International Archives

Australia’s Digital Detox: The Politics of a Nationwide Social Media Ban

Lena CassidyMay 11, 2026May 12, 2026

On December 10th, 2025, Australia became the first country to implement a nationwide social media ban. At midnight, the Social Media Minimum Age Act came into effect, deactivating millions of accounts belonging to anyone under the age of 16. Zoe, a teenager from Brisbane, described the chaos that ensued the day the ban was passed: “We’d all heard about it, but nobody thought it was going to happen,” she said. “Everyone was shocked.”

La Grieta and Milei

Rodrigo Cáceres AlburquerqueMay 11, 2026

Luciana Abecasis, an Argentine mother of two children, lives in the small city of Reconquista. For her, Javier Milei’s presidency reflects a shift from what she calls an “artificial economy,” an economy with heavy government intervention, to what she sees as a more honest one—a capitalist economy. Among Argentines, many share this perception.

“They Control the Sky”: The Burmese Junta’s War Against the State

Kushan MaheshMarch 19, 2026March 19, 2026

Stirrings begin before dawn. Rice is eaten by the fire while it is still dark. People move quietly, carrying only what they can, riding on horseback or on four-wheel drive trucks when danger requires it. There is a short pause around midday for some packed rice by a stream, then they continue on. Camps are temporary, fires a luxury for when the Burma Army is far enough away. No one stays anywhere long enough to feel secure.

When Oil Became Political in Venezuela

Rodrigo Cáceres AlburquerqueMarch 4, 2026

“I never worked in the oil industry, but oil decided I had to leave.”

Eddy, who asked to only be identified by his first name, once worked as a swimming coach in Venezuela and now lives in the Dominican Republic. He didn’t leave out of choice, but out of necessity.

The Decline of Trans-Atlantic Defense: Europe’s Reckoning with the Trump Administration

Kellin HenryMarch 1, 2026March 1, 2026

As American security guarantees appear less certain, Europe is forced to confront the consequences of decades of military dependence amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Internal divisions, cautious economic policy, and slow defence reform raise a deeper question: can Europe credibly deter aggression without the backbone of the trans-Atlantic alliance?