Proton CEO Andy Yen is doubling down on his warning that democracy is under threat from Big Tech’s surveillance capitalism and its cozy ties to government power—especially in the United States. In a wide-ranging interview, Yen criticized tech giants like Google for turning users into commodities and enabling mass surveillance, saying, “Anything you give to Big Tech, you’re also giving to the US government.” He contrasted this with Proton’s privacy-first model, which uses end-to-end encryption and is structurally protected by a Swiss nonprofit foundation. Yen argued that privacy is not a luxury, but a democratic necessity—especially in authoritarian-leaning environments. With Proton’s services seeing surges during crackdowns in places like Turkey, he underscored the critical role of encrypted platforms in defending press freedom and civil liberties. His rejection of encryption backdoors as “technically impossible” and “a permanent weakening” adds to growing concerns that governments, both democratic and authoritarian, are exploiting fears of crime and extremism to justify digital control. At a time when tech monopolies blur the lines between state surveillance and private profit, Yen’s call to build an independent, user-first internet is a timely counteroffensive.

China has launched large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, just hours after Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te returned from a foreign trip. The drills, involving the navy, air force, and missile units, were described by Beijing as a "strong punishment" for what it called Lai’s “separatist acts,” with a Chinese military spokesperson labeling the democratically elected president a “parasite.” The exercises include simulated strikes on key Taiwanese infrastructure and have raised immediate concerns of escalation across the Taiwan Strait. These drills serve as both psychological warfare and a rehearsal for a potential blockade or military assault, showcasing China’s growing readiness to project force beyond the first island chain. The intensity and timing signal Beijing’s intent to deter foreign support for Taiwan, especially from the U.S. and Japan. With cross-strait tensions at a boiling point, such exercises raise the risk of miscalculation, and demonstrate how China is using its military as a tool of coercion to challenge the regional security order.

The death of Andrei Kotov, a travel agency owner arrested under Russia’s expanding anti-LGBTQ+ laws, has spotlighted the intensifying repression of LGBTQ+ people in the country. Kotov, who was beaten during his arrest and later charged with running a gay-oriented agency and producing child abuse material—allegations he denied—was found dead in his prison cell. Authorities claimed it was suicide, though his lawyer disputes this and notes no prior signs of suicidal behavior. Since Russia's Supreme Court labeled the international LGBTQ+ movement an “extremist organization” in 2023, raids on nightclubs, arbitrary detentions, and smear campaigns have surged. Under Putin’s regime, LGBTQ+ identity is increasingly criminalized, vilified as a threat to “traditional values,” and equated with terrorism, driving a climate of fear and exile. The crackdown is both a tool of domestic repression and part of Putin’s broader ideological narrative that links national identity to rigid gender norms and opposition to Western liberalism—deepening authoritarian control through social scapegoating.

Mass protests have erupted across Indonesia against recent amendments to the National Armed Forces Law (TNI Law), which allow active-duty military officers to hold civilian government positions—a move critics say dangerously echoes the authoritarian "dual function" doctrine of the Suharto era. Demonstrations in at least 21 cities have been met with violent crackdowns, intimidation, and arrests, as students and civil society groups warn that both the TNI Law and a proposed Police Law risk eroding Indonesia's democratic progress by militarizing civilian governance and suppressing free expression. The integration of military personnel into civilian government undermines the separation of powers and threatens Indonesia’s post-Reformasi democratic order. The growing role of security forces in policymaking and surveillance—combined with escalating violence against protesters and journalists—signals a shift toward securitized governance. If unchecked, these legal changes could entrench a new form of military authoritarianism cloaked in legality, reversing decades of hard-won democratic reform and destabilizing civil-military relations across the archipelago.

South Sudan is on the brink of renewed civil war, with escalating tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar threatening the fragile peace established by the 2018 agreement. The recent arrest of Machar has intensified fears of a return to widespread conflict. ​The 2018 peace deal, which aimed to end the five-year civil war that claimed approximately 400,000 lives, is now under severe strain. Machar's detention has led his party to declare the agreement's collapse, citing a lack of political goodwill towards peace and stability. ​In response to the escalating crisis, the United Nations has warned of the potential for the country to descend back into civil war, urging political leaders to prioritize national interests and engage in constructive dialogue. ​The international community is closely monitoring the situation, with countries like the United Kingdom advising their nationals to leave South Sudan due to the deteriorating security conditions. ​The power struggle between Kiir and Machar, rooted in deep-seated ethnic divisions, has been a persistent source of instability since South Sudan's independence in 2011. The current crisis underscores the urgent need for renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent a relapse into full-scale conflict.

President Trump has threatened to use secondary tariffs to pressure Iran into abandoning its nuclear program and other activities. While direct U.S.-Iran trade is negligible, secondary tariffs could severely impact Iran’s economy by targeting countries that trade with Iran, penalizing their exports to the U.S. if they continue doing business with Tehran. Since about 83% of Iran’s non-oil exports go to countries like China, Turkey, the UAE, and India—all major U.S. trade partners—this strategy could be highly disruptive. The risk for Iran is twofold: a potential collapse in its sanctioned exports and the unraveling of its rebranding and re-exporting schemes via partner nations. Trump’s approach could successfully leverage global economic interdependence to isolate Iran further, especially given the discrepancies in trade data that reveal widespread efforts to disguise Iranian origin goods. With most of Iran’s exports tied up in petrochemicals, metals, and LPG, the U.S. could strategically target a narrow band of products to inflict maximum damage with minimal global disruption

A new report has uncovered a growing trend of European drug syndicates exporting large quantities of MDMA (ecstasy) to Latin America in exchange for cocaine. Rather than paying cash, traffickers are bartering synthetic drugs produced in Europe (particularly the Netherlands and Belgium), for Colombian and Peruvian cocaine, which is then smuggled back to Europe for resale. This shift highlights the increasing sophistication and globalization of narcotrafficking networks, as well as the deepening ties between European and Latin American criminal enterprises. The barter system also helps traffickers avoid financial surveillance and laundering risks. Authorities warn the trend could further destabilize Latin American communities already ravaged by drug violence while reinforcing Europe's status as both a major consumer and producer in the global drug trade.