Alpesh Bhudia, Royal Holloway University of London; Anna Cartwright, Oxford Brookes University; Darren Hurley-Smith, Royal Holloway University of London, and Edward Cartwright, De Montfort University
In May 2023, the Dallas City Government was hugely disrupted by a ransomware attack. Ransomware attacks are so-called because the hackers behind them encrypt vital data and demand a ransom in order to get the information decrypted.
Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham
Two months after challenging Vladimir Putin’s leadership in an apparent but abortive “mutiny”, Yevgeny Prigozhin – the former owner of the mercenary private military company Wagner Group – has joined a long list of prominent Russians to die in mysterious circumstances.
Aug. 23, 2023 /War and Conflict/ — The reason why the Wagner group command team was traveling at the same time on a plane is not yet known. It is possible that they were all traveling to the same meeting or event. It is also possible that they were simply taking advantage of the convenience of traveling together. Continue reading
Gavin D. J. Harper, University of Birmingham
From August, China is to restrict exports of gallium and germanium, two critical elements for making semiconductor chips. With China dominating the supply of both elements, exporters will now need special licences to get them out of the country. The move has the potential to harm a range of western tech manufacturers that use these elements to make their products.
Piers Forster, University of Leeds
The UK’s Climate Change Committee – the official independent advisory body of which I am interim chair – has spent the past three months poring over thousands of pages of government strategy documents to inform its latest annual progress report to parliament. And our confidence in the UK meeting its climate goals is now markedly less than it was in our previous assessment a year ago. Key opportunities have been missed.
Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham and Tetyana Malyarenko, National University Odesa Law Academy
Blink and you could have missed it. Within 36 hours, the challenge mounted against the Kremlin by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the mercenary private military company the Wagner Group, was over. On Friday June 23 2023, Prigozhin ordered 25,000 of his troops on to a “march for justice”, which duly set out to confront the Russian president in Moscow. The following afternoon he called it off.
June 20, 2023 /World/ — The African peace initiative in the Russia-Ukraine war was met with mixed reactions. Some people praised the initiative, saying that it was a bold and necessary step to try to end the conflict. Others criticized the initiative, saying that it was unrealistic and that it would not be successful. Continue reading
June 21, 2023 /Conflict and War/ — The statement that Ukraine is a failed state like Sudan is a false and harmful generalization. It is important to remember that not all countries that are experiencing conflict or instability are failed states. In fact, Ukraine is a sovereign state with a democratically elected government. It has a functioning economy and a strong military. While the ongoing Russian invasion has caused significant damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy, it is not accurate to say that Ukraine is a failed state. Continue reading
22 May 2023 /Conflict and War/ –Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, began a tour of African countries this week in an effort to challenge Russian influence in the “Global South.” Kuleba met with foreign ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Morocco to discuss the war in Ukraine and to seek their support for Ukraine’s position. Continue reading
May 16, 2023 /Technology/ — Geopolitical conflicts are escalating around the world, and there are a number of areas that are experiencing these issues. Some of the most conflict-ridden regions include the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Africa. Continue reading