politics

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, people have been evacuating and safeguarding Ukrainian works of art and museum pieces. Now, a team of conservators and students are also creating permanent, 3D records of buildings and objects that can’t be moved in case they are damaged or destroyed.

North Korea’s decision to deploy troops to the Kursk region of Russia was seen as an escalation of the conflict. It was said that the North Korean leader hoped his forces would return home battle-tested and ready to fight for the homeland. US officials say Russia has deployed some 8,000 North Koreans in the region, the border area where Ukrainian forces seized Russian territory in a surprise attack over the summer. But as The World’s Daniel Ofman tells us, far fewer troops may return home than Pyongyang expected.

For a small but vocal group of mostly older activists, reclaiming Okinawa’s history as the Ryukyu Kingdom and pushing for independence from Japan is a deeply personal mission. It’s being supported by an unlikely ally: Beijing.

After being lured into the Russian military with promises of “helper” jobs, young men from India find themselves training to fire weapons and getting caught up in combat with no way out.

As Taiwan’s opposing political parties argue over constitutional issues, Chinese military exercises steadily bring ships and aircraft closer to the island. Taiwan’s president wants more defense spending, while the opposition wants to avoid provoking China.