Global Watch

North Africa is entering a new and dangerous phase. Morocco and Algeria are spending billions on weapons, fighter jets, missiles, and defense systems. Their rivalry is quickly turning into one of the biggest military competitions in Africa.   The roots of this conflict go back more than 50 years. When Spain left Western Sahara in 1975, Morocco claimed the territory. A separatist group called the Polisario Front began fighting for independe...

As the war in the Middle East draws increasing attention and resources from the United States, officials in Taiwan are growing concerned that China may use the moment to increase pressure on the island.   Taiwan has long been one of Asia’s most sensitive flashpoints. Beijing views the island as part of its territory and has never ruled out the use of force. Now, with Washington focused on another major conflict, Taipei fears the regi...

For years, major tech companies built their success on a global system that allowed them to operate almost anywhere. They used cheap labor, low taxes, and light regulations to cut costs and boost profits. This strategy is known as global arbitrage.   Companies like Apple and Nvidia benefited greatly from this model. Nvidia, which pioneered graphics processing units and now dominates hardware and software used in artificial intelligence, gr...

Public opinion in China is becoming noticeably more hawkish. A new study by the Carter Center, based on surveys of around 6,500 people across mainland China, shows declining trust in the outside world and rising support for a tougher national stance.   This shift comes as tensions grow between China and the United States, as well as its regional allies.   Chinese Public Now Sees the United States as a Strategic Threat The biggest c...

A major court case in the United States has shaken the tech industry. A jury in Los Angeles ruled that Meta and YouTube helped create addictive platforms that harmed a young woman’s mental health. The 20-year-old plaintiff, known as Kaley, was awarded $6 million in damages after arguing she became addicted to social media as a child.   Jurors found that Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, and Google, which owns YouTube, designed...