Global Watch

Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war has brought immense destruction but no clear victor. What many observers expected to last weeks has become the longest major war fought on European soil since World War II. The conflict has reshaped Europe’s security landscape, devastated Ukraine, strained Russia’s military and economy, and tested the cohesion of the Western alliance.   Russia has fail...

The war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to escalate, with growing confusion over possible peace talks.   US President Donald Trump has suggested negotiations with Iran may be underway, but officials in Tehran strongly deny this. Iranian leaders say the claims are false and accuse Washington of trying to buy time while reinforcing its military presence in the region.   Fighting Spreads Across the Middle East ...

Cuba’s national power grid collapsed on March 21, 2026, leaving millions without electricity and exposing the depth of the island’s worsening energy crisis. As authorities work to restore power, the blackout is disrupting daily life across the country.   Blackouts Impact Homes, Hospitals, and Businesses The outage plunged large parts of Havana and provinces like Matanzas and Holguín into darkness. By March 22, only abou...

While global attention is on the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, another confrontation is unfolding further east. Pakistan and Afghanistan are edging toward escalation along one of Asia’s most volatile borders.   Fighting began to intensify in late February and continued into early March, forcing more than 115,000 people to flee their homes. The clashes are happening along the Durand Line, the 2,600-kilometer border...

Since joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, China has rewritten the rules of global trade. When the United States and European nations welcomed Beijing into the WTO, they hoped that integration into global markets would open China politically and economically. Instead, China leveraged the WTO to grow its economy, tighten state control, and gain influence in international trade, reshaping global markets in the process.   Why C...