In the United States alone, sports betting generated nearly USD 14 billion in revenue in 2024. Gambling ads and logos now saturate many major sports broadcasts, while clubs and leagues sign multi-million dollar deals with betting companies. How did gambling become so entrenched in sports, and why is so little being done to address it? ©“Sports Betting at a Las Vegas Casino” by Baishampayan Ghose. Licensed by CC BY-SA 2.0 Manufactured Addiction ​ While gambling has long been

There are growing tensions between the United States and China. A crisis over Taiwan no longer seems unthinkable. In this hostile environment, will the Strait of Malacca be the deciding factor in whether the cooler heads will prevail? ©“150321-N-LX437-771” by Naval Surface Warriors. Licensed by CC BY-SA 2.0 The “Malacca Dilemma" In November 2003, Chinese President Hu Jintao coined the term “Malacca Dilemma". This term referred to China’s over-reliance on the Malacca Strait

©“Bucha. Faces of War. - Ukraine War Photo Exhibition 2023” by Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed byCC BY 2.0 In his speeches, Vladimir Putin portrays the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a national struggle that unites all the Russian people. Yet Putin’s claims do not hold up under closer scrutiny. In reality, Russia has increasingly relied on poverty as a key recruitment tool both within and outside its borders. Russia weaponises poverty by turning economic despera

In collaboration with Angèle Doray While consumption may seem like an individual issue on the surface, it is prompted by a much larger imperative of our economic system: to always keep growing. Yet today we can take the initiative to embrace a sharing economy, away from the profit-incentive and with community at its heart. ©cottonbro studio via Pexels For a moment, imagine you are French. Emblematic of your love for your national cuisine, you own a raclette machine used for t

©"In the Mood for Love by Zeynep Reis" by @zeiarte A familiar scene in modern dating: two people like each other, spend time together, text constantly, tell their friends about one another, and may even be sexually involved. Yet when the familiar question arises: “So… what are we?” Neither has a clear answer. They are not strangers, but they are not quite in a relationship either. In recent years, this ambiguous state has acquired a name: the situationship. A situationship i

©Terrance Barksdale via Pexels Zbrojovka (pronounced [ˈzbrojofka]) means an arsenal or arms factory in Czech: from the verb zbrojit, meaning to arm, and suffix -ovka, which indicates a noun and/or a place. The land that is now the Czech Republic has been known for arms production since before World War I. Yet, the industrial base struggled to adapt to the geopolitical shifts of the late 20th century. Recently, however, the Czech defence industry has returned to the global sta

Beyond its sun-drenched islands and remarkable history, Greece spent over a decade defined otherwise: unsustainable debt, everlasting unemployment, and a dormant economy. The country was not well-equipped to endure the consequences of the global financial crisis after a prolonged period of borrowing and excessive ( yet unproductive ) spending. Deep structural issues turned a blind eye to tax evasion and allowed for the misreporting of national statistics, resulting in the ine

The global oil market is experiencing a severe supply shock, with crude oil prices surging to multi-year highs due to growing risk of disrupted energy flows. Since the U.S., Israel and Iran war began, oil and gold prices have been extremely volatile.

The Masters Tournament is annually held at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It is one of the biggest yearly golf events in the world. This year, Rory McIlroy defended his title in a thrilling tournament. Despite its size, there are no domestic TV rights fees, no course signage, and only six sponsors. So how does Augusta make money, and why do the organisers choose to limit their profits? © "Tuesday practice rounds for the Masters. The 2015 Master

Cotos Station in 2023, 2nd December © Finales de otoño by CARLOS TEIXIDOR CADENAS . Licensed by CC BY 4.0 Spain: the land of tourism, olive oil, and jamon. Apart from its unmatched cuisine and stunning Mediterranean beaches, Spain is also renowned for its excellent railway infrastructure. It has the second largest high-speed railway system in the world, with approximately 4000 kilometres of high-speed rail. The only country ahead of Spain is China, which is 19 times larger

© Symbolic - Euro coins by European Union , 2023. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 Macron’s call for joint European Debt brought immediate pushback from Germany . The reasoning is familiar: fears that the German taxpayer will have to pay for the French pensioner. These sentiments are shared by fiscally conservative EU states such as Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Denmark. In light of strained ties with the United States, Europe’s interdependence has come into focus, highli

The notion that the length of a person’s fingers could predict success in financial trading may seem surprising, yet it has received serious attention in academic research and financial media. Specifically, the ratio between the index and ring fingers, known as the 2D:4D digit ratio, is often connected to performance among professional traders. This ratio apparently reflects exposure to testosterone before birth, which may influence traits such as risk-taking, competitiveness

President Donald Trump, flanked by Vice President JD Vance and FIFA President Gianni Infantino 2025, 22 August. © “P20250822DT-0216” by The White House, United States Government Work The World Cup is less than four months away, but several American host cities still doubt they will have enough financial resources to accommodate this sporting spectacle, as they estimate substantial monetary losses. Is the world's biggest sporting event economically beneficial for h

During the Winter Olympics in Milan, one country stands above the rest: Norway. With a total of 41 Olympic medals, of which 18 are gold. The USA follows with 33 medals, of which only 12 are gold. This isn’t something out of the ordinary for Norway. Moreover, they have won their third consecutive Winter Olympics. Of course, Norway has snow and mountains, which would be the easiest explanation of this occurrence. However, multiple more populous countries have similar conditions

After hours of searching, you stumble upon an entry-level position that appears to be the perfect match. You write a motivation letter, upload your crisp CV, and wait… Then, you wait even longer. After a couple of weeks, it becomes clear that you won't be getting this job. To add insult to injury, this entire process occurred without a single email from the company. © Glendora Hyundai on flickr.com . No changes were made. Licensed by CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 What has happened to you?