In an explosive interview to New Internationalist, the Kurdish female leader Bese Hozat opens up about peace, the party’s view on the region and the independence referendum in South Kurdistan, and accuses Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the West to have incubated Isis. By Karlos Zurutuza.

Emboldened by a recent study, The Guardian repeats the myth that becoming vegan is the ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth. Chris Saltmarsh and Harpreet Kaur Paul disagree.

The backlash against social media titans is in full swing. But are moves to bring them to heel, including new privacy laws, appropriate? Mike Morel investigates.

The dirt on waste. Dinyar Godrej argues that the problems with our throwaway society add up to much more than the sum of individual actions.

Trust in tatters. Business model busted. And journalism under attack from all sides. So why does Vanessa Baird think that the news media has a bright future?

Hazel Healy investigates the challenges facing 21st century humanitarian action.

Vanessa Baird sets out to see how dictatorship is being rebranded in Latin America’s most populous nation.

After 54 years of struggle under Indonesian rule, is freedom finally in sight for West Papua? Danny Chivers investigates.

A major US military build-up – including nuclear weapons – is under way in Asia and the Pacific with the purpose of confronting China. John Pilger raises the alarm on an under-reported and dangerous provocation.

The struggle to define Russia’s future is under way but those hoping for a more progressive post-Putin Russia shouldn’t hold their breath, writes Tina Burrett.

Report from Britain by Alessio Perrone

Meat without ‘murder’ might seem a worthy goal, but even if most vegans did want to eat a convincing replica of the real thing, is it safe? Yohann Koshy reports on a new vegan food product from Silicon Valley.

Tehran Taboo; The Heiresses (Las Herederas).

Woman of the Ashes; Death Register; The New Faces of Fascism; The Long Honduran Night.

Visit Malphino by Malphino; Universalists by Yonatan Gat.

Joining his neighbours one evening, Dan Baron Cohen finds himself immersed in a spontaneous conversation about culture, justice and sustainability that would be rare inside the halls of academe.

Nick Dowson speaks with an indigenous lawyer and campaigner fighting a gas pipeline in Mexico.

We put the track record of Isaias Afwerki, President of Eritrea – and a liberation fighter turned ruthless dictator – under the spotlight.

We turn the focus inwards to mark our 500th edition.

Though the conflict in Syria is often described as a civil war, most of the forces at play are exogenous. Zoe Holman writes.

Climate change denial by Kate Evans.