A recent spate of kidnappings targeting wealthy cryptocurrency businesspeople and social media influencers in France has raised concerns that this is less an isolated phenomenon, and more an emerging threat that faces the global crypto industry, writes Tamsin Hunt.
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,…
Extortion syndicates have increasingly been targeting mining companies in South Africa, deploying a mix of old and newer tactics. Neo Tsotetsi examines these dynamics.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.…
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.
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.
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…
Difficulties in navigating varying policy positions among the largest parties in South Africa’s unity government have highlighted the significant challenges facing the coalition. In the absence of a mechanism to handle these disputes, political infighting looks likely to persist, writes Shannon Lorimer.