Notebooks

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Chernobyl and the price of nuclear hubris

Advocates of a nuclear ‘renaissance’ should remember the Soviet Union’s horrendous failures.

Paul Josephson April 22, 2026

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Iran targets its diaspora

As the Islamic Republic faces crisis at home, it seeks to assert tighter control over an increasingly vocal Iranian diaspora in the West.

Kasra Aarabi and Saeid Golkar April 20, 2026

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Why Israel is losing America

By refusing to bring his wars to a close, Benjamin Netanyahu is placing the vital partnership between the United States and Israel in grave peril.

Marc Polymeropoulos April 16, 2026

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The unravelling of Indonesia’s middleman economy

Indonesia built an economy rooted in mercantile trade, leaving it vulnerable in a world that increasingly cuts out the middleman. Yet it may be too late to become a nation of maker..

Rayhan Prabu April 15, 2026

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Russia’s war for demographic control

Russia is remaking the demographic structure of cities such as Mariupol, with implications that extend far beyond the current phase of the war.

Jade McGlynn April 14, 2026

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Hungary’s long rebellion against the West

Viktor Orbán's self-portrayal as the defender of European civilisation against the encroaching power of Brussels is built on a selective but powerful use of historical memory.

Elvira Viktória Tamus April 11, 2026

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JD Vance’s hope for a Hungarian Europe

The US Vice President views Viktor Orbán’s Hungary as a key battleground in his quest for an alternative civilisational order in Europe, as well as a vital test for his vision of a..

Sumantra Maitra April 10, 2026

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Can democracy cope with an age of impatience?

In a culture shaped by acceleration and instant gratification, democratic systems are struggling to meet the demand for speed.

Elise Morrison April 9, 2026

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Hope for Iran’s democratic future endures

The assumption that war has strengthened hardliners should be questioned. A lasting ceasefire and economic respite following the conflict could yet give Iran's civil society space ..

Maryam Alemzadeh April 8, 2026