Rogue states, danger zones and hotspots: We explain
Journey with us to these far-flung regions – from China and North Korea to Iran and the Arctic – to understand the tensions shaping our world.
Explainer
How has the Kim dynasty kept its grip on North Korea?
Tensions between North and South bubble along on the Korean peninsula as the Kim regime maintains its grip on power. How did one people become divided? Where did the North’s regime come from?
- by Angus Holland and Jackson Graham
Explainer
Born to be a little wild, but no rebel without a cause: Inside the world of Japan’s first female PM
She plays drums for fun, barely sleeps – and is enjoying a wave of popularity right now. What challenges does Sanae Takaichi face as she settles into Japan’s top job?
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
The eighth most populous nation on earth, Bangladesh stands at a crossroads
No stranger to turmoil, Bangladesh is set to usher in a new democratic future. How did it get here – and how is it meeting the challenge?
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
Beyond the eccentricities: Why the ex-Soviet ‘Stans’ are having a moment
The five countries known as Central Asia are leveraging their unique heritage, resources wealth and geopolitical edge – and tourism numbers are up. Who wants in? What can you find there?
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
Despot, radical … peacemaker? Meet Saudi Arabia’s millennial prince MBS
Reformer, tyrant or both? Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is reshaping his kingdom. What does it mean for the world?
- by Sherryn Groch
Explainer
‘I am Giorgia’: the far-right leader and the confounding world of Italian politics
Italy’s first female PM is also the first to govern from the far right in decades. Has Giorgia Meloni’s agenda changed in power? Where did her politics come from? And why has Italy had 68 governments since World War II?
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
The ‘miracle’ nation at 60: How Singapore thrived against the odds
It’s six decades since Singapore’s leader set out his program to “make this place tick”. What’s behind the city-state’s success? Is it true that everyone gets a flat? And is there a catch?
- by Angus Holland and Jackson Graham
Explainer
Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas: Who they are and what they want
As Israeli troops raid Lebanon, conflict is spreading again in the Middle East. Who are the key players, and what is the Axis of Resistance?
- by Jackson Graham, Angus Holland and Cindy Yin
Explainer
‘Arrogant powers’: Who are Iran’s sworn enemies and what is its Revolutionary Guard?
What exactly is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps? How did Iran go from rule by shahs to ayatollahs? And how is power wielded there today?
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
‘Cat and mouse’: What we know about Iran’s secretive nuclear program
It’s shadowy, underground and back on the world’s radar. Could Tehran one day have nuclear weapons?
- by Jackson Graham and Angus Holland
Explainer
‘The escalation risks are real’: Why India and Pakistan fight over Kashmir
Why is this part of the world so fraught? Could India and Pakistan’s friction escalate into a nuclear exchange?
- by Angus Holland and Kayla Olaya
Explainer
Miniskirts and mujahideen: How did Afghanistan come to be defined by war?
It was once a stop on the hippie trail and inspiration for the Lonely Planet guidebooks. So how did Afghanistan come to be defined by war and terrorism?
- by Maher Mughrabi
Explainer
Pirates, hotspots and choke points: inside the perilous world of shipping
Most of the world’s traded goods come to us on huge vessels by sea. We don’t give it much thought – until they run into trouble.
- by Matt Wade
Explainer
A dozen undersea cables connect Australia to the internet. What happens if they get hacked – or cut?
Hundreds of undersea cables link up the worldwide web, with about a dozen connected to Australia. How does this little-known network work – and what happens if it’s sabotaged?
- by Sherryn Groch and Felicity Lewis
Explainer
Why are microchips made in Taiwan at the centre of a global tussle?
Microchips are key to powering the world. What will it take to win in this vital (and secretive) multi-billion-dollar world?
- by Eryk Bagshaw, Jackson Graham and Daniel Ceng
Explainer
The planet’s population will get to 10.3 billion – then drop. Why?
India overtook China as the world’s most populous nation in 2023 but far bigger population shifts are transforming the world. Where will all the people be in 2100?
- by Matt Wade and Angus Holland
Explainer
It’s the coldest, windiest place on Earth. But who actually runs Antarctica?
In 1959, a dozen nations signed up to look after Antarctica for the good of all mankind. Today, the polar club is still growing. What do nations want in Antarctica? What rules must they play by?
- by Felicity Lewis
Explainer
The secret agents had a message: Take down the app or go to jail. How is the internet splintering?
Cracking down on the net was like nailing jelly to a wall, Bill Clinton said in 2000. But governments have found myriad ways to filter, block or slow it. And now some nations want nets of their own. Why?
- by Sherryn Groch and Nick Bonyhady
Explainer
Can Israel’s Iron Dome withstand Hezbollah’s rockets?
