Recent abductions in Cambodia and the Philippines have highlighted the links between loan sharks, organised criminal groups, casinos and the threat of kidnap-for-ransom targeting foreign nationals in Southeast Asia, writes Rob Attwell.
New legislation in Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique will lead to worsening restrictions for freedom of the press and freedom of expression in these jurisdictions, increasing the threat of detention against journalists and political commentators, writes Gabrielle Reid.
On 26 August, a fatal street brawl in Chemnitz sparked three weeks of anti-migrant protests in eastern Germany. In this article, Tim Geschwindt assesses the drivers and implications of increasing far-right sentiment in the country.
While Boko Haram’s previous efforts to control large areas of terrain were undermined by domestic and regional military efforts, a spate of recent attacks against towns and military barracks could point to a renewed campaign to seize territory in northern Nigeria. Gabrielle Reid looks into the prospects for a renewed territorial campaign by the Islamic…
Following an opposition win at the 23 September general elections, concerns about rising authoritarianism and corruption under incumbent President Abdulla Yameen, are likely to drop off media headlines. Yet, there remain important concerns regarding political instability and corruption, particularly for the tourism industry, writes Rob Attwell.
As government forces prepare a final offensive on the last-standing rebel stronghold in Syria, humanitarian agencies will be eager to re-enter the country to provide much-needed assistance to those severely affected by the conflict. Yet, despite the anticipated reduction in fighting amid the extension of government control, NGO operations in Syria will…
Vision 2030 still represents an unprecedented opportunity for economic and social change in the kingdom, but the continual delays to one of the crown prince’s key initiatives undermines the sustainability of such radical reform.
In August, president Joseph Kabila and the ruling Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et la Démocratie (PPRD) backed Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as the party’s candidate in the long awaited December 2018 elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The somewhat unexpected announcement ended prolonged speculation that the incumbent would seek…
Following his first 12 months in office, João Lourenço’s administration has been characterised by a strong anticorruption movement, dismantling the former regime and attempting to revive the Angolan economy. However, is this stance sustainable and is it a true indication of reform in the country.
A closer look at Chinese financing trends in Africa, in the wake of the triennial Forum for China-Africa Cooperation
Tim Geschwindt analyses the threat of Islamist terrorism in Western Europe using the recently published Global Terrorism Database statistics.
As Colombian president, Iván Duque, embarks on his first year in office, Lenoy Barkai examines the drivers behind the countrywide demonstrations which accompanied his inauguration, and the prospect for further civil unrest in the coming 12 months.