Explore our in-depth articles and expert analysis on global risks, geopolitical shifts, and emerging threats. Dive deeper into the complex topics explored in our show with thought-provoking content on international risk management.
Democracies are judged by their visible institutions. Elections, constitutions, courts, legislatures and a free press are treated as the cornerstones upon which democratic systems stand. When coming to assess democratic health, they tend to focus on voter turnout, constitutional protections, judicial independence, or the conduct of political leaders. Many of the rules that sustain democratic…
The UK’s National Health Service says Palantir’s Federated Data Platform can reduce delays and improve patient care. But concerns over consent, confidentiality and digital dependency raise a deeper question about who controls Britain’s health infrastructure. Written by Edward Penrose – 09/06/26 For patients, the use of data within the NHS rests on an implicit bargain….
In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Dr Emma Salisbury, a leading expert on maritime security and naval power, about the global implications of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and what it reveals about the vulnerability of modern trade systems. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the narrowest…
Written by Edward Penrose – 29.05.26 When democratic governments talk about China’s global power, the conversation often turns to trade, technology, Taiwan, military modernisation and diplomacy. These are the familiar reference points of great-power competition. Yet a quieter and more intimate form of state power is increasingly shaping the lives of people far from Beijing…
When a virus linked to a cruise ship begins appearing in global headlines just a few years after the COVID-19 pandemic, public anxiety is almost inevitable. The MV Hondius outbreak had all the ingredients of a modern health scare: an unfamiliar pathogen spreading in a confined space amongst international passengers, requiring quarantine measures, repatriation and contact…
The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave OPEC marks one of the most significant shifts in Gulf energy politics in recent years. While the move is partly rooted in oil production and market strategy, it also reflects much deeper changes taking place across the Middle East and the international system itself. Why the UAE Left…
Wars do not end when the shooting stops. Across Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and dozens of other conflict affected regions, communities continue to live with the hidden legacy of violence buried beneath their feet. Landmines, unexploded artillery shells, cluster munitions, and improvised explosive devices remain active long after ceasefires, peace agreements, or military withdrawals. In…
Workplace violence is no longer viewed as a rare or isolated risk. Across the United Kingdom, incidents of violence at work have continued to rise, while organisations globally are confronting increasingly complex operating environments shaped by geopolitical tensions, social volatility, insider threats, economic uncertainty, and growing societal polarisation. In this episode of The International Risk…
A carbon-negative state at the centre of a global ecological contradiction Climate discourse remains dominated by emissions targets, carbon markets, and the protracted choreography of international negotiations. Beneath these institutionalised debates lies a far more immediate and destabilising challenge: the gradual degradation of the ecological systems upon which modern economies fundamentally depend. Few countries illustrate…
In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen speaks with Zsuzsanna Szelényi, foreign policy specialist, former member of the Hungarian Parliament, and Programme Director at the CEU Democracy Institute, about Hungary’s dramatic political transformation following the end of Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. After 16 years of increasingly authoritarian governance, Hungary has voted…
