This week’s episode covers the arrival of Russian oil tankers to Cuba, the Houthis entering the Middle East conflict and a special guest contributor to discuss the upcoming election in Hungary.

While most of the world is looking at the current crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, northern European nations have been concerned about maritime traffic that flows through the Baltic Sea for several years. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, two countries were so alarmed by the escalation that they decided it was time to join NATO. Finland and Sweden, who share a land border with Russia, believe that joining the alliance will help bolster the military alliance. This has been

Engines, luxury, branding and status, these are some of the words that come to mind when Formula 1 comes to conversation. If you know a little about F1 you will associate them directly to the Monaco Gran Prix with it’s street circuit, expensive hotels and yachts in sight, but with a deeper dive  in the sport you’ll notice that actually, some of the really high prestige Grand Prix are the ones taking place in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately on March 14t

Introduction: Somaliland constitutes one of the most durable and paradoxical cases of de facto state in the contemporary international system. Former British protectorate that became independent in 1960, before unifying a few days later with former Italian Somalia, the territory in the northern region in the Horn of Africa declared its independence in 1991. Taking advantage of the civil war during this period, Somaliland has since been able to administer its territory, reinfo

This week’s podcast episode includes the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict, Energy security during the Strait of Hormuz blockage, and Serbia’s military acquisition from China.

Over the course of the war in Ukraine and now with the conflict in Iran and the broader region, news coverage has been filled with discussions about drones, missiles, their range, destructive power, and cost. Yet what is often missing from public discussions is that these weapons not only have a direct outcome on the battlefield, but there are even deeper implications:they define what strategic options a country actually has. A state that is capable of striking its adversarie

Iran’s influence over the Middle East through proxy groups is going through a significant moment. It is difficult to imagine being bombarded by American and Israeli missiles while trying to connect with leaders from Hezbollah, who are in a similar situation being under fire from Israeli bombardments. Since Hezbollah receives monetary and munitions support from Iran, it could not have been unforeseen that the proxy group would retaliate against Israel after the killing of Iran

The fourth AI Impact Summit was held in New Delhi, India earlier this month with participation   from governments, international organisations, global technology companies, start-ups, academia and civil society from over 80 countries. Some of the biggest names in Artificial Intelligence, like Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani, and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis were in attendance with world leade

Just before 9:00am in Iran, Operation Epic Fury and Roaring Lion was launched on military targets in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, and Kermanshah. The Trump administration and Israel conducted  their strikes to help push Iranians to overthrow their country and attack regime leadership. Some of the sites that were targeted were the residences of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as other major Iranian mi

On February 22, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, otherwise known as “El Mencho”, the head of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), died due to severe injuries suffered during an operation carried by Mexican forces to capture him in Jalisco, Mexico. The reaction from members of the cartel and allied organizations was immediate: roadblocks across several states, vehicles, shops burned, and flights disrupted. CJNG is one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the Wes

In Havana, when the sun goes down, the city goes dark — sadly not in a metaphorical way. On January 29th, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that enforces an effective embargo on foreign oil shipments to Cuba, threatening to impose tariffs on any country supplying fuel to the island. The situation has become unbearable for the population. Some have turned to charcoal for cooking; those who have the means have installed solar panels. The situation is even more co

While major powers like the United States and China are shifting their attention elsewhere, the UAE is filling the void in Africa. There is so much potential when it comes to Africa and the United Arab Emirates is investing heavily with new infrastructure projects and new technology. The UAE has grown more ambitious in recent years when it comes to vested interests of economic stability and security on the continent. There are some who believe  that they are the only country

Economic sanctions are utilised to apply pressure on a nation state in a non-violent approach. The idea is to minimise the use of a military force in a way that will politically undermine another government. Most Western states welcome the use of sanctions as this precludes the need to put troops in harm’s way and opens the door to diplomatic discussions. This scenario is especially important when dealing with a state that is in possession of nuclear arms. Russia’s invasion i

“Everything that exists requires energy to create and to operate—not some things, everything,” said energy analysis expert Mark P. Mills back in 2024. That remark may sound evident but it keeps returning to my mind in recent months with every new headline that piles up: Russian strikes on Ukrainian power stations, oil seizures and sanctions, a major blackout in Berlin, U.S. military action linked to Venezuela’s energy sector, and renewed American interest in acquiring Greenla

In early December 2025, one of Southeast Asia’s most persistent territorial disputes surged into intense armed conflict, as Thailand and Cambodia exchanged artillery fire, airstrikes and rocket attacks along their shared border. This renewed violence has killed dozens of soldiers and civilians, as well as displacing thousands of people, and drawn urgent calls from regional and global powers for a ceasefire. Despite ongoing talks meant to halt the hostilities, and a peace deal

On December 6 th in Washington D.C during the official draw for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA awarded U.S. President Donald J. Trump with the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World”. An award that was given to Trump without any transparency in regards to a list of nominees, the judges or the criteria. The decision landed less like a sporting honour and more like a diplomatic signal. In a world where football has become one of the most effective instruments of soft

Since the Arab Spring in 2011, Yemen has been embroiled in disorder and tragedy. The rise of the Houthi group, who challenged the central government and seized power in Sanaa in 2014, continues to wreak havoc.  The amount of destruction that multiple civil wars in the last several decades has generated unfathomable destruction and health crises but the entire story is much more complex as it ripples across several countries in the Middle East. Powerful state and non-state act

From the Caspian Sea to the borders of China, Kazakhstan—the world’s largest landlocked country and ninth in the world by territory—sits at the physical center of Eurasia, where Islamic, Christian, and Confucian civilizations have historically intersected and where today’s great powers quietly overlap. Rich in oil, gas, uranium, and critical minerals, and crossed by some of the most important land corridors connecting Europe and Asia, the country has long been embedded in glo

Introduction: For almost four years, the Russian offensive on Ukraine has dragged on, with a somewhat predictable rhythm. Russia pushes forward, while Ukraine counter-attacks when possible. Most western debates regarding the war have been about who, where and when should resources be sent to support Ukraine. However, talks for a long-lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia have ramped up significantly since mid-November. On the 19 th  of November, a US drafted 28-point peace

Oftentimes when we think of latin america and geopolitics we expect to hear about the US and Chinese rivalry over economic influence, security and deepening diplomatic ties but it is less often talked about Iran's presence in Latin America. It has long been considered just the result of ideological affinity by governments that are worlds apart but with the Palestine-Israel conflict  and especially and when Israel and Iran exchanged missile strikes and Latin American governmen