International

Global efforts to address plastics have delivered limited progress, while numerous challenges persist. Production keeps climbing, waste management remains underfunded, policies lean too much on voluntary measures from industry, and many touted technical solutions fail to confront the underlying drivers. Consequently, plastic pollution continues to intensify, fossil-fuel dependencies deepen, and social and environmental damages grow—most acutely in low- and middle-income countries.Failure 1 — Production continues to rise while policy stays focused on end-of-life stagesThe discussion continues to lean heavily on waste handling and recycling even as the output of new plastics keeps rising. Global manufacturing now reaches hundreds of millions…

Biodiversity — the variety of life across genes, species and ecosystems — is not an environmental abstract reserved for scientists and conservationists. It underpins the goods, services and resilience that modern economies depend on. When biodiversity declines, the effects cascade through supply chains, public budgets, corporate balance sheets and national stability. Treating biodiversity as an economic security issue reframes it from a conservation priority to a fundamental component of national and global economic resilience.The connection between biodiversity and economic stabilityProvisioning services and supply chains. Biodiversity supplies food, timber, medicines, fibres and genetic material. Agricultural yields, fisheries output and pharmaceutical pipelines…

When a country restricts exports of staple foods or key agricultural inputs, the effects ripple across markets, households, governments, and international relations. Export restrictions include outright bans, export licensing, higher export taxes, quantity quotas, and administrative delays. These measures are often intended to protect domestic consumers or stabilize local prices, but they also create consequences that extend beyond national borders and beyond the short term.Mechanisms and immediate market effectsReduction in global supply: When one or more exporters limit shipments, the effective global supply falls. For commodities with thin margins between supply and demand, even modest reductions can raise world prices.Price…

Critical minerals are naturally occurring elements and compounds on which modern economies rely for manufacturing, the energy transition, and defense, yet their supply chains often remain fragile or highly concentrated. Governments and analysts generally evaluate how critical a mineral is by considering two main factors: its economic significance to essential technologies and the likelihood that its supply could face disruptions. This combination of strong demand and elevated exposure to supply risks is what classifies a mineral as “critical.”Why they matter nowThe global shift to electrification, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and advanced defense systems has multiplied demand for certain minerals. Lithium,…

Food security refers to a state in which everyone consistently enjoys physical and economic access to adequate, safe, and nourishing food. Although agricultural productivity has advanced and child mortality has fallen in certain regions over recent decades, global food security continues to be vulnerable. A combination of environmental, economic, political, social, and technological forces steadily weakens the availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability of food resources. This analysis outlines the primary drivers, supports them with examples and trend data, and points to practical strategies for reducing this vulnerability.Fundamental factors behind fragilityConflict and instability: Armed conflict is the single largest driver of…

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 agencies or political entities operating to secure strategic leverage, meet foreign policy objectives, or maintain internal control.Political campaigns and consultants:…

For the first time in decades, Iranians woke to a country without Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, following his death in coordinated US-Israeli strikes. The nation now confronts a period of deep uncertainty.Diverse reactions unfolding nationwideThe news of Khamenei’s death has triggered a broad array of reactions throughout Iran, where residents in the capital and other major cities voiced restrained optimism, seeing the conclusion of his decades-long leadership as a moment that might reshape the country’s future. In several districts, impromptu celebrations broke out as crowds honked car horns, waved garments, and even pulled down monuments linked to the…

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…

Rivers cross political borders more than any modern idea of territory can contain. More than 150 countries share transboundary river basins, and well over 260 international river and lake basins drain across political boundaries. When water is scarce or unevenly distributed, competition can escalate into political tension or even military posturing. Conversely, well-designed shared river agreements act as instruments of cooperation, turning a potential flashpoint into a platform for stable, mutually beneficial management. This article explains how and why these agreements prevent conflict, with examples, data, and practical lessons.Primary hazards linked to unregulated transboundary riversUncoordinated use of a shared river…

Cities around the world face more frequent, longer and hotter heat waves as climate change continues to raise average temperatures and amplify extremes. Urban areas are especially vulnerable because the urban heat island effect concentrates heat: paved surfaces, dense buildings and low vegetation can raise local temperatures by 1–7°C relative to nearby rural areas. Preparing for this new normal requires a mix of near-term emergency measures, longer-term planning, infrastructure upgrades, public health interventions and community-focused equity work.The challenge: understanding why severe heat waves are becoming a rising threat to urban areasHeat waves heighten the likelihood of heat‑related illness, cardiovascular and…