Despite claims by the media that the recent directive on kidnappings legalises privateransom payments to terrorist groups in the US, it seems that the policy has sidestepped the issue, writes Lara Sierra-Rubia.
While security officials continue to search for the perpetrators of the recent bombing of a shrine in Bangkok, the attack has brought Thailand's terrorism threats to the fore, writes Mandira Bagwandeen.
Thailand's use of forced DNA sweeps in the Deep South to combat the region's insurgency is further alienating locals and is likely to lead to more separatist-inspired terror attacks, writes Mandira Bagwandeen.
Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has sought to implement security reforms that will allow the country's defence forces to assume a more prominent role in regional and international peace and security matters. However, an expanded and more robust defence force could heighten the risks for Japanese businesses and nationals abroad, writes Mandira Bagwandeen.…
Indonesia, one of the largest economies in Southeast Asia, is taking steps to lure foreign investors, writes Anna Beare.
As Alibaba increases its presence in the US, what questions does it raise about the company's overall strategy in the country? Asks Anna Beare.
Southeast Asia is capturing the attention of mobile game developers, due to a young population and improvements in telecommunication infrastructure networks. Despite e-payment difficulties and language and cultural barriers, the demand for mobile games is set to increase, writes Mandira Bagwandeen.
A resurgence in organised hijackings of small fuel tankers in Southeast Asian waters not only highlights a growing sophistication of piracy in the region but also suggests that counter piracy operations are facing several challenges, writes Mandira Bagwandeen.
Presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev and Islam Karimov's recent electoral victories in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were expected. While business seems to be continuing as usual in these countries, the succession question is becoming increasingly important, especially in light of socio-economic challenges and broader geopolitical dynamics, writes Saif Islam.…
NATO-Russia relations have reached a new low amid ongoing tensions in Eastern Europe. Mutual suspicion of each other's interests in the region underscore long-standing obstacles for Euro-Atlantic cooperation, write Lara Sierra-Rubia and Saif Islam.
The series of attacks in France in early January underscores the complex threat of terrorism in Europe, with overseas Islamist extremist groups' calls for further attacks likely to be taken up by a ‘leaderless resistance', writes Lara Sierra-Rubia.
While the Abu Sayyaf Group's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State might inspire it to politicise its kidnappings, jumping on the IS bandwagon ultimately serves as a springboard for the group to reassert its status as a feared organisation in the region, writes Mandira Bagwandeen.