insert_link Africa Russia-Ukraine war spills into west Africa: Mali attacks signal dangerous times ahead By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University Russia suffered significant blows to its reputation in mid-2024. An attack on its territory by Ukraine came as a surprise. In west Africa, the Wagner mercenary group, supported by Russia, suffered one of its heaviest fatalities in Mali. An alliance of Tuareg rebel groups known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad joined forces in late […] todayAugust 19, 2024 23
insert_link Africa Mali is still unsafe under the military: why it hasn’t made progress against rebels and terrorists By Oluwole Ojewale, Institute for Security Studies; Freedom C. Onuoha, University of Nigeria, and Samuel Oyewole, University of Pretoria The scale of casualties suffered by the Wagner group and Malian forces during a recent assault in the Tinzaouaten region reveal vulnerability in Mali’s counterinsurgency posture. The attack was reported in the media as the biggest loss for Russian paramilitaries in several years of operating in Africa. Although there […] todayAugust 9, 2024 21
insert_link Business / Economics Business Leadership in an AI World in 2024 Europe faces a challenging year ahead. The confluence of several disruptive factors – geopolitical conflict, rising inflation, economic uncertainty, increased regulatory pressure, and last, but by no means least, the impact of new technologies – will undoubtedly test leaders to the limit in the year to come. Speaking with business leaders across the region, several common themes have emerged. From the urgent need to build greater resilience and reduce […] todayJanuary 19, 2024 15
insert_link World Pakistan carries out military strikes in Iran Pakistan says it has conducted 'targeted' military strikes in Iran. The retaliatory operation comes days after Iran targeted militants on Pakistani soil. Islamabad says a 'number of terrorists' were killed in Thursday's strike while Tehran alleges seven 'non-Iranian' nationals were killed. This week, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with Iran. todayJanuary 18, 2024 18