Security & Foreign Policy

Letter from Ottawa: Foreboding descends on Canada’s capital

November in Canada is always a challenging time for keeping spirits up. The days quickly grow shorter and colder. The rites of autumn involve putting away summer things, closing up […]

Former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell and former Department for International Development permanent secretary Sir Mark Lowcock speaking at an Institute for Government event Lessons from the rise and fall of the Department for International Development

Lessons from the rise and fall of the UK’s Department for International Development

The UK’s Department for International Development both tackled poverty around the world and strengthened Britain’s global reputation – but then it was closed and international aid merged with the Foreign […]

EU parliament election sees shaken centre hold – but far right now has chances to show its strength

After the four-day, 27-state democratic marathon that is the European parliamentary election, a picture has emerged of a fragile centre just holding amid a shift to the right that carries […]
President of Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi at UN Headquarters in New York on September 18, 2023

What could President Raisi’s death mean for stability in Iran and beyond? Expert Q&A

A helicopter carrying Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other officials crashed in the mountainous north-west reaches of Iran on Sunday 20 May, sparking a rescue operation […]

Defeating disinformation: how to create a healthier national conversation

Bad actors are poisoning the information well from which populations drink in the democratic world. In the final part of our investigation into overseas interference in elections, Matt Ross asks […]

Knowing and showing: how intelligence and transparency can combat electoral interference

For a decade, hostile powers overseas have been interfering in elections and stoking public anger in Europe and North America – and the domestic beneficiaries of these operations often stymie […]

A subtle opponent: China’s influence operations

China’s attempts to influence electorates in the democratic world are far more targeted and less destructive than the tactics deployed by Russia – but that doesn’t make them any less […]
An image of a Russian computer hacker

Russia’s elections toolkit: dollars, disruption and disinformation

Hack and leak, astroturfing, perception hacking, reputation laundering: Russia has devised an armoury of new techniques to weaken and distract its opponents. In this second part of our investigation into […]
A drawing of Vladimir Putin looking over Donald Trump's shoulder

Organised chaos: how Russia weaponised the culture wars

Social divisions, conspiracy theories and populist politics are rife in the democratic world. And these are not just home-grown problems: Russia and other hostile states have deliberately stoked internal dissent, […]

Number of women and girls in conflict-affected countries doubles, UN report finds

More than 600 million women and girls lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022, a 50% increase since 2017, according to the UN’s latest report on women, peace and security. One […]