Yemen Flag

From Insurgency to Influence: The Houthis’ Red Sea Expansion

Written by Elisa Garbil – 28.08.2025 The transformation of Yemen’s Houthi movement from a marginal insurgency to a disruptive regional force marks one of the most significant non-state evolutions in contemporary Middle Eastern politics. Their growing military capabilities, ideological expansion, and strategic autonomy have positioned the Houthis as not just a local Yemeni problem but a geopolitical…

BRICS

BRICS at a Crossroads in a Shifting Global Order

Written by Elisa Garbil – 25.08.2025 In 2025, the BRICS grouping, originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, stands at a pivotal juncture. Once a loosely aligned coalition of emerging economies seeking a louder voice in global governance, the BRICS have transformed into a more assertive and expanded formation, aiming to reshape the foundations…

China’s Calculated Revisionism: Stability as Narrative, and Leverage as Strategy

China’s Calculated Revisionism: Stability as Narrative, and Leverage as Strategy

The latest episode of the International Risk Podcast offers a precise window into how Beijing is positioning itself in a more volatile international environment. In conversation with Dominic Bowen, Dr Audrye Wong outlines a China that is neither a reckless revolutionary nor a passive status quo power. It is, instead, a cautious and adaptive actor…

Nuclear Warning Sign

Iran’s Nuclear Program: Security, Stability, and Global Implications

Written by Elisa Garbil – 01.09.2025 Iran’s nuclear program has long been a topic of global debate, intertwined with issues of national security, regional power dynamics, and international diplomacy. As Iran edges closer to advancing its nuclear capabilities, the risks associated with this trajectory extend beyond the borders of the Islamic Republic itself. A careful examination of…

Genocide Palestine, Gaza

Genocide in Gaza: The Collapse of International Law and Global Impunity

Written by Elisa Garbil – 14.08.2025 The war on Gaza has moved far beyond the realm of conventional military conflict. What is unfolding is a methodical, prolonged campaign against an entire civilian population. The destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure, the mass killing of noncombatants, and the deliberate targeting of essential services reflect a calculated strategy to dismantle not…

Anti-Neloiberalism, Anti-Capitalism, Protest

Risk in the Age of Neoliberalism: Why the Future Is Fragile

Written by Elisa Garbil – 11.08.2025 We live in a century overshadowed by risk. Not just the routine uncertainties of markets or weather, but layered, interconnected threats that ripple across borders and systems. From climate breakdown and cyber conflict to inequality and democratic erosion, the risks humanity faces today are no longer discrete, they are systemic. This…

The South China Sea: Maritime Strategy, Regional Pressure, and Global Risk

The South China Sea: Maritime Strategy, Regional Pressure, and Global Risk

In December 2024, the Chinese navy deployed nearly 90 vessels in the South China Sea, staging a show of force that sent waves of anxiety through Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia, and the United States. This was not a routine display. According to Dr. Bruce Jones, senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, these…

Ukraine, War, Russian Invasion

A War at Crossroads: The Russia–Ukraine Conflict

Written by Elisa Garbil – 04.08.2025 Diplomacy Without Traction As the Russia–Ukraine war enters its fourth summer, the balance between diplomacy and devastation has become increasingly precarious. While representatives from both sides have returned to negotiation tables in Istanbul and Doha, the intensifying violence across Ukrainian cities and the internal strains within Ukraine’s own institutions suggest that…

Cancer Prevention as International Risk Governance: Exposure, Equity, and the Politics of Inaction

Cancer Prevention as International Risk Governance: Exposure, Equity, and the Politics of Inaction

Despite decades of innovation in oncology, over 40 percent of cancers remain preventable. Yet only 5 percent of global cancer spending is allocated to prevention. In any other domain of risk management, such a mismatch would be considered negligence. This week on The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen is joined by Dr. Joachim Schüz to…