By Stella Rouse, University of Maryland and Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland | – The 2022 midterm elections, perhaps more than most in recent American history, present voters with a multitude of pressing issues to consider as they prepare to vote. These issues range from abortion to rising inflation, energy costs to the state of […]
COP27: a year on from the Glasgow climate pact, the world is burning more fossil fuels than ever
By Mathieu Blondeel, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick | – The burning of fossil fuels caused 86% of all CO₂ emissions during the past ten years. Despite being the primary culprits of global heating, coal, oil and gas were barely mentioned in the official texts of previous UN climate change summits. That all changed […]
Iran: hijab Protests reflect Society-wide Anger at Regime which trashes Rule of Law and Human Rights
By Saeed Bagheri, University of Reading | – The death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran’s morality police in September for not wearing the hijab properly was a fracturing point, prompting Iranian women to come on to the streets en masse to protest the regime’s violence and injustice. But our understanding of these […]
As COP27 Climate Summit in Egypt Nears, World Needs to Realize Depth of Crisis, Urgency of Action
By Andrew King, The University of Melbourne | – (The Conversation) – World leaders and climate experts are gathering for pivotal United Nations climate change talks in Egypt. Known as COP27, the conference will aim to put Earth on a path to net-zero emissions and keep global warming well below 2℃ this century. The world […]
Droughts don’t need to result in famine: Ethiopia and Somalia show what makes the difference
By Joshua Busby, University of Texas at Austin | – The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in 40 years. Scientists suspect that a multi-year La Niña cycle has been amplified by climate change to prolong dry and hot conditions. After multiple failed harvests and amid high global food prices, the Horn is […]
The Ottoman Empire Ended Exactly a Century ago: Its Enduring Legacy for Europe and the Middle East
By Georgios Giannakopoulos, King’s College London | – (The Conversation) – For centuries empires were the dominant form of political organisation. In the west there is some degree of familiarity with the British, French and German empires, and the empires of Spain and Portugal. Not to mention the Romans or the Greeks. But one empire […]
Citizens’ Social Media can provide an Antidote to Propaganda and Disinformation
By Robert W. Gehl, York University, Canada | – In early October, the Pew Research Center released a report called “The Role of Alternative Social Media in the News and Information Environment.” While the report is well-researched and reveals a great deal about the current state of digital media, news and right-wing propaganda, it is […]
Iran: Protesters call for Move to a non-religious State. What Changes would that Bring?
By Hossein Dabbagh, University of Oxford | – My friend was in Tehran during protests after the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police (Gasht-e Ershad). My friend went into a grocery shop intending to buy milk. The seller refused to sell anything to her. “Why are you refusing?” she […]
Elon Musk is wrong: Research shows Content Rules on Twitter help preserve Free Speech from Bots and other Manipulation
By Filippo Menczer, Indiana University | – (The Conversation) – Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter on Oct. 27, 2022 has triggered renewed debate about what it means for the future of the social media platform, which plays an important role in determining the news and information many people – especially Americans – are exposed to. […]
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