Dossiers

Rare Earth Magnets: Who Makes Them, and What China’s Export Pause Covers

Where rare earth magnets begin: aerial view of the Mountain Pass open-pit mine and plant, California

Rare earth magnets run EVs, wind turbines, drones and missiles. See who makes them, what China’s export controls cover and who is building alternatives.

Can You Refuse Facial Recognition at Home in China?

Illustrative residential gate with a hand presenting an access card beside a facial-recognition terminal, and an open path to an apartment entrance.

China’s rules protect alternatives to facial entry. Examine residential enforcement, consent limits and complaint routes—and what remains unverified.

When Aadhaar Authentication Fails: Rajasthan’s Ration Safeguards

Conceptual illustration of a fingerprint reader beside a bowl of wheat and transaction slips at a Rajasthan ration-shop counter.

Understand Rajasthan’s ration safeguards, the complaint and appeal route, and why an authentication result does not prove food was received.

If America Stands Back: NATO, Article 5 and the War Europe Could Be Forced to Fight Alone

NATO troops and warships on a coastline beneath a torn NATO flag, with US and European symbols and a wall reading Article 5: Strength Through Unity, in a conceptual illustration about transatlantic defence commitment.

What happens to NATO’s Article 5 if the US won’t fight? The enablers gap, the $1 trillion shortfall, and four scenarios raised by Sky’s The Wargame.

GUGI Undersea Cable Sabotage Plot: What the Evidence Shows

AI-generated illustration of a luminous cable crossing a dark Arctic seabed beneath an icy horizon.

What is the GUGI undersea cable sabotage plot? Trace the Svalbard report, official statements and the evidence behind the alleged Russian capability.

Six Months Under Mojtaba Khamenei: Who Actually Rules Iran?

Six months after Ali Khamenei was killed, Mojtaba formally rules Iran. The evidence shows a harder security state — but not who holds the final word.

2010s — The Algorithmic Era

A lone silhouetted figure stands at the center of a glowing corridor of data, surrounded by bright blue and amber digital streams, floating interface panels, and a futuristic city-like grid, representing the rise of algorithmic systems and machine-driven control.

Ranking and recommendation systems shape exposure. Effects vary by platform, data, design and user context.

2000’s — The Security Reset

Security institutions and screening systems expanded materially. Scope, legality and effectiveness remain programme-specific.

Middle East Escalation: Who Lit the Fuse — and Who Walks Away?

Investigative editorial cover showing a classified-style Middle East escalation map with Hormuz shipping lanes, military markers, redacted documents, and energy risk overlays.

The sequence is documentable; responsibility, intent and durable settlement remain contested across interested parties and dated reports.

1990s — The Internet Era

The Web expanded public access while law, profiling and communications security evolved beside it. Parallel change is not proof of one master plan.

1980s — Corporate Intelligence

The Corporate Intelligence record shows directives, contractors and unofficial channels interacting with formal institutions. It does not establish that corporations replaced the state.

1970s Surveillance Architecture

1970s surveillance architecture is the legal and institutional framework that emerged after the United States exposed intelligence abuses by the CIA, FBI, NSA, IRS, and other federal agencies. The decade did not end surveillance power. It converted scandal into procedure, executive restraint, permanent congressional oversight, classified courts, and recurring renewal battles.