The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW, or “Ban Treaty”), negotiated and opened for signature in 2017, is a divisive document. It was conceived at the initiative of over one hundred non-nuclear weapon states eager to highlight the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any nuclear use, stigmatize the current behavior of the nuclear-armed states …

Qute of the week: “There is something exceedingly ridiculous in the composition of monarchy; it first excludes a man from the means of information, yet empowers him to act in cases where the highest judgment is required. The state of a king shuts him from the world, yet the business of a king requires him …

Generally, KCNA and other North Korean media outlets identify the locations where Kim Jong Un (and, before him, Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung) conduct inspections and provide “on the spot” guidance. These visits are a routine way to signal the regime’s interests and priorities, to show off its achievements, and to highlight the …