Piracy trends: Rising hostage risks amid stable attack numbers in 2024

In some regions, unresolved conflicts are solidifying into prolonged humanitarian emergencies, while in others, long-standing tensions are at risk of flaring up again under political pressure or regional strain.

Since the 11 September 2001 attacks, US air power has been used repeatedly across multiple regions under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The map summarises where airstrikes, drone strikes or missile attacks were carried out, but the underlying record shows continuity rather than exception.

In 1885, Tsar Alexander III of Russia sparked a royal tradition that would become one of the most opulent and iconic legacies in the history of art.