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Research brings into question prosecution of foreign fighters in Russia
New Edith Cowan University (ECU) research has questioned the legality of Russia's decision to label and prosecute foreign fighters that have been enlisted into the Ukrainian International Legion of Territorial Defence (ILTG), as mercenaries.... Read more
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Sustainability and climate education are 'vital for green jobs,' say experts
As the new U.K. government begins its stated mission to "rebuild Britain," a group of education and climate experts is calling for sustainability and climate education to be at the heart of its priorities.... Read more
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Viewpoint: Treatment of activists at Olympics contradicts sustainability
With the Paris Olympics fast approaching under the shadow of the climate crisis, activists and advocates continue to raise questions about the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) commitment to one of three pillars of the Olympic Agenda: sustainability.... Read more
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Understanding the state of liberal societies: Researchers release open-access dataset to the public
Liberal societies are under pressure worldwide: internally eroded by right-wing populist electoral victories and growing economic inequality, externally challenged by the power play of autocratic governments.... Read more
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Sudan is now confronting its most severe food security crisis on record
After 14 months of escalating internal conflict, Sudan is now confronting its most severe food security crisis on record. The latest situation report, released on 27 June, reveals a grim picture: more than half the population of 47.2 million is facing acute food insecurity. This signifies severe lack of food,... Read more
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Study of key characteristics of UK politicians reveals 'ambition, narcissism, genuine idealism' among common traits
In a new study of politicians' personalities, humor, charm and raw courage are listed among the most important character traits for successful leaders.... Read more
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The exit poll: What is it, how is it made and how did it become such an accurate prediction of election results?
The first big moment on election night in the UK, after polls close, happens at 10pm sharp. This is when the exit poll is released and the media commentary floodgates are reopened after a day of media silence, according to broadcasting rules.... Read more
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A new Australian bill is proposing a human right to housing: How would this work?
There's a new bill before federal parliament calling for housing to be considered a fundamental human right.... Read more
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Motivated to disagree: What can be learned about rapid polarization from the Israeli judicial reform?
A recent study, conducted in the midst of last year's widespread protests in Israel, has uncovered extreme polarization in public opinion regarding the judicial reform introduced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.... Read more
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How to spot AI fake content—and what policymakers can do to help stop it
Earlier this year, New Hampshire voters received a phone message that sounded like President Joe Biden, discouraging them to vote in the state's primary election. The voice on the line, however, was not really Biden's—it was a robocall created with artificial intelligence (AI) to deceptively mimic the president.... Read more
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Study examines online intimidation targeting state election administrators
In the lead-up to the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, Arizona's chief election officer Katie Hobbs received far more harassing messages on Twitter than any of her counterparts in other states. More than 30% of all tweets directed at her, along with commentators on her posts, fell into the "most aggressive"... Read more
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Study claims governments should account for public attitudes before communicating crisis policies
Research published in the International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development has found that our feelings and attitudes during times of crises affect our behavior and that during globally testing times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, governments should make themselves fully aware of this prior to communicating with the public on the... Read more
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Deadly crowd crush at Indian religious gathering shows how dangerous leaving an event can be
A catastrophe involving large crowds at a religious gathering in northern India July 2 resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people, with many more injured.... Read more
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Britain's first AI politician claims he will bring trust back to politics—putting him to the test
Political parties often like to say their candidates are different from the rest, but Smarter UK's really is, because he isn't human—he's a creation of artificial intelligence (AI). The new political party believes its candidate, AI Steve, can put trust back into politics, at a time when trust has reached... Read more
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Prosocial influencers can promote societal cooperation
A modeling study suggests that influential neighbors can be as effective as despotic leaders at promoting social cooperation. Prosocial behaviors can be difficult to sustain in large societies over the long term, as people give into the temptation to defect to strategies that prioritize the well-being of themselves and their... Read more
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Q&A: Guns and domestic abuse: Supreme Court upholds longstanding, lifesaving ban
The U.S. Supreme Court recently decided U.S. v. Rahimi, ruling 8 to 1 to uphold the constitutionality of a 30-year-old federal law that prevents people with domestic violence protection orders from possessing firearms.... Read more
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Researcher finds police killings can discourage engagement with local government
