S-RM spoke to Paul Padman, Deputy Head of Crisis Response, about some of the global trends in kidnapping, political evacuations and wrongful detention cases, and to hear about some of the key considerations for S-RM’s Crisis Response team when they are working on a live case.
2024 will play host to some 40 national elections across the globe. In such a standout election year, S-RM’s Strategic Intelligence team delves into the trends shaping the world of politics and their impact on key ballots in the US, South Africa, India and elsewhere.
Protests against the fossil fuels industry in Europe are becoming more assertive and more frequent, as the appetite for a “fair” energy transition grows. Diana Diaz-Valdes Teran examines some of the protest risks increasingly affecting the sector, including legal action, shareholder activism, and infrastructure sabotage.
Warfare between states has undergone a continuous evolution; from first, second and third generation warfare which comprised traditional combat, to the fourth generation characterised by the growing involvement of non-state actors like terrorist groups, through to the fifth and current generation (5GW) driven by the digital age and a ubiquitous battlefield…
Governments continue to face destabilising protests brought on by the lingering socio-economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the ongoing impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. S-RM’s Strategic Intelligence team highlights the countries likely to become (or remain) hotspots for unrest in the coming months.
As a crackdown on high-profile gang leaders in Venezuela continues, entrenched socio-economic problems and a long history of security policy failures show that tackling organised crime in the country is a Herculean task, writes Agnieszka Palutkiewicz.
Facing a growing political crisis, a stagnant economy, and a grinding Covid-19 outbreak, beleaguered Brazil now confronts another challenge. After years of relative dormancy, Felix Cook examines how so-called ‘express kidnappings’ are being fuelled by the unforeseen consequences of new technology and the country’s fraying social fabric.
The S-RM Analysis Team looks at how the threat of kidnapping and extortion is likely to have changed with the heralding of a new Taliban government in Afghanistan.
Russia’s apparent reduced willingness to pursue military options in its neighbourhood suggests a shift in how it conducts its foreign policy. Cvete Koneska argues that this should not be read as a sign of Russia in retreat; instead, we can expect Russia to employ a more diverse toolbox to achieve its foreign policy objectives.
President Joe Biden’s administration will yield a more predictable foreign policy approach than the erratic decisions made under former president Donald Trump. However, Trump has left a complicated legacy, and Biden will need to make amends with former US allies.
Many government agencies around the world are now better prepared to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic than they were early in 2020, but the virus is far from contained, and the strain on resources and supply chains is easily exacerbated when natural disaster strikes. Cvete Koneska explains how the confluence of the pandemic and the onset of natural disasters…
Paul Whelan’s arrest and subsequent conviction for espionage in Russia has raised concerns over the use of detention as a tool for political manoeuvring on the international arena. Cvete Koneska argues that Russia’s recent record suggests foreign nationals visiting the country will face a growing risk of wrongful detention.