Persistent challenges to international security dominated world affairs in the year to mid-2015. But there was also progress towards bridging decades-old rifts. Large parts of the Middle East were consumed by fighting: the four-year-old civil war in Syria showed no sign of abating; sectarian conflict was spreading in Iraq; and wars broke out in Yemen and Libya. In Europe, the conflict in Ukraine and Russia's actions prompted NATO allies to step up military readiness and exercises. The threat from jihadist terrorism was rising. In West Africa, the conflict with the Islamist Boko Haram group spread across borders. In the Asia-Pacific, President Xi Jinping sought to expand China's influence through economic initiatives, sharpening strategic competition with the United States. Amongst positive developments, the long stand-off between major powers and Iran over its nuclear programme was close to resolution, and the United States and Cuba ended a freeze in relations that had lasted for more than half a century. -- Publisher description.

Includes index.

Events at a glance ---- 1. Perspectives --- 2. Drivers of Strategic Change --- 3. Strategic Policy Issues --- 4. United States --- 5. Latin America --- 6. Europe --- 7. Russia and Eurasia --- 8. Middle East and North Africa --- 9. Sub-Saharan Africa --- 10. South Asia and Afghanistan --- 11. Asia-Pacific --- 12. Perspectives.