What is the Iron Dome? Could Hezbollah overwhelm it? And what is David’s Sling?
- by Jackson Graham and Angus Holland
Explainer
‘Le TikTok king’: Meet the 29-year-old fronting France’s far right
Snap elections in France in 2024 put a spotlight on the leader of its major far-right party. Who is he? And why is French politics in turmoil?
- by Angus Holland and Jackson Graham
Explainer
Why is there so much tension over Taiwan?
Taiwan has lived under a cloud for more than half a century. Now that China has set its sights firmly on it, tensions are high and rising.
- by Eryk Bagshaw
Explainer
What’s life like on the International Space Station – and why is it closing?
The age of international space stations is ending. China has its own base off-Earth; India wants one too. What are nations up to in space?
- by Sherryn Groch
Explainer
Famed for polar bears and midnight sun, Svalbard is a potential hotspot. Why?
The cluster of islands in the icy high north is a visa-free zone – but that doesn’t make it trouble free. What’s so special about Svalbard?
- by Felicity Lewis
Explainer
‘A battery in a rock’: The ancient treasures kilometres under the sea
As scientists find wonders on the deepest seabeds, miners and governments are looking at other riches. What’s at stake way beneath the waves?
- by Sherryn Groch
Explainer
The Gaza Strip explained: A brief history
Once a trading hub, Gaza has been controlled by various powers in the past century. Who lives there now? And what is the history of the Gaza Strip?
- by Jackson Graham, Angus Holland and Matt Wade
Explainer
‘Follow the Party forever’: How to get into the Communist Party of China
The CCP is integral to life in China but getting in isn’t easy, and staying a member is a life’s work. What are the benefits? And who’s really in charge?
- by Eryk Bagshaw
Explainer
Who is Xi Jinping, the world’s most powerful politician?
Once a princeling, Xi spent his teenage years living in a cave. Now he is the longest-serving leader of China since the ’70s. How did he do it? And what are his plans for China?
- by Eryk Bagshaw
Explainer
Is Havana syndrome a new method of covert sabotage – or all in our heads?
A mystery illness has been hitting diplomats and spies around the world. But is it an attack or something else?
- by Sherryn Groch
Explainer
How a Bollywood backdrop became the highest battleground on Earth
High in the Himalayas, soldiers have fought hand-to-hand at a border hotly contested by two nuclear-armed giants. Why are they fighting and what is the fallout?
- by Matt Wade
Explainer
Why didn’t Israel see the October 7 attacks coming?
Israel has sophisticated defence networks that include one of the world’s strongest militaries and a renowned intelligence service. How did Hamas breach them?
- by Angus Holland, Matt Wade and Jackson Graham
Explainer
Hackers can stop the trains and the lights. But could they start a war?
Total meltdown or death by a thousand hacks – how bad could a cyberwar get? And where is the line between espionage and all-out attack?
- by Sherryn Groch
Explainer
‘It’s mine, it’s mine’: How do you find a Dalai Lama?
Smoke, oracles, a drum and a walking stick helped monks discover the Dalai Lama. But superpowers will one day wrangle over his successor.
- by Matt Wade
Explainer
King Charles has paused public duties. Who steps in when a monarch is unwell?
What are the rules and protocols when a British King or Queen can’t perform their duties?
- by Angus Holland and Jackson Graham
Explainer
‘It’s mayhem’: Can all-out war in Lebanon be prevented?
Why has the conflict over the Israel-Lebanon border escalated? How bad is it looking? And what do Iran and the US want to happen?
- by Gemma Grant, Angus Holland and Jackson Graham
Explainer
‘Like the Wild West’: Who owns the moon and what’s up there?
Missions are blasting off again for the moon as the new space industry hits its stride. Why go back? And what will be the rules of conduct?
- by Sherryn Groch and Felicity Lewis
Explainer
Why can’t the world’s peacekeeper stop the fighting in Gaza and Ukraine?
Two regional conflicts are threatening global peace. Could the United Nations step in – and, if so, why hasn’t it?
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
Trillion-dollar piggy banks: Inside the world of sovereign wealth
Norway’s is famously huge. Qatar used its to buy Harrods. How do sovereign wealth funds work? And why isn’t ours as big as Norway’s?
- by Angus Holland
Explainer
The Arctic ice between Russia and the US is melting. What’s at stake at the top of the world?
Russia’s northern fleet is on high alert and NATO is stepping up its presence in the Arctic. Why is it a hotspot? And how could this Very Cold ‘War’ play out?
- by Sherryn Groch
Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/national/rogue-waves-the-icy-poles-and-hotspots-around-the-world-we-explain-20230608-p5df7c.html