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…
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
Catalonia is in the grip of major political protests following the sentencing of Catalan independence leaders. This latest uproar – at the time when the country is slated for new general elections – threatens to polarise the country’s politics even more, writes Bilal Bassiouni.
While a recent call to remobilise has raised concerns of renewed FARC attacks in Colombia, a return to widescale kidnap for ransom as a source of funding is uncertain. Factionalism within FARC creates ambiguity about the group’s leadership and, as a result, its overall objectives and preferred tactics, writes Lenoy Barkai.
In May 2018, South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known locally as the ‘Hawks’, claimed that at least 20 businesspeople had been kidnapped over the preceding 18 months. At the time, the statistic seemed overwhelming. Up until that point, traditional kidnap for ransom cases were uncommon. Most abduction cases involved children…
From getting caught in natural disasters, being assaulted during public appearances to being robbed of equipment while filming, film and media operators face a variety of security threats. Here, we present some illustrative examples of recent incidents from around the world, and offer practical advice on minimising security risks for the film and media…
Some recent high-profile cases have drawn attention to the kidnapping threat Chinese students face, as they increasingly seek educational opportunities abroad. Rob Attwell reviews a number of recent incidents and trends.
The mutually-beneficial relationship between terrorist organisations and the criminal underworld is well documented. For several decades, these outlawed groups have crossed paths across the globe. Now, with the fall of the Islamic State – once the richest terrorist organisation in the world – S-RM’s analysis team delve into the latest dynamics of the…