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Introduction For most of the twentieth century, climate change was treated as a problem for scientists and economists to solve. Governments negotiated emissions targets, debated carbon pricing, and argued over the cost of transitioning away from fossil fuels. The language was technocratic, and deliberately so — framing climate change as a technical challenge kept it at arm's length from messier questions about fairness, history, and who actually owes what to whom. That framin

Yacout Benmansour is a first-year Politics and International Relations student. (Connect: LinkedIn: Yacout Benmansour ) Introduction On January 4, 2026, the Taliban unveiled what it termed the “Criminal Procedural Regulations for Courts”, a legal code that represents arguably the most comprehensive architecture of state-sponsored gender persecution in modern history [1][2]. As the regime meticulously codified the absolute erasure of Afghan women from public life, an intense l

Viktoriia Fylymonova is a first-year Philosophy, Politics and Economics student (viktoriia.fylymonova.25@ucl.ac.uk). Introduction In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In response, the European Union deployed a range of economic and political measures aimed at weakening Russia’s war machine. A particularly significant measure was the freezing of Russian Central Bank assets held in European jurisdictions. With approximately £200bn of Russian state

Veronika Seredenko is a first year Philosophy, Politics and Economics student. (veronika.seredenko.25@ucl.ac.uk / www.linkedin.com/in/veronika-seredenko) Introduction After four years of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukrainians have become accustomed to the hardships of war. But the fourth winter of the war was the most difficult for Ukrainians. This was due both to significantly colder subzero temperatures than in previous winters and to more destructive Russian attacks.

Vasil Atanasov is a second-year Politics and International Relations student. Passionate about interstate conflict, with a particular interest in understanding the process of conflict resolution and sustainable peacebuilding. (linkedin.com/in/vasil-atanasov-/) Introduction In January 2026, after being in control of Syria’s northeastern region for more than a decade, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would suddenly lose most of the territory due to a government of

Taissiya Shegay is a first-year Global Humanitarian Studies student at UCL, with research interests in geopolitics, foreign policy, and Eurasian regional dynamics. (LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taissiya-s-8500a129b/) Introduction Central Asia has long been viewed as a peripheral region in global politics, but with the development of an increasingly multipolar world, its strategic importance has grown significantly. Particularly, the region's geographic location, reso

Syed Bukhari is an International Management student, interested in global affairs and political economy. He is a member of Chatham House. [www.linkedin.com/in/syed-qamar-bukhari] Introduction At first glance, the Middle East and North Africa appears calmer as it enters 2026. Large-scale wars have slowed, ceasefires are formally in place, and regional leaders often speak about de-escalation and economic reform rather than open confrontation. Diplomatic channels remain active,

Olivier Weidenmann is a first year Politics and International relations student at UCL. Introduction October 30th, 2025, the press cabin of Air Force One outside of Busan, President Donald J. Trump triumphantly claims that the talks he had with the head of the Chinese state were “on a scale from zero to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12." [1]. The reason behind this joy? Xi Jinping just accepted in principle to temporarily stop export controls on ra

Natalia Modla is a second-year Politics, Sociology and Eastern European Studies student at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at UCL. (Email: nataliamodla29@gmail.com/LinkedIn: Natalia Modla) Introduction On 26 December 2025, Israel recognised Somaliland, the self-declared state in northern Somalia that has functioned with de facto autonomy since 1991 [1], becoming the first country to do so. The announcement was immediately contentious. Somalia’s President, Has

Nabeeha is an International Relations graduate with First Class Honors. She is interested in climate policy, climate diplomacy, and sustainable development, building on her thesis comparing China and South Korea’s use of climate diplomacy as a tool of power (linkedin.com/in/nabeehawafa). Introduction South Asia’s climate diplomacy is being reshaped by women, but their leadership remains caught between recognition and real influence. From Pakistan’s sub-national representation

Maria Asad is a graduate of BS International Relations with research interests, focused on great power rivalry in the Asia-Pacific. Her undergraduate thesis investigated the China-US competition in the South China Sea and its implications on regional stability. She continues to examine evolving dynamics and strategic development in East Asia. http://linkedin.com/in/mariaasad Introduction The East China Sea is home to eight uninhabited islands and rocks that have become one of

Leo Whicker is a History, Politics and Economics student. He has previously interned at Clarksons Research within the maritime infrastructure team. Suez Canal 2021; obstruction caused by the containership “Ever Given” highlighted the venerability of global trade to blockages of maritime chokepoints (1). These narrow passageways serve as crucial shortcuts reducing the length of vessel voyages, allowing goods to be transported faster and cheaper, with lower shipping carbon emis