Global Watch

For decades, experts have warned that Central Asia could face conflicts over water in the future. The region depends heavily on two major rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, which support agriculture, energy production, and the livelihoods of millions of people. As climate change accelerates and water supplies become less predictable, concerns about regional stability are growing.   Yet despite recurring shortages and political tensions, ...

Africa's energy ambitions are evolving. For decades, many African countries exported crude oil while importing refined fuels, leaving them vulnerable to global supply disruptions, price volatility, and foreign refining capacity. Today, governments and investors are increasingly trying to change that model.   New refinery projects across the continent—including proposals linked to Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote—reflect a bro...

Western intelligence agencies are warning that China is using fake job offers, online recruiters, and consulting fronts to turn ordinary professional networking sites into hunting grounds for espionage.   On June 3, 2026, the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, issued a rare joint public warning about what it described as an aggressive