International

Influence operations are organized attempts to steer the perceptions, emotions, choices, or behaviors of a chosen audience. They blend crafted messaging, social manipulation, and sometimes technical tools to alter how people interpret issues, communicate, vote, purchase, or behave. Such operations may be carried out by states, political entities, companies, ideological movements, or criminal organizations. Their purposes can range from persuasion or distraction to deception, disruption, or undermining public confidence in institutions.Key stakeholders and their driving forcesInfluence operators include:State actors: intelligence services or political units seeking strategic advantage, foreign policy goals, or domestic control.Political campaigns and consultants: groups aiming to win…

Influence operations are coordinated efforts to shape opinions, emotions, decisions, or behaviors of a target audience. They combine messaging, social engineering, and often technical means to change how people think, talk, vote, buy, or act. Influence operations can be conducted by states, political organizations, corporations, ideological groups, or criminal networks. The intent ranges from persuasion and distraction to deception, disruption, or erosion of trust in institutions.Key stakeholders and their driving forcesThe operators that wield influence include:State actors: intelligence services or political units seeking strategic advantage, foreign policy goals, or domestic control.Political campaigns and consultants: groups aiming to win elections or…

For the first time in decades, Iranians awoke to a nation no longer led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after coordinated US-Israeli strikes claimed his life, leaving the country facing a profoundly uncertain chapter.Mixed reactions across the countryThe news of Khamenei’s death has provoked a wide spectrum of reactions across Iran. In the capital and other cities, some citizens expressed cautious relief, viewing the end of his decades-long rule as a potential turning point. Celebrations erupted in certain neighborhoods, with people honking horns, waving clothes, and even toppling monuments associated with the Islamic Republic’s founders. Videos circulating online from cities such…

Modern nuclear power rests on a layered system of technical, organizational, regulatory, and institutional safeguards designed to prevent accidents, limit consequences if they occur, protect against malicious acts, and ensure that nuclear materials are not diverted for weapons. These safeguards are applied across the life cycle of a plant: siting, design, construction, operation, emergency planning, waste management, and decommissioning.Core principles: defense-in-depth and multiple physical barriersThe guiding principle follows a defense-in-depth approach, employing several independent protective layers to ensure that neither a single malfunction nor a human mistake results in a catastrophic release. Working alongside these safeguards are multiple physical barriers…

Modern nuclear power relies on a multilayered framework of technical, organizational, regulatory, and institutional protections built to avert accidents, curb their impact when they happen, guard against hostile interference, and ensure nuclear materials are not redirected for weaponization. These protective measures extend throughout the entire life span of a plant, covering site selection, system design, construction, daily operations, emergency preparedness, waste handling, and eventual decommissioning.Core principles: defense-in-depth and multiple physical barriersDefense-in-depth is the organizing principle. It implements multiple, independent lines of protection so that no single failure or human error leads to catastrophic release. Complementing this are multiple physical barriers…

After four years of relentless conflict, Ukraine’s war has transformed far more than its own borders. From the mechanics of modern combat to the foundations of global alliances, the repercussions now stretch across continents.What started as a sweeping invasion has shifted into a drawn‑out confrontation that is reshaping military strategy, diplomatic relations and global power dynamics. For Ukraine, staying alive has required relentless adaptation under relentless attack. For Europe, the conflict has revealed weaknesses that years of relative calm had kept hidden. For the United States and other international players, it has triggered a reevaluation of obligations once seen as…

Rivers often flow across political boundaries in ways that defy modern territorial concepts. More than 150 nations rely on transboundary river basins, and over 260 international river and lake systems cut across national borders. In regions where water is scarce or unevenly spread, competition may intensify and lead to diplomatic strain or even military displays. In contrast, well-crafted shared river agreements provide cooperative frameworks that transform potential conflict zones into stable, jointly managed resources. This article outlines how these agreements help avert disputes, offering examples, data, and practical insights.Primary hazards linked to unregulated transboundary riversWhen parties draw on a shared…

Online content moderation sits at the intersection of technology, law, business incentives, and human values. Platforms must balance the protection of users from harm with respect for free expression, operate across thousands of jurisdictions, and make split-second decisions at a scale of millions or billions of posts. The result is a set of persistent dilemmas: what to remove, what to label, how to enforce rules consistently, and who decides.Key dilemmas clarifiedSafety versus free expression. Strict enforcement can curb harms tied to harassment, hate, and misinformation, yet it may also sweep up valid political conversations, satire, or voices from marginalized groups.…

Online content moderation sits at the intersection of technology, law, business incentives, and human values. Platforms must balance the protection of users from harm with respect for free expression, operate across thousands of jurisdictions, and make split-second decisions at a scale of millions or billions of posts. The result is a set of persistent dilemmas: what to remove, what to label, how to enforce rules consistently, and who decides.Key dilemmas clarifiedSafety versus free expression. Tight enforcement reduces harm from harassment, hate, and misinformation, but it risks removing legitimate political debate, satire, or minority viewpoints. Conversely, permissive approaches can enable real-world…

Data is not neutral raw material; it is a strategic asset. The entity that collects, stores, analyzes, and governs large, high‑quality data sets gains economic advantage, political influence, and operational control. That concentration of capability — to predict behavior, set markets, shape information flows, and make decisions at scale — is what turns data into power.Key actors who control dataBig technology platforms: Companies spanning global search, social networks, cloud ecosystems, and ecommerce services accumulate vast volumes of behavioral, transactional, and location-based information derived from billions of users and activities.Governments and regulators: States gather identity, taxation, health, telecom, and surveillance records,…