Illustration by Ipsita Sarkar One of Europe’s heaviest hitters faces an uncertain future. For the past 16 years, Germany has found a relatively safe pair of hands in Chancellor Angela Merkel. She has, after all, steered the country through the toughest times of the 21st century: a financial crash, a migrant crisis, Brexit, flooding, a Read More…
Illustration by Mia Clement Michel Barnier. Having taken on the mantle of chief Brexit negotiator for the EU, the French politician has sought a new challenge: the presidency of the French Republic. After months and months of speculation, Barnier finally threw his hat into the ring towards the tail end of August. In an interview Read More…
Illustration by Mia Clement COP26 is now less than three months away. Scores of world leaders will fly in for the start, and officials from 196 countries will spend two weeks in high-pressure negotiations aimed at setting a new path to a safer climate. COVID-19 has refocused priorities and caused individuals and governments alike to Read More…
Illustration by Mia Clement More than ever before, businesses are automating recruitment with the help of AI-enhanced software. Some AI tools ‘read’ résumés, taking into account the words used, while others ‘watch’ video interviews, analysing the voice and gestures of applicants. The AI is trained on past applications to detect writing, speech, and behaviour patterns, Read More…
Illustration by Khadijah Ali New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has resigned after an independent investigation found he had sexually harassed 11 women, including state employees. The investigation found that Cuomo had violated federal and state law and, at the time of writing, the former Governor is facing criminal charges. It marks a huge swing in Read More…
Illustration by Mia Clement – sketch of an ice sheet The ocean plays a central role in regulating the Earth’s climate. The Fifth Assessment Report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2013 revealed that it has thus far absorbed 93% of the extra energy from the enhanced greenhouse effect, with warming Read More…
On Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its sixth assessment report, addressing the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system, bringing together climate scientists from across the globe and the latest advances in climate science to warn of the imminent and dire risk of climate change. This Report responds to the Read More…
Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, technically does not have a standing military. Japan’s Constitution (which came into effect after its defeat in 1945) bound its people to ‘forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.’ No land, sea, or air Read More…
Illustrations by Mia Clement Viktor Orban, Hungary’s far-right prime minister, announced that the government will hold a referendum on the recently instated ‘child protection’ laws. While broadly aimed at addressing paedophilia, the laws have been widely criticised within Hungary and beyond for banning the portrayal of LGBTQ+ people to children. The law has been condemned Read More…
As our lives are transposed into a virtual world running parallel to our own, we can no longer hide from the grim realities of a digital age. Nor, as the revelations of the past weeks show, can we always hide from the penetrating gaze and telescopic reach of governments. On 18th July, an exposé was Read More…