Global Rivalries

The United States and South Korea have begun their annual Freedom Shield military drills, bringing thousands of troops together for large-scale training exercises across the Korean Peninsula. The drills, which will run until March 19, are designed to improve military coordination and readiness between the two allies.   In response, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned that the exercises could incre...

As US sanctions tighten and oil shipments dry up, Cuba is sliding deeper into an energy and economic crisis. With President Donald Trump suggesting the island could be the next for US military action, the question is whether the increasing pressure will trigger political change in the country or simple increase its instability.   A New US Strategy to Squeeze Cuba’s Energy Lifeline President Donald Trump has suggested that Cuba could...

War between Iran, Israel, and the United States is intensifying with no clear end in sight, as airstrikes, missile attacks, and mounting civilian casualties push the region deeper into crisis.   In recent days, the Iranian capital Tehran has been engulfed in smoke after Israeli and US strikes hit multiple oil depots and fuel facilities across the city. Massive fires sent thick plumes of smoke across residential areas, prompting health warn...

Missiles lit up the sky on February 28, 2026, after tense talks collapsed and the United States and Israel launched a major strike campaign against Iran. In a dramatic escalation, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a strike, leaving Tehran in shock and the region bracing for wider conflict. Global markets reacted immediately, pushing oil prices sharply higher and hitting families from Asia to Europe with rising fue...

For decades, national security meant tanks, troops, and missiles. The COVID-19 pandemic changed that thinking overnight. A virus brought nations to a standstill, overwhelmed health systems, shut borders, and crashed economies faster than any armed conflict.   COVID-19 exposed the hard truth that weak public health systems are a national security risk. Governments deployed militaries to build hospitals, transport supplies, enforce lockdowns...