Two highly controversial referendums have taken place in recent weeks, with both Catalonia in Spain and Kurdistan in Iraq claiming the right to self-determination and outright independence, and both being loudly (and forcefully) shouted down by their mother governments. While the ultimate outcome of the process is of course significant in both regions, it is […]
Iraq: Independence Day? Read More »
Something perhaps almost unprecedented happened in Kenya last month, when the Supreme Court annulled the result of the August presidential poll after finding it ‘neither transparent nor verifiable’, and ordering a rerun. While still-incumbent President Kenyatta castigated this as a ‘judicial coup’, all signs are that the election will be rerun, raising for the first
The last Kings of Scotland Read More »
Pin-codes and passwords could soon become a thing of the past, as biometric technology is seeing a quiet revolution in allowing users to access and pay for facets of everyday life. But where do we draw the line – and how safe is it in a world where cyber-security is running to stand still? Where
The Unhackable Human? Read More »
The most basic of risk assessments runs thus. If X, so Y. If I place my hand in the fire, it will burn. If I leave wiring unexposed, it could start a fire. If I travel to Somalia, I may not come back. And so on. Identifying the hazards is one thing, but fully understanding
Grey Area Dynamics: It’s Not All Black And White Read More »
The drones of today can be applied to many purposes. Surveillance footage of a suspected terrorist hideout? Certainly. Delivery of online shopping purchases? If you like. Finding out whether the big game formation will be 4-4-2 again? Hang about… At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, headlines were briefly made when the French national team
Play Up, Play Up, And Play The Great Game Read More »
In the 2013 Azerbaijan Presidential elections, incumbent Ilham Aliyev romped to victory. No surprise there. Except, that he managed to do it a whole twenty-four hours before the election was held… The Central Election Commission, on whose smartphone app the result appeared, variously described this as the previous election’s result (it wasn’t), a test run
Caviar Diplomacy: Azerbaijan’s Fishy Business Read More »
The impending ‘Brexit’ has led political and financial commentators to speculate on both sides about what state the UK, and the European Union, will be in afterwards. But what cannot be ignored is that Brexit will by no means give the UK a ‘blank slate’ to act unilaterally on certain matters – particularly where security
With or Without EU… Read More »
A recent news report by the BBC states that identity fraud has increased by 33% with the fraud prevention agency Cifas stating that the thefts are becoming easier to facilitate online. Internet forums have been created selling information to open bank accounts, obtain credit cards and commit fraud in other people’s names. A person’s identity
It was only twelve months ago that Brazil was basking in the glory of holding the two most prestigious sporting events on the calendar: The World Cup and the Olympics. Now more than ever it seems that such events were only sticking plasters over a country suffering an epidemic of crime and corruption. The Maracana
Brazil: Olympic Legacy Unfulfilled Read More »
As agreements and alliances are endangered on the international stage, the global community could be heading for the biggest shift since the Cold War – with ‘normalisation’ replaced by a far more suspicious and defensive state of affairs. Donald Trump’s week got worse last week when President Rouhani of Iran announced that he is willing
