshaped
Photo: Solmaz Daryani Living in the desert Dry, empty and hostile to life: the desert is etched in our collective imagination. But this unique landscape is often not what we expect
Photo: Swinde Wiederhold Parents and children Unconditional love and huge conflicts: few relationships are as emotional as those of parents and children. What connects us - and what have we always wanted to say to our parents?
Photo: Franky Verdickt Voices from Taiwan Taiwan is a key democratic ally in Asia for the West. But, looking beyond the looming threat from China, what makes this place unique and what do people in Taiwan dream of?
Photo: Antoine Bruy The limits of growth The limits of growth have been reached, the climate crisis is real, the war in Ukraine is shaking up global politics. With the world in crisis mode, it's time to consume less!
Photo: Sayed Aman Sadat Women’s rights in Afghanistan Since the withdrawal of NATO in 2021, women in Afghanistan have been stripped of their rights, freedom and dignity by the Taliban. In this dossier, they raise their voices!
Photo: Mustafah Abdulaziz Are we running out of water? Without water, life on our planet would be impossible, but we are too careless with it. A dossier on the complicated relationship between humans and the big
Illustration: Felix Möller Polarised society How fairly do we all live together? Who has power, who is left on the sidelines? How do we deal with other people’s opinions? Our issue on culture clashes
Photo: Jonas Bendiksen / Magnum Photos Underground We plunder raw materials, build secret escape tunnels and dig up remnants of prehistoric times: There is much more happening under our feet than we realise. A journey into the underground
Photo: India Roper-Evans / SAVVY Contemporary Sustainable design Around the world, people design and create things by hand. A magazine exploring why we make things ourselves – with instructions for making ten objects from across the globe
Photo: Natalia Kepesz Poland in upheaval Judicial reform, freedom of expression, women's rights: Poland is rife with dispute and the issues strike the heart of democrcacy. A deep dive into a divided nation
Foto: IMAGO / JNA Press Refugee camps | BangladeschSchools were buried under mud Driven from Myanmar, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. Without international aid, a never-ending humanitarian catastrophe looms large By Piyas Biswas09/03/2026
Visual: Julia Neller Soft Power | China“China is being idealised” From TikTok to AI: China expert Katja Drinhausen on how Beijing is shaping its country’s image and expanding its global influence By Ruben Donsbach08/31/2026
Foto: Andrew Esiebo/Panos Pictures Talk of the town | LagosLife stuck in traffic Lagos is Nigeria’s city of opportunity—yet its boom comes at a steep price: housing shortages and endless commutes By Valentine Benjamin08/10/2026
Foto: Ole Witt für KULTURAUSTAUSCH From Exile | Belarus“Any open discussion gets political in Belarus” Exiled in Berlin, curator Anna Chistoserdova continues to push for a free Belarus Interview with Anna Chistoserdova08/06/2026
The scam factories Cambodia has become a hub for online fraud — often run by trafficked foreign workers forced into the trade By Danielle Keeton-Olsen07/08/2026
Photography | UkraineWar and a bit of peace The Kyiv photographer Vic Bakin portrays Ukrainian soldiers at home, far from the front line, in his photographic work “Hell Was Full” By Ole Witt05/07/2026
Foto: Ole Witt für KULTURAUSTAUSCH In exile | Hong Kong“I was threatened with ten years in prison” The activist Ray Wong is fighting for democracy in his homeland Hong Kong from Germany. Interview with Ray Wong Toi-yeung05/03/2026
Photo: Gundula Haage Hunting with drones In northern Georgia, Russian soldiers are pushing back the border. A few brave individuals are documenting the land grab on social media By Gundula Haage04/29/2026
Photo: Koshkin Serhii Culture wars | UkraineA question of guilt The Ukrainian soldier and writer Artur Dron calls on Europe to stop publishing Russian authors during the war. By Artur Dron04/29/2026
Foto: Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden Defence | ScandinaviaOne for all and all for one The Nordic countries feel the threat from Russia more acutely than most. But they are also among Europe's best-defended nations. According to security expert Elisabeth Braw, the key to that resilience lies in the strength of their civil society. By Elisabeth Braw04/09/2026
Photo: Amr Attamimi Sunny to partly cloudy The photo book “Photography from Yemen” changes the way we see a country torn apart by civil war. A conversation with editor Ibi Ibrahim By Ibi Ibrahim04/08/2026
Foto: Hannah Yoon Society | IndiaHome alone More and more people around the world are living alone. Have they embraced the ‘dolce vita’ – or merely succumbed to the dreary routines of late capitalism? By Suraj Yengde04/07/2026
Visual: Julia Neller Feminism | WarWho's afraid of Penthesilea? The notion of women going off to war still strikes people as unnatural. But the truth is, women have been fighting since the dawn of our species. By Morgane Llanque04/02/2026
Foto: Dieuveil Malonga Food culture | AfricaAfrica's culinary heritage Raised in the Republic of the Congo, trained in Germany, and shaped by travels across the African continent, Michelin-starred chef Dieuveil Malonga draws on an eclectic biography to enrich his cuisine By Dieuveil Malonga03/24/2026
Photo: B'Tselem Human Rights | Israel“The system is based on violence” Yuli Novak heads the Israeli NGO B’Tselem, which campaigns for the rights of Palestinians. As a result, she is under increasing pressure in her home country. By Judith Poppe03/24/2026
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