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47 - The Resurgence of Africa's Conflict Diamonds

Diamonds have been used to pay militias and rebel groups for decades due to their ease of global demand, and reliable value. After diamonds fuelled conflict across Africa, the Kimberle

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46 - The UAE's Red Sea Strategy

Dubai's transformation from a fishing village to a global hub epitomises the unlikely country that is the United Arab Emirates. Massive oil wealth has enabled them to punch above their weight, but as

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45 - Japan and the Quad

To counter an ever-expanding China, Tokyo is turning abroad in search of allies. Key to this is the recent revival of The Quad, a strategic dialogue between The US, Australia, Japan and India. Will

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44 - The Geopolitics of Uzbekistan (and the Island of Anthrax)

Half way down the old Silk Road lies the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, the republic that connects all of the Central Asian states. With the passing of their long-term dictator Uzbekistan is no

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43 - The Next Phase in Cyber Warfare

With each major technological leap forward in warfare the rules of war also change, and the new frontier of Cyber Warfare has completely thrown out the conventional concept of the first strike. With t

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42 - The Battle for Western Sahara (Africa's Last Colony)

On the Northwestern edge of the Sahara desert lies the former Spanish colonial possession of Western Sahara. The region has been in various states of conflict for over 50 years, with Morocco's Royal

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41 - Who Controls the Caribbean?

In 1823 US President James Monroe declared The Monroe Doctrine, that the Western hemisphere would be the backyard of the United States. That doctrine is now almost 200 years old and the world is a v

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40 - Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia (A War for the Crossroads)

Georgia has been at the heart of regional geopolitics for decades now, smashed between three expanding areas of influence from Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, with Georgia desperately trying to act as the

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39 - Pakistan's Two Front War

When Obama left the White House he stated that the thing that kept him up at night more than anything else was the potential for Pakistan and India to stumble into an unplanned nuclear exchange. What

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38 - Iraq: What Went Wrong?

For a number of years Iraq has been spiraling, with worsening insurgencies, sectarian violence and numerous regional players all treating Iraq like a political battleground. How did we get here though

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37 - The Geopolitics of Rare Earths

We dont think much about it but Rare Earth elements are a huge part of our everyday life, powering our phones, laptops, satellites and cars. The thing we all overlook though is where those Rare Earths

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36 - Lake Chad (Boko Haram and the French Foreign Legion)

Lake Chad has shrunk by almost 90% since 1960, and the situation on the ground is becoming a breeding ground for regional terrorism. Outfits like Boko Haram, and ISIS in Africa are now capturing big p

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35 - Ukraine and the War in the East

Russias entire defense strategy relies on a friendly or neutral Ukraine, so when Ukraine almost turned to the west in a revolution in 2014 panic swept the Kremlin; and Russia invaded and occupied the

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34 - Could China Conquer Taiwan?

Xi has thrown down the gauntlet and stated that Taiwan will return to the Peoples Republic of China by 2049, whether Taiwan wants it or not. So now a countdown timer has started, and Taiwan scrambles

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33 - The Geopolitics of Tajikistan

No country could possibly feel more like the edge of the known world than the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan. A nation where the president has been in power since '92 and has ruled the country

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32 - Colombia (FARC, Paramilitarios and Cocaine)

Colombia has always been closely associated with the international Cocaine trade, but the situation there is far more complicated with wider ramifications for the entire region. The government of Bogo

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31 - II (A Frozen Conflict Goes Hot)

Like many of the ex-soviet republics, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been part of the frozen conflict now since the early '90s, but Azerbaijan has spent the last few years building up a massive modern ar

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30 - The Geopolitics of Indonesia

With a new cold war between the USA and China looming on the horizon the balance of power in Asia is being drawn up, with Beijing and Washington vying for influence in the region. Of all the nations o

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29 - Who Controls the Caspian Sea?

What was once considered a Soviet lake is now quickly becoming one of the most important strategic locations in the region, with Russia working hard to maintain its grip over the sea. The important pa

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28 - How to Manipulate an Election (Trump, Murdoch and Brexit)

This week we take a deep dive into how to manipulate elections, whilst breaking open a large story connecting Brexit and the Russian ambassador. We also go through how Murdoch consolidates media outle

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27 - The Geopolitics of Mongolia

Smashed between Russia and China, Mongolia has a difficult position to begin with; but it was from that position that it once managed to create the largest contiguous empire known to man. What is the

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26 - Will the Afghan Peace Deal Actually Work?

The US has now been at war in Afghanistan for almost 20 years, and three have all failed to find a solution to this war. Now the clock is ticking, with the Taliban gaining more and mor

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25 - Somalia (Al Shabaab, Pirates and Nuclear Waste)

Somalia is often referred to as a failed state, with the nation being fractured into 4 parts, piracy and Al Shabaab controlling large chunks of the country, but Somalia seems to be getting back on its

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24 - Who is India's Biggest Strategic Enemy?

India is fast becoming one of the world's great powers, set to take the number 2 or 3 slot by 2050. This is unless another country were to derail India's current path, and the list of potential derail

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23 - Thailand and the International Drug Trade

Thailand has for a long time been the centerpiece of South East Asia, and many powers are starting to relearn its importance when it comes to shifting the direction of the region. With the boom in int

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22 - The Geopolitics of Kosovo

Kosovo has spent the last 2 decades fighting for its own independence, but with obstacles standing in their way will this mountainous nation ever achieve its lifelong dream? This week

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21 - The Libyan Civil War II (The Tide Turns)

When we covered the Libyan Civil War in February it looked like Haftar was about to be victorious, shelling the very gates of his enemies capital in Tripoli; but 5 months can make all of the differenc

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20 - The Philippines (Duterte and the South China Sea)

The South China sea is the new battleground between Beijing and Washington with the winner controlling the trades routes; and therefore the future of Asia. Caught in the middle is The Philippines, now

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19 - Guyana (Cambridge Analytica and the next Cuban Missile Crisis)

While everyone has their eyes on its imploding neighbours Guyana is entering its own new phase, one that is likely to make it one of the world's next big geopolitical flashpoints. With Iranian missile

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18 - The Geopolitics of Turkmenistan

Often referred to as the North Korea of Central Asia, Turkmenistan is simply a desert of A nation where you memorize poems to get your driver's license, where the president raps on TV,

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17 - (Armenia vs Azerbaijan)

In the South Caucasus between Armenia and Azerbaijan lies an island of Armenians in the middle of Azerbaijan, two countries now firmly at war with each other. The Armenians have invaded and now occupy

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16 - The Geopolitics of North Korea

To counter an ever-expanding China, Tokyo is turning abroad in search of allies. Key to this is the recent revival of The Quad, a strategic dialogue between The US, Australia, Japan and India. Will3