Mohsen Askari compares Iran’s 1979 revolution with the 2026 uprising to reveal a paradox about digital communication technology. Though modern tech may swiftly mobilise collective action, authoritarian states with control over internet infrastructure can still interfere with the collective knowledge base
Akash Shah analyses the necessity of HALO for NATO’s integration of space architecture. Here, he suggests that President Trump’s push for European self-reliance, data sovereignty and technical challenges could all explain the US absence from this initiative
The rules-based international order is not simply breaking down. Governments are increasingly governing through exceptions built into the rules themselves, argues Ilan Kapoor
Britain’s disability-benefit debate is commonly framed as a choice between containing spending and protecting claimants. Pierce Leslie argues that a better settlement would instead distinguish income protection from employment support and make it safer for people with partial or fluctuating capacity to work
Humour is effective as a line of attack against authoritarian post-truthers like Trump. And like post-truth, humour is about feelings and the effect on your audience. But Lasse Thomassen suggests that humour – used well – can help make us see new truths to which we were otherwise blind
A recent ruling in the case of a Slovak journalist who suffered years of online abuse is a stark reminder of widespread gendered violence against women in public life. Ján Michalko argues that this form of violence puts democracies at risk and demands an urgent response, including efforts to transform unequal gender norms that enable it
Mexico has adopted rules requiring broadcasters to flag programmes that mix news and opinion. Julio Alberto Barajas Servin argues that these labels should be judged by whether the people they are meant to help notice and understand them. A legal duty matters little when viewers cannot use the signal to distinguish news from commentary
In the run-up to Sweden's 2026 election, far-right parties treated the hijab as proof that migrants neither belong nor can be assimilated. Azher Hameed Qamar argues that this debate reveals a democratic tension. Does equality demand sameness? Or does it protect participation despite cultural differences
Haktan Ural draws on social media posts from Türkiye's anti-alimony campaigns to show how a currency crash and years of economic insecurity fuelled rage against gender equality. When progressive politics failed to answer economic pain, anti-gender movements stepped in
Pakistan has emerged as an important diplomatic channel between Iran and the United States. Saima Afzal explains why Islamabad’s relationships with Iran, Washington and the Gulf often seen as a difficult balancing act have instead become a source of diplomatic leverage
We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. These will be set only if you accept.
▼
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.
▼
Analytics Cookies
Google Analytics
We'd like to set Google Analytics cookies to help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone. For more information on how these cookies work please see our Privacy Notice.
