One of the world’s first proxy war was perhaps the Egyptian-Ottoman conflict in the late 1830s to early 1840s, with each side backed by a coterie of allies. Today, proxy wars continue in places like Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan. These countries are effectively the battleground for superpowers (or aspiring ones) vying for long-term influence. But what are the less obvious proxy wars to watch in the coming year? Here are three to keep track of in 2018 – a Central Asian country, a resource-rich region and one growing area of the tech industry
