Regions
  • ARTICLES

    Sealing the Deal: The Evolving Landscape of US Detentions in Russia

    The release of Marc Fogel from Russian detention in February came as the new US administration ramped up efforts to secure the return of detained Americans held abroad and recalibrate its approach to Russia. Richard Gardiner examines how these policy shifts under President Donald Trump could shape the future of wrongful detentions of US nationals in… 

  • ARTICLES

    Crime crackdown: President Sheinbaum ramps up operations against cartels

    In tackling the country’s persistently high levels of violent crime, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has intensified security operations led by the military. This marks a publicised departure from the ‘hugs not bullets’ approach of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), although its success is not guaranteed, writes Shannon Lorimer.… 

  • ARTICLES

    Testing the travel spirit: The global implications of US foreign policy

    As geopolitical sands shift amid the new US administration’s realignment of its domestic and foreign policy agenda, the global travel sector faces some uncertainty over the direct and potentially slower-to-emerge implications for travel safety. Saif Islam and Erin Drake consider what these implications may look like over the coming year.

  • ARTICLES

    Europe on its own: Challenges in achieving security independence

    US President Donald Trump’s ‘America first’ policies and threats to withdraw from NATO have highlighted the urgency for European countries to decrease their reliance on US military support. However, significant challenges remain in realising security independence, write Neo Tsotetsi and Shannon Lorimer.

  • ARTICLES

    Aid under the spotlight: The shifting landscape of US foreign aid

    US President Donald Trump’s executive order pausing foreign aid has highlighted the global reliance on US funding as the new administration moves to streamline government spending. While concerns over the effectiveness of international aid and calls for reform are not new, Richard Gardiner examines how the sudden US policy shift will impact regions… 

  • ARTICLES

    Clashes in Catatumbo: The unravelling of ‘Total Peace’ in Colombia

    The collapse of a longstanding truce in January between factions of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia dissident group and the Ejército de Liberación Nacional prompted a surge in violence in Catatumbo Region. The fighting has exposed certain shortcomings in President Gustavo Petro’s approach to conflict resolution and will likely prompt… 

  • ARTICLES

    Proposals for Palestine: The implications for Egypt and Jordan

    The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has coincided with US President Donald Trump introducing a plan for “owning” Gaza, which would entail the displacement of Palestinians to neighbouring countries. Such an event would have far-reaching political, social, and security repercussions for the region, but particularly for Egypt and Jordan, writes Tamsin Hunt.… 

  • ARTICLES

    Seismic shifts: Elections drive uncertainty around political change and (in)stability | Political Violence Special Edition 2025

    With significant changes in governments across several elections in 2024, and similar shifts likely in upcoming polls in 2025, voters have signalled a desire to hold governments accountable in addressing political and economic grievances. Neo Tsotetsi discusses the implications for political and commercial stability as new governments settle into their…