Regions
  • ARTICLES

    At the Coal Face: Direct Action as Environmental Protest

    The unprecedented number of climate protests and strikes in 2019 coincided with an increase in disruptive activities by environmental organisations. Protest actions by these groups have in many instances caused property damage or interruptions to commercial activities, whether through the blocking of roads to disrupt traffic, storming of mines to prevent… 

  • ARTICLES

    Braving the High Seas: Threats to Commercial Shipping

    Piracy, terrorism and geopolitical tensions have presented persistent threats to commercial shipping in 2019. Despite states’ increased focus on securing shipping routes, the overall number of maritime incidents continues to fluctuate, and has declined only marginally over the past year.

  • ARTICLES

    Travel Troubles: Emerging Crime Trends in the Tourism Sector

    In 2019, there were an average of more than 9,700 aircrafts in the air – transporting over 1.2 million people – at any given moment. As international travel often brings passengers to new destinations, they may face unfamiliar security dynamics. In fact, in 2019, 68 percent of tourists ranked security threats as their primary concern – above geopolitical… 

  • ARTICLES

    Lessons Learned: Active Assailant Attacks in Schools

    Active assailant incidents, in which the attacker targets their victims in an arbitrary manner, understandably attract high levels of media attention when they occur at schools. While several such incidents have taken place in recent years including in 2019, they continue to be relatively rare occurrences.

  • ARTICLES

    Held to Ransom: Kidnapping and Extortion in the Extractive Sector

    The extractive industry – including mining, oil and gas exploration, dredging and quarrying – is one of the most vulnerable to kidnapping and extortion. Looking ahead to 2020, these industries’ often remote operating locations with limited rule of law, and the perception of industry actors as lucrative targets, are likely to persist as key factors contributing… 

  • ARTICLES

    2019: A Watershed Year for Global Environmental Activism

    Incidents of mass mobilisation over environmental issues such as climate change gained significant global traction in 2019. Inspired by environmental activists such as Greta Thunberg and organisations such as Extinction Rebellion, millions of school learners, university students, activists and supporters have been organising protests and strikes across… 

  • ARTICLES

    UPDATE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

    Over the last three weeks, an outbreak of coronavirus that was first reported in the area of Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China has escalated into a topic of international concern.

  • ARTICLES

    UPDATE: CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

    Over the last two weeks, an outbreak of coronavirus that was first reported in the area of Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China has escalated into a topic of international concern.

  • ARTICLES

    The match in the powder barrel: Chile's unexpected outrage

    Violent demonstrations and widespread anger over perceived socio-economic inequalities have driven the most disruptive period of unrest in Chile in the past 30 years. Erin Drake considers the potential for these demonstrations to descend into a sustained insurrection against the Sebastián Piñera government.

  • ARTICLES

    Lebanon's "WhatsApp Revolution": No new taxes

    The largest anti-government protest campaign since 2015 has taken the ruling establishment by surprise, and may have significant implications for Lebanese political stability, writes Saif Islam.