Weak governments and miscalculated counter-terrorism strategies have contributed to a recent upsurge in terrorist attacks in eastern Africa. While international allegiances have the potential to combat terrorist threats, inward-looking policies and entrenched ethnic divisions threaten to undermine security initiatives in the region, writes Sharon Cheramboss.…
The dizzying pace of developments in Ukraine, which has seen a President ousted and an interim government installed, has left the world's media catching its breath. But the country's debt-laden economy poses a much greater threat to the country's future, writes Ted Cowell.
Russian intervention in Ukraine has alarmed the international community, not least Russia's Baltic neighbours to the West. Whileany military incursion is unlikely, the Baltic States remain vulnerable to Russia's destabilising influence, writes Ted Cowell.
The legislative elections did not deliver a decisive victory for the PDI-P party, led by presidential favourite Joko Widodo, and the prospect of a close presidential race threatens further electoral violence in Aceh, writes Alice Shone.
With no end in sight to the violence in Bangkok, pressure on the military to step in, and Yingluck's support base under threat, a political solution in Thailand looks more and more unlikely,writes Alice Shone.
The June protests may have dwindled for now, but with the FIFA World Cup approaching, the presence of anarchist elements and unaddressed economic grievances means another “Battle in Seattle” may be on the cards for Brazil, writes Zoe Wakefield.
Bouteflika's re-election, while unsurprising, represents a missed opportunity for Algeria, where longstanding policies aimed at suppressing civil unrest are threatened by political and economic instability, writes Albert Arbuthnott.
While President Santos' re-election in May remains likely, public resistance to a possible FARC amnesty threatens the peace talks on which he's staked his reputation, writes Zoe Wakefield.
The EU elections in May will likely reflect the increasing popularity of Eurosceptic parties on both the extreme right and left wings of the political spectrum, leading to a heightened risk of violent protest and social unrest as mainstream parties are forced to take a harder line on issues such as immigration, writes Rachel Hankey.
The Fatah-Hamas rapprochement could have a positive effect on security, but residual fault lines may make cooperation short-lived, writes Noemi Casati.
A recent surge in violence in Rio's favelas is a sign of declining trust between residents and police, which has allowed once-banished drug traffickers and criminal gangs to take back territory. Despite these problems, the city's policing initiatives have brought visible benefits, which the next governor must work hard to cement, writes Zoe Wakefield.…