Regions
  • ARTICLES

    Captives and compromise: Wrongful detention amid the Taliban’s push for recognition

    The recent releases of four US nationals detained in Afghanistan has shone a spotlight on the Taliban’s efforts to engage with the international community and achieve formal recognition for its regime. There remain significant hurdles to engaging with the Taliban, however, and foreign travellers and businesspeople continue to face extreme scrutiny,… 

  • ARTICLES

    No safe passage: the growing threats facing aid workers

    In May, the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC) released its annual report, highlighting a sharp rise in violence against healthcare organisations and workers in conflict zones. Richard Gardiner explores the underlying drivers of this trend and argues that the SHCC’s findings reflect deeper concerns about the state of the aid sector as… 

  • ARTICLES

    Blood in the water: Joseph Kabila’s unsettling return to Congo

    Former president Joseph Kabila’s return to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in April in the M23-controlled city of Goma, North Kivu, coincides with the government’s crackdown on pro-Kabila dissent, further complicating efforts to address the country’s persistent security challenges, writes Neo Tsotetsi.

  • ARTICLES

    Unchecked power: The politicisation of justice

    Mexico’s judicial reforms have the potential to politicise judges and undermine the rule of law, weakening the country’s already fragile judicial institutions. These moves hand the ruling party more influence, and threaten further demonstrations, decreased investor confidence and political instability, writes Shannon Lorimer.

  • ARTICLES

    Dangerous divides: The evolving threat of extremism in the US

    A recent spate of politically motivated attacks in the US – including the killing of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington, DC – underscores the complex threat posed by extremist actors. Richard Gardiner argues that a combination of domestic and external factors is driving a diverse range of actors to carry out such attacks.

  • ARTICLES

    The US-Ukraine minerals deal: Implications and considerations for US investors

    On 30 April, US and Ukrainian representatives signed a bilateral minerals deal, securing an alliance for Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia. However, its skirting of security guarantees changes little on the ground for Ukraine, and sustains uncertainty over whether the investments it seeks to entice will turn a timely profit, writes Neo Tsotetsi.… 

  • ARTICLES

    Upping the ante: Escalating tensions between Pakistan and India

    The May 2025 cross-border clashes between India and Pakistan marked the most serious escalation between the long-time adversaries since the 1999 Kargil War. Tamsin Hunt examines the hardening positions on both sides, and the expanding pressure tactics that will drive tensions in the coming years.

  • ARTICLES

    Statecraft or criminality? Iran’s covert operations and proxy networks in Europe

    While Iran has long used proxies to advance its strategic objectives in the Middle East, it has increasingly leveraged relationships with criminal networks to advance its objectives on European soil, allowing for plausible deniability while avoiding a costly military confrontation at home, write Richard Gardiner and Shannon Lorimer.

  • ARTICLES

    Rocking the boat: The Houthis’ defiance and disruption

    Between March and May 2025, the US conducted a sustained campaign of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, while Iran signalled its intention to reduce its support for the group. Despite these developments – including a recent ceasefire agreement with the US – Richard Gardiner argues that the Houthis will continue to pose a threat to both regional…