States are increasingly using the past to shape the present. New research by Matthew Redhead (RUSI) examines how historical narratives, archival material and reputations can be manipulated as part of wider information and influence operations. The briefing explores tactics ranging from selective archival releases and forgeries to historical fiction, film and emerging technologies such as generative AI and deepfakes, and considers what this means for information integrity and the resilience of democratic societies.

What does the green transition look like at the point where its critical minerals are extracted? New research by Dr Patrick Meehan (University of Manchester), Dan Seng Lawn (KRC), Dr Xu Peng (University of Manchester / SOAS CIVAD) and Professor Jonathan Goodhand (SOAS, University of London) explores this question through rare earth mining in Myanmar’s Kachin State. The research examines how a conflict-affected borderland has become integral to global supply chains, and how extraction is shaped by armed conflict, territorial struggles, livelihoods and local contestation.

Dr Xu Peng, a researcher on the SOC ACE project "The Centrality of the Margins," has submitted written evidence to the UK Parliament's Business and Trade Committee inquiry on China and the UK economy, examining how shell companies, opaque capital and scam-linked assets exploit UK commercial channels, and how enforcement gaps can be addressed.