Global

Organised crime has evolved into a geopolitical threat, shaping sanctions evasion, cyber activity, and hybrid conflict dynamics. Law enforcement remains essential but is limited by jurisdictional, legal, and political constraints that criminal networks exploit. Intelligence-led, multi-agency approaches are needed to identify and disrupt risks before they become prosecutable offences.

The United States is pivoting toward an aggressive and transformative maritime strategy because its domestic shipbuilding capacity has reached a critical point of decay, currently constructing less than one per cent of the world's commercial ships. For decades, the nation has suffered from a lack of strategic focus and a degradation of federal investment in the maritime industrial base (MIB), which has driven up costs and discouraged the operation of ships under the American

Copper-driven growth is reshaping Zambia’s economy, with booming demand from AI, green energy and defence sectors boosting GDP growth and attracting billions in foreign investment. Global competition for copper is intensifying, as major powers and new investors race to secure supply, positioning Zambia as a strategic player in the energy transition.

The Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2026 on 13-15 February 2026 matters less as a problem-solving forum and more as a signal of how global elites are adapting to sustained instability. The dominant threat landscape is defined by grey-zone conflict, hybrid warfare, economic coercion, and AI-enabled disruption rather than conventional war alone. The conference signals the next 12 months will be shaped by hedging, deterrence, and resilience planning rather than confidence in

On 07 January 2026, rail infrastructure was targeted by saboteurs, causing significant disruption to train services on the opening day of the Winter Olympic Games. Three distinct incidents were reported in Bologna, and another in Pesaro. Electrical cables used to detect train speeds were found severed in Bologna, while a rudimentary improvised explosive device (IED) was discovered by a track at a nearby location. Additionally, a cabin housing a track switch was set on fire ne

Maritime ports handle the vast majority of global trade, but limited inspection and complex logistics systems create vulnerabilities that organised crime networks can exploit. Criminal groups rely on insider access, corruption, and the manipulation of port data and container reference codes to bypass security controls and extract illicit goods with minimal detection.

A second Korean War could be far deadlier than the first, with modern nuclear and conventional capabilities raising the potential human cost. Pyongyang has expanded nuclear, missile, conventional, cyber, biological, and chemical capabilities, maintaining a deterrent posture while preparing for potential conflict. Seoul relies on advanced conventional forces, a growing blue-water navy, air superiority, and a US nuclear umbrella to counterbalance North Korean aggression.

Proxy warfare has become a central tool of geopolitical competition, allowing states to pursue strategic objectives while avoiding direct military confrontation. Modern proxy conflicts are increasingly globalised and multidomain, spanning conventional battlefields, maritime chokepoints, cyberspace, and information environments. While proxies offer plausible deniability and cost efficiency, they significantly increase escalation risk, reduce accountability, and can draw major

Western Sahara is a territory disputed between the Sahrawis, claiming independence under the Polisario Front, and Morocco. ● Morocco proposed an autonomy plan in 2007 that was recently voted on and widely recognised by UN member states in 2025. ● Increasing international backing of Morocco and the Polisario Front’s growing openness to peace discussions indicate a future of economic and political stability after decades of contentious relations.

Violence against women and girls in the UK represents a widespread structural problem rooted in gender inequality and power imbalances. Affecting millions of women each year, its scale and persistence justify its recognition as a national emergency rather than a collection of individual crimes.

IoT devices significantly expand organisational attack surfaces and are increasingly targeted due to weak security by design. Criminal exploitation of IoT is systematic and scalable, enabling botnets, credential markets, and covert network intrusion. Insecure IoT devices can be leveraged to disrupt operations, enable data breaches, and amplify wider cybercrime campaigns. Many IoT risks persist due to poor visibility, outdated firmware, and separation between IT and operationa

WEF 2026 in Davos is due see a heightened security presence to counter protests and mitigate against chances of lone-actor and small-cell attack trends, with explicit concern for low-tech attacks, drones and cyber threats.

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.