PKK’s decision to disband shows the benefit of engaging in politics rather than an armed struggle: The recent decision by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to disarm and disband has important lessons for any country facing a seemingly intractable insurgency. On May 12, the group stated that following its 12th Congress it will “dissolve the …
Kenya’s decision to make maths optional in high school is a bad idea – what should happen instead: Kenya’s education ministry announced in March 2025 that mathematics would be an optional subject in senior secondary school, which begins in grade 10. Most students in this grade are aged 15 years. The education minister said the …
Elections législatives anticipées au Sénégal : risques et avantages d’une décision très politique: Le président sénégalais Bassirou Diomaye Faye a annoncé, le 12 septembre 2024, la dissolution de l’Assemblée nationale et l’organisation d’élections législatives anticipées le 17 novembre 2024. La coalition de partis au pouvoir entre 2012 et mars 2024 (Benno Bokk Yaakaar dirigée par …
Panda diplomacy: what China’s decision to send bears to the US reveals about its economy: A deal was signed between San Diego Zoo and China’s Wildlife Conservation Association in February 2024 that paved the way for Chinese giant pandas to return to the US by the end of the summer. But this is far more …
England Rugby captain’s decision to prioritise mental health could inspire more athletes to do the same: Many elite athletes still find it difficult to speak out about their mental health. Marco Iacobucci Epp/ Shutterstock England Rugby Union captain Owen Farrell recently announced he was deciding to step away from international duties. The 32-year-old said his …
Rishi Sunak’s decision to bring back David Cameron has distracted us all for now, but the long-term strategy is flawed: Number 10/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND Former prime minister David Cameron’s return as foreign secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government was surprising, to say the least. Only four former prime ministers have gone on to serve again in …
Russia’s decision to ditch cold war arms limitation treaty raises tensions with Nato: Russia has pulled out of an important cold war-era treaty which limited categories of conventional military equipment that Nato and the then-Warsaw Pact could deploy. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) was intended to use the warming of …
What the decision to curtail HS2 and embrace cars means for the UK’s cities: If you consider the decision by the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, to cancel phase two of the high-speed rail project, HS2 in the context of the government’s growing pro-car stance, the potential ramifications for the country are profound. Steve Tuckwell’s …
Le retrait de la France du Niger est une mauvaise décision : voici trois raisons: Après environ deux mois de querelles entre la France et le nouveau régime militaire au Niger, le président Emmanuel Macron a finalement décidé, le 24 septembre, de rappeler l’ambassadeur de France et de retirer les forces militaires françaises du Niger. …
France’s decision to leave Niger was a bad move: three reasons why: After about two months of wrangling between France and the new military regime in Niger, President Emmanuel Macron finally decided, on 24 September, to withdraw the French ambassador and pull out French military forces from Niger. This was a U-turn. Only four weeks …
Mexican court ruling upholding women’s right to abortion shows global trend better than US Roe v Wade decision: It may surprise you to learn that, over the past 30 years, no fewer than 60 countries have liberalised their abortion laws while only four have rolled back abortion rights. The United States is, of course, one …
Russia’s disastrous decision to invade Poland in 1920 has parallels with Putin’s rhetoric over Ukraine: Polish defences near Milosna, west of Warsaw, August 1920. Wikimedia Commons From the beginning, Russia has framed its invasion of Ukraine as necessary for the defence of the country. According to Vladimir Putin, Nato’s deliberate and aggressive encroachment into a …
Kenya’s logging ban has been lifted – it’s a political decision and a likely setback for conservation: A scout from Kenya's forest protection unit walks past mangrove tree stumps in Malindi. Simon Maina/AFP via Getty Images Kenyan president William Ruto has lifted a six-year ban on logging, despite public objections. Ruto said it would create …
Sinn Féin at the coronation: how to understand Michelle O’Neill’s decision to attend King Charles’s big day: Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill’s acceptance of the offer to attend the coronation of King Charles III may come a surprise to some. It is standard protocol for such an invitation to be made to all significant …
We need to discuss what jobs robots should do, before the decision is made for us: Shutterstock / Frame Stock Footage The social separation imposed by the pandemic led us to rely on technology to an extent we might never have imagined – from Teams and Zoom to online banking and vaccine status apps. Now, …
The decision to ditch the UK’s Department for International Trade is testament to the failure of Brexit: Shutterstock/ratlos The move to merge the UK government’s departments of trade and business has been likened by one journalist to rearranging the deckchairs on a sinking ship. But it is in fact a significant moment in the country’s …
COVID vaccines: why the UK needs to rethink its decision to stop boosters for young and healthy people: AnnaStills/Shutterstock The UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recently recommended that the current autumn booster campaign, offering additional COVID vaccine doses to higher-risk groups, including people with certain medical conditions and those aged over 50, …
Janusz Walus and parole for prisoners serving life sentences in South Africa: the weaknesses of the court’s decision: Protesters demonstrate outside the high court in Cape Town against parole for Janusz Walus. Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images The murder of Chris Hani, a South African liberation struggle hero, by Janusz Walus on 10 April …