The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, and governments’ ambitions to remain competitive in the field, are facing growing resistance through opposition to data-centre development. Richard Gardiner examines the growing prominence of the issue in North America and Europe, and assesses the commercial implications of a landscape in which major opportunities…
As Congolese authorities and international organisations race to contain the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC, Richard Gardiner argues that reduced global cooperation, funding shortfalls, geopolitical tensions, and the region’s volatile security environment are hampering containment efforts and creating a challenging operating environment for healthcare…
Rapid digital advances and their strategic importance to security and the global economy are occurring amid heightened geopolitical vulnerability while creating major investment opportunities for technology and defence firms. Richard Gardiner assesses how this is reshaping national security policy and what it means for the private sector.
The rapid spread of conflict across the Middle East since February 2026 has spurred widespread travel disruptions amid significant uncertainty. Richard Gardiner reflects on the challenges companies and foreign nationals faced in navigating relocations and evacuations as the conflict escalated, and highlights key considerations around how to prepare…
The war in Iran has plunged the Middle East into a period of instability that is likely to have ripple effects beyond the conflict. Richard Gardiner considers how the current situation has exacerbated existing tensions, and will continue to drive the threat of further instability within the region and abroad.
As political instability and conflict events continue to drive threats to foreign nationals, travellers and commercial operators, Richard Gardiner interviews Paul Padman, S-RM’s Deputy Head of Crisis Response, to discuss recent trends in evacuations, and best practices for companies navigating high-risk environments and volatile situations.
Amid heightened geopolitical tension and rivalry, the ways in which countries compete to secure influence and strategic goals have shifted in recent years. Richard Gardiner explores how conflict dynamics are likely to unfold in 2026, and the implications these may have for commercial operators in key hotspots.
As increased polarisation and public dissatisfaction around a range of policy issues drive political tensions ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections, Richard Gardiner examines factors likely to influence unrest and disruption across the United States (US) in the coming year.
Russia’s grey zone attacks in Europe have surged amid the conflict in Ukraine. This strategy reflects growing tensions between NATO and Russia, but also highlights underlying challenges in responding to Russia’s covert aggression, writes Richard Gardiner.
The fall of Bashar Al Assad has substantially reshaped Syria’s security landscape, with knock-on effects for the country’s illicit economy. Richard Gardiner explores how the new status quo is driving a rise in extortion and kidnapping in some areas, entrenching these activities in others, and the implications for prospective foreign investors.
With kidnapping incidents in Nigeria persisting, Richard Gardiner examines the current dynamics of the crime and highlights emerging trends shaped by the country’s difficult socioeconomic conditions and troubled security landscape.
With member states pledging to increase defence spending, the recent NATO summit could, in many respects, be seen as a success. Yet beneath the surface, significant tensions and unresolved issues persist. Richard Gardiner examines the outcomes of the summit, and the key challenges the alliance is likely to face in the years ahead.