Global

The January 2026 US military intervention in Venezuela has rasiedconcerns over Trump’s ambition to take over Greenland were renewed. The Trump administration reportedly does not exclude using military or economic force to take over Greenland, leading many European leaders to signal the end of NATO if the US were to intervene in the nation. The critical minerals found in Greenland are significant to US and private company interests in terms of defence and green technologies.

On 28 December 2025, following the collapse of the rial to 1.42 million per USD, protesters took to the streets in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, actions which quickly spread across the country and have reached 111 cities across all 31 provinces as of 08 January 2026. Security forces (IRGC, Basij, LEF) have used force, including live ammunition and hospital raids; protest activity has been geographically diffuse, extending to peripheral regions and stretching the capacity of secur

The Fitburg ship was seized by Finnish authorities on 31 December 2025, after dragging its anchor on the seafloor, damaging an undersea telecoms cable. The incident is the first to take place a year after extensive securitising measures were taken by NATO, the EU, and coastal states to protect the Baltic undersea installations. Baltic maritime affairs impact various business practices, including shipping, communications, and energy, and all could be affected by changes to th

Electricity demand from AI data centres in the West is projected to increase 31-fold by 2035, potentially absorbing up to 20–25% of total annual electricity generation in the United States. Structural increases in electricity prices have already driven U.S. power costs up by around 50% since 2021, undermining competitiveness and the viability of new data-centre investments. The construction timelines for new power plants—up to ten years for combined-cycle facilities—are misal

The UK is unlikely to face direct war with Russia in 2026, but will remain under sustained pressure below the threshold of armed conflict. ·         Russian activity against the UK and NATO is most likely to manifest through hybrid threats such as cyber attacks, sabotage, espionage and disinformation. ·         Escalation risks are more likely to arise from incidents or miscalculation than from deliberate invasion or overt military action.

The U.S. seizure of Venezuelan-linked tankers represents an escalation in sanctions enforcement and maritime attacks. Actions increasingly resemble blockade-like measures, which some observers argue could constitute an act of war under international law. Latin America is deeply divided, with left-leaning governments condemning U.S. actions and right-leaning governments cautiously aligning with Washington.

Nuclear power is deemed the most cost-effective, efficient, and safe energy source to power lunar operations, including powering a permanent moonbase, resource extraction, and mining initiatives. The major spacefaring powers, China, Russia, the US, and Canada have all begun developing mini nuclear reactors to be used on the Moon and power the lunar bases they plan to build. Small modular reactors, an umbrella term for mini nuclear reactors, are an emerging technology in ful

Digital forensics is essential for modern investigations, but its expanding reach creates significant privacy and ethical challenges. UK legislation seeks to balance investigative needs with civil liberties, yet rapid technological change continues to test these frameworks. Operational pressures – like evidence backlogs, encryption barriers, and skills shortages – complicate the responsible use of digital evidence.

Beijing has escalated pressure across multiple fronts by issuing travel warnings, launching coast guard patrols near the Senkaku Islands, increasing military activity around Taiwan, and reinstating a seafood import ban. Takaichi has adopted an unusually assertive stance toward China compared with her predecessors, while simultaneously pursuing closer security ties with South Korea to address shared regional threats. China could escalate to more disruptive measures, such as ra

The month of November marked a significant shift in Western European states’ defensive strategies. The UK encountered several Russian threats (a spy ship in British waters, cyberattacks, and satellite spying), while Germany and France increased their defence budgets and introduced voluntary conscription plans. The private sector is heavily implicated in European defence projects, especially as Russian threats manifest in hybrid forms; skills include AI, cyberspace, ammunition

Online extremism is rising across multiple ideologies, driven by social grievances, digital echo chambers, and global conflicts. Early online behaviours – including fixation, extremist memes, hate rhetoric, and network engagement – often precede real-world criminal or terror activity. OSINT tools and analytics can detect precursor signals at scale, enabling proactive policing and threat mitigation. Youths are increasingly vulnerable to radicalisation, making education and ear

Israel’s airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburb of Haret Hreik on 23 November 2025 eliminated Haytham Ali Tabatabai, Hezbollah’s Chief of Staff and its effective second-in-command. The IDF carried out the strike deep inside Dahieh, one of Hezbollah’s most secure strongholds, killing Tabatabai and four aides. Israeli officials described the operation as a precise, opportunistic action aimed at disrupting Hezbollah’s military rebuilding after the 2023–24 conflict.

On 20 November 2025, Spanish Republicans are flooding social media outlets with #ElBorbónEsFranquista focusing on King Felipe VI who inherited the throne from his father, accused of holding the Spanish crown thanks to Francisco Franco. The Republican activism in Spain is nowhere as active or considered as pressing as issues such as corruption or ongoing international conflicts. However, these demonstrations are still reported in Spain and intertwined with current affairs.

In November 2025, the CNSA reached out to NASA concerning a manoeuvre to move a satellite and prevent a collision. Satellite collision avoidance is paramount to space exploration as it creates space debris, harming private and government space projects. Bilateral cooperation on space issues between the US and China remains extremely limited. With no change in sight, it paves the way for private interests within both domestic space industries.

Brazil’s climate leadership is undercut by policy contradictions: green funds on one hand, new oil drilling on the other. Indigenous exclusion is stoking unrest, exposing firms to social and reputational risk. ESG disclosure rules now demand verifiable, auditable data, heightening scrutiny of supply chains. The Amazon has become a testing ground for both corporate ethics and regulatory resolve.

Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS) has transformed cybercrime into a commercial ecosystem, lowering the barrier for anyone to commit complex attacks. Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) remains the most profitable and damaging CaaS model, driving record global and UK cybercrime losses. CaaS markets thrive on anonymity, cryptocurrency, and specialisation, mirroring legitimate tech-industry dynamics. UK law enforcement and policymakers are responding with proposed bans on ransom payments and

UK prisons are facing a growing drone threat, as criminal networks increasingly use unmanned aerial vehicles to smuggle drugs, weapons, and contraband into secure facilities. Drone-facilitated smuggling fuels organised crime, disrupts daily prison life, and hinders rehabilitation by maintaining a pervasive drug culture. Counter-drone technology is evolving, with systems such as Sky Fence and advanced detection methods, but current measures remain inconsistent across pri

Trump and Takaichi’s meeting on 28 October enabled significant trade deals on rare earth extraction and processing, as well as nuclear energy development projects. ●       Trump’s APEC meeting with Xi on 30 October marked a temporary stop to the Chinese rare earth curbs. ●       As rare earths are increasingly sought and needed in manufacturing modern technologies, a wider variety of industries are affected by movement and disruptions in the rare earth supply chain.

Nearly all serious and organised crime now has a digital footprint, driven by global connectivity and emerging technologies, highlighting a stark contrast from how serious and organised crime has been known to operate in the past. Emerging technologies most commonly seen to aid and abet criminal activity include the dark web, cryptocurrency, cybercrime, encryption, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Cybercrime costs are projected to surpass $12.1 trillion by 2031, making

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has shattered assumptions about its strategic limits, showing that ideology and historical ambition can override logic. Moscow has sought to keep Kazakhstan as firmly within its sphere of influence as possible. Astana’s contingency planning against a potential Russian incursion has become a central pillar of its foreign policy. Kazakhstan has pursued a multivector approach, balancing ties with Russia, China, and the West.demographics, and log