Following police killings, residents of the surrounding community are less likely to engage with their local government, according to a new study co-authored by a University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher.... Read more
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Why politicians may find it hard to understand ordinary voters
The 2024 election has seen party leaders strain to present themselves as being in touch with the struggles ordinary people are facing in the cost of living crisis. And yet they don't appear to be convincing anyone.... Read more
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How politicizing migration harms health
Politicians around the world are increasingly mobilizing anti-immigrant sentiment to garner support and votes—a trend that is especially evident as the US presidential election approaches.... Read more
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In a year of global elections, how do we stop the spread of misinformation? 'Prebunking' is part of the solution
Half the global population are voting in elections in 2024. Many already have. This has prompted concerns about fairness and electoral integrity, particularly with the growth of generative AI. A global tracker has identified dozens of instances of AI-generated misinformation being used in elections so far this year.... Read more
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Gazans' extreme hunger could leave its mark on subsequent generations
As Israel's offensive in Gaza rages on, people across the entire Gaza Strip find themselves in increasingly dire circumstances, with nearly the entire population experiencing high levels of food insecurity, including malnutrition, hunger and starvation. A famine review analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification reported on June 25,... Read more
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US states shape foreign policy amid national China unease, research shows
State-level officials such as governors, state legislators and attorneys general are shaping U.S.-China relations as the two countries navigate a strained geopolitical relationship, according to new research by political scientist Kyle Jaros.... Read more
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Votes at 16 and decent citizenship education could create a politically aware generation
Keir Starmer has pledged that a Labor government would introduce voting for 16- and 17-year-olds in Westminster elections.... Read more
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Young voters have growing power, but broken politics leave them 'fatalistic,' studies find
Young voters from the millennial generation and Gen Z are emerging as the demographic center of power in American politics, but new studies by UC Berkeley researchers find they are fatalistic about critical problems such as economic inequality, climate change and the future of democracy.... Read more
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Is sexuality a private matter? Not for LGBTQI+ asylum seekers
Imagine you're seeking asylum in the Netherlands due to your sexual orientation or gender identity. The immigration authorities might question you about your sexuality. Ph.D. candidate Elias Tissandier-Nasom, who is researching asylum applications submitted by LGBTQI+ children, explains that the process is often degrading and confrontational.... Read more
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Lie-detection AI could provoke people into making careless accusations, researchers warn
Although people lie a lot, they typically refrain from accusing others of lying because of social norms around making false accusations and being polite. But artificial intelligence (AI) could soon shake up the rules.... Read more
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Why people resort to lynching
In late March 2024, an eight-year-old girl went missing in Taxco, a small Mexican town two-and-a-half hours' drive south of Mexico City. Even before the police found the girl's lifeless body, the local community had already identified a woman they suspected of being responsible for the disappearance.... Read more
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When economies falter, governors respond similarly, regardless of party
In today's hyper-partisan environment, do states led by Republican governors have different budgetary priorities than those led by Democrats?... Read more
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Journalism's trust problem is about money, not politics
Journalism faces a credibility crisis. Only 32% of Americans report having "a great deal" or "fair amount" of trust in news reporting—a historical low.... Read more
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Sharing false political information on social media may be associated with positive schizotypy, research suggests
Sharing false political information on social media by users may be associated with aspects of personality such as positive schizotypy, a set of traits including paranoia, suspicion and disrupted thinking patterns. It may also be linked to a motivation to increase awareness according to a study published June 26, 2024... Read more
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Populism can degrade democracy but is on the rise—its causes and how it can be weakened
There's a widespread view that populism is on the rise, from the United States and Turkey to India and Hungary.... Read more
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How to decide how to vote—a psychologist's advice
One of the things I often hear as an emotions researcher is that emotions should not "cloud" people's decisions, that they get in the way, or that they are irrational.... Read more
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Norway's relationship with Russia: The principle of balance between deterrence and reassurance
Norway has a smaller population than Russia, a smaller territory, less military equipment, and no nuclear weapons. Yet, the country has managed to avoid war with its neighbor to the east.... Read more
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US military launched a secret anti-vax campaign in the Philippines—here's why one researcher isn't surprised
Reuters recently published the bombshell report that in the spring of 2020, the US military began a social media disinformation campaign in the Philippines that aimed to undermine China's influence in the country by casting doubt on the effectiveness of the COVID relief aid China had delivered.... Read more
