From disruptive protests in Hong Kong and across Latin America to Russia's and China's increasingly sophisticated espionage tactics, see an excerpt of what threats our security analysts are keeping a close eye on in the year ahead.
Both Tokyo and Seoul will be reticent to ease their trade spat until the economic toll outweighs the political risk of conceding. But for South Korea, that reckoning will come sooner due to its semiconductor sector's reliance on Japanese exports.
More and more countries are using the shutdowns to control their populations.
Thanks to technology, increasing Chinese and Russian aggression, and postmodernist thought, more state and private actors than ever have the means, motive and cover to steal sensitive data.
As the trade and tech wars bleed into human rights issues, there will be very little room for compromise ahead.
By Reva Goujon
A recent report saying African governments have used the company's technology and engineers to spy on their political opponents illustrates the importance of controlling national communication networks.
GlobalFoundries has accused the Taiwanese tech giant TSMC of appropriating its manufacturing methods and is seeking a ban that could break major supply chains.
The success of the Libra -- and potentially the entire cryptocurrency market -- will hinge on its creator's ability to convince regulators that it's more trustworthy than Facebook and more stable than Bitcoin.
Glencore will halt operations at the facility that produces 20 percent of the world's cobalt supply, creating repercussions for market and tech manufacturers.
Reva Goujon speaks with Russell Gold, who covers energy for the Wall Street Journal, for the second installment of a conversation on the future of energy.
