From the Field Institute of Current World Affairs

Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine has prompted new urgency for NATO to shore up its defenses in Europe. A port in the Greek city of Alexandroupoli might play a key role in the alliance's ability to do just that. ICWA’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation fellow Steven Tagle describes a military transfer at the port late last year and what it may mean for the future of European security.
*Note: This episode mentions a Russian missile system purchased by Turkey. It is S-400, not S-40. 

For four decades, Douglas Latchford burnished his reputation as a leading expert and collector of relics from the ancient Khmer Empire. But mounting evidence shows the burly British art dealer was trading in art looted during some of the darkest periods in Cambodia's history. As part of the Pandora Papers investigation, Malia Politzer (India, Spain, 2013-15) traced the antiquities to offshore accounts in the British Isle of Jersey. She spoke to Glenn Kates about the investigation. 

Parliamentary elections in Germany this month are set to usher in a new post-Angela Merkel era. But there’s another way the process is affecting politics: early voting. Germans have enjoyed postal voting for decades, but with no end to the pandemic in sight, officials expect as many as 60 percent of voters may choose to cast their ballots by mail this year. The far-right AfD party is using that development to take a page from Donald Trump's playbook with unfounded claims about voting reliability. Former fellow and journalist Emily Schultheis, currently based in Berlin and Vienna, joins ICWA’s Glenn Kates to explain what’s at stake.

As Lebanon slides further into political and economic turmoil, its social fabric is increasingly fraying. Beirut-based fellow David Kenner talks to Dan about the decisions intellectuals and skilled professionals face as they watch their compatriots flee abroad for better opportunities.
 

As India’s healthcare system buckled under the wright of a second wave of coronavirus, New Delhi-based fellow Astha Rajvanshi was exposed to the tragedy of losing a loved one to the disease firsthand. She talks to Dan about how the Indian government bungled its Covid response.

Saudi Arabia has embarked on a path of gradual social and economic modernization in recent years but it’s unclear how much it’s extending beyond major urban centers. ICWA fellow David Kenner talks to Dan about Western-style cafes in the southern border city of Jazan, where local entrepreneurs are contending with cultural norms in a bid to grow their businesses.