Today on The International Risk Podcast, we turn to the accelerating transformation of the global economy through artificial intelligence. Firms are making aggressive bets on future demand, and mid-market companies are grappling with rising costs, limited visibility, and mounting pressure to prove ROI. To help us make sense of this, we’re joined by Craig Unsworth, a…
Craig Unsworth is a commercially proven portfolio Chief Product Officer and Non-Executive Director who works at the intersection of Private Equity, AI, and product transformation. With two decades of experience and over 60 transactions under his belt, Craig partners with private equity firms and their portfolio companies to unlock growth, build capability, and accelerate value…
Today on The International Risk Podcast, we turn to Lebanon, where Israel’s invasion, the subsequent displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and political fracture are colliding in ways that could reshape Lebanon for years. As the conflict on the Lebanese front deepens, the questions are no longer just about ceasefires or border tensions, but…
Paul Hefel-James is a freelance journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon. He covers migration and refugee issues, the humanitarian sector and conflict in the Middle East region. His previous publications include explorations of labor migration in Lebanon, Syrian archives, Israel’s targeting of civilians, including journalists, and the displacement crisis during the Israel-Hezbollah war. He is the…
Written by Edward Penrose – 01.04.2026 For defence leaders across Europe and North America, Canada has become an unusually revealing test case. The question is no longer simply whether Ottawa will spend more on defence. The harder question is whether a middle power can remain credible inside NATO while reducing dangerous overdependence on the United States. That…
In this episode, we host Norman Leach to explore whether Canada is entering a new era in defence policy. Drawing on his background in military history, defence commentary, and international business, Norman examines the deeper strategic questions now facing Ottawa: how sovereign Canadian defence policy really is, how far Canada can afford to depend on…
Norman Leach is a Canadian military historian, writer, public speaker, and defence-industry leader whose work spans Canadian military history, strategic commentary, and international business. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Western Canada Defence Industries Association and is a regular contributor to the Canadian Defence Review and other military and historical journals. A prolific…
Humphrey Hawksley is a former BBC foreign correspondent who works over the last 40 years or so has taken him to crises all over the world. He is also an award-winning author, commentator and guest lecturer at universities and think tanks such as the RAND Corporation, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and MENSA…
The global landscape feels increasingly unsettled. Conflict in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine to wider geoplitical, technological and climatic shifts, the world is going though a period of rapid change. At the same time, the nature of conflict and the way it’s reported has changed dramatically over the past few decades. So today we’re…
Cross-strait tensions are once again at the centre of geopolitical risk. For much of the post-Cold War period, Taiwan existed as a persistent but often background issue in international politics. Today, that is no longer the case. Intensifying US–China competition, rising military pressure from Beijing, and shifting domestic dynamics within Taiwan have brought the island’s…