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Violence towards refugee and migrant women often goes undetected. Researchers find a way to help fix that
Recent deaths have highlighted the seriousness of intimate partner violence nationally. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, the number of women killed by partners increased by 28% from 2022 to 2023. While the overall homicide rate remains low, the numbers were decreasing prior to 2022. It's a concerning uptick.... Read more
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Tax the rich, say a majority of adults across 17 G20 countries surveyed
A new survey of adult citizens in 18 of the world's largest economies has revealed majority support for tax reforms and broader political and economic reform. (Not all questions were asked in China, as indicated when findings reference 17 G20 countries.)... Read more
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Study suggests pawn loans compound the pain for many
Australia's pawnbroking industry is too lightly regulated, harming vulnerable consumers and leaving them in greater financial distress, according to new research by the University of Melbourne. The work is available in the University of Queensland Law Journal.... Read more
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Growing rural-urban divide exists only among white Americans
Over the past 30 years, the American political landscape has been characterized by a growing divide between rural and urban voters, almost as if they're on two opposing teams, according to Suzanne Mettler, the John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S).... Read more
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Reframing voting as 'duty to others' could be key to increasing engagement, turnout
Americans have a right to vote, and many view that right as a duty. But is that duty to ourselves—to ensure our individual voice is heard and our interests represented? Or is that duty to others—a duty to our families, our community, our country?... Read more
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Lifesaving and life-changing: The kindness shown to forced migrants during their journeys
Forced migrant survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) have experienced acts of everyday and extraordinary kindness from people they met throughout their journeys, a new study reveals.... Read more
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Festivals can be a powerful force for sustainable lifestyle changes, new research shows
Festivals and mass gatherings can empower and inspire people making lifestyle changes for a sustainable future, according to new research from a vegan festival which suggests the power of these collective experiences may have been underestimated.... Read more
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Most Ukrainians displaced by the war plan to return home when it is safe, research shows
More than 4 million Ukrainians were forced to flee following the invasion of their homeland by Russian forces in February 2022, with the vast majority heading to neighboring countries and other European nations.... Read more
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Only 1 in 3 people enjoy talking about politics—researchers say the reasons are more social than political
One of the cornerstones of liberal democracies is the political debate on how to shape society. However, discussions about politics often lead to frustration or result in a long-term strain on social relationships.... Read more
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Economists reveal the costs of sanctions
What effect do economic sanctions have on the countries affected, such as Russia or Iran? What impact do they have on the sanctioning states? And is there possibly an ideal coalition of sanction partners? Economists from Würzburg, Kiel, Berlin and Bielefeld have analyzed these questions. They have now published their... Read more
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Exploring the relationship between civilians and military organizations through an experiment in Japan
In democracies where civilian control is followed, the power to make crucial decisions, like those of national security, is mainly exercised by elected officials, allowing the citizens who elect them to influence such decisions indirectly. This role can give people a sense of participation in matters of national importance, potentially... Read more
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Is social media fueling political polarization?
Once upon a time, newly minted graduates dreamt of creating online social media that would bring people closer together.... Read more
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Study shows biases undermine diversity efforts in policing
As more organizations attempt to increase the representation of women in traditionally male-dominated occupations (such as engineering, technology or banking), new research from George Washington University professor Jennifer Merluzzi indicates that simply hiring more women into these fields may not make diversity efforts more effective.... Read more
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'Risks of nuclear terrorism are high and growing.' New tools, alliances, renewed focus needed, experts say
For roughly 80 years, the United States has managed the threat of nuclear terrorism through nonproliferation treaties, agency programs, intelligence activities, international monitoring support and more, withstanding the Cold War, the fall of the Soviet Union, and 9/11.... Read more
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Researchers: AI can make African elections more efficient, but trust must be built and proper rules put in place
Time magazine has dubbed 2024 a "super election year". An astonishing 4 billion people are eligible to vote in countries across the world this year. Many are on the African continent, where presidential, parliamentary and general elections have already been held or are set for the latter half of the... Read more
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Opinion: The world no longer needs new fossil fuels, and the UK could lead the way in making them taboo
North Sea oil and gas has become a battleground issue in the UK general election.... Read more