Global Rivalries

On May 4, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced a $100 million plan to build a new paramilitary mining guard to protect some of the world’s most valuable mineral sites. The country holds major reserves of cobalt and rare earth minerals that power electric vehicles, smartphones, and advanced defense systems. As global demand rises, so does competition, particularly between the US and China.   Mining Guard Plan Signals a...

China has formally imposed sanctions on Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, barring him, his wife, and his children from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.   The measures appear to be a response to Teodoro's outspoken criticism of China's repeated incursions into the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone. Speaking at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, 2026, Teodoro stressed that incursions in both the Eas...

The United States and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding that the White House is portraying as a diplomatic success. Yet the agreement also grants Tehran substantial economic relief after months of war and could provide the Islamic Republic with an opportunity to rebuild.   The memorandum calls for an immediate ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, renewed nuclear negotiations, the gradual removal of sanctions, the ...

Seventeen years after Air France Flight 447 plunged into the Atlantic and killed 228 people, two corporate giants have finally been branded responsible for one of aviation’s most haunting disasters.   A Paris appeals court has convicted Air France and Airbus of corporate manslaughter, overturning an earlier acquittal and rejecting the idea that two dead pilots should carry the blame alone. The ruling turns a long fight by victims&rsq...

The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 exercises will bring together the world’s largest coalition of maritime forces in Hawaii from June 24 to July 21. Thirty-one nations will participate, with around 25,000 personnel, 140 aircrafts, 40 surface ships, and 5 submarines expected.   Under the theme “Partners: Integrated and Prepared,” the exercise reflects a sharpening Indo-Pacific security environment where deterrence, inter...