Vladimir Putin wants to be a conqueror
Even if a dwindling number of other leaders do, and those who try fail
SoME MAY say that Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was to be expected. There had been signs after Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 that its president had ambitions beyond the Black Sea peninsula. But data show that Mr Putin’s war of conquest defies an international trend. Since 1975 no country has wholly gobbled up and held onto another.
Russia’s summer Ukraine offensive looks like its deadliest yet
Our analysis of what it has cost both sides
Why was the flooding in Texas so deadly?
A mixture of geography, catastrophic rainfall and a lack of preparedness
Ten charts to explain Trump’s big, beautiful bill
The overhaul of taxation and spending spells trouble for America
Iran has come back online—for now
The regime has a long history of cutting access to the internet
Mapping Iran’s nuclear programme
American and Israeli strikes have done clear damage, but uncertainties remain about what has survived
How often do ceasefires in the Middle East work?
Donald Trump says he expects the Iran-Israel truce to last forever. Our analysis of more than 2,000 truces suggests that’s optimistic