Friday 12 June 2026 The war in Ukraine has now lasted longer than the First World War. When Russian forces launched their full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, many observers predicted that Kyiv would fall within days and that organised Ukrainian resistance would collapse within weeks. More than four years later, not only has Ukraine survived, but she has transformed herself into one of the most militarily innovative nations in modern history. The conflict has become a gri

Friday 12 June 2026 The 2026 FIFA World Cup was supposed to be a celebration of football’s universal appeal. Instead it has become one of the most politically charged sporting events in modern history. Long before the first ball was kicked in Mexico City, arguments about immigration, border controls, human rights, geopolitical conflict, trade disputes and national identity had already begun to overshadow discussion of tactics, players and results. What was once marketed as a

Friday 12 June 2026 For much of the twentieth century, philosophy appeared to many people to be in retreat. The sciences seemed to be conquering ever-larger territories of knowledge. Physics explained the structure of matter. Biology explained the evolution of life. Psychology sought to explain the human mind. Economics attempted to model collective behaviour. Computers promised to mechanise calculation and logic. In an age of specialisation, philosophy often appeared to be a

Friday 12 June 2026 One of the more striking features of modern Russia is the extent to which war has become not merely a geopolitical instrument but also an economic system. Throughout history wars have created winners as well as losers. While soldiers die, civilians suffer and states exhaust themselves in military campaigns, there are often individuals who accumulate extraordinary fortunes from the machinery of conflict. Contemporary Russia is no exception. The Russian inva

Friday 12 June 2026 One of the most striking political developments of the modern era has been the relentless growth of government. Whether measured by public expenditure, regulatory complexity, administrative personnel or the number of aspects of life subject to official supervision, the state has expanded dramatically across almost every developed society. Two thinkers from very different intellectual traditions sought to explain this phenomenon. Michel Foucault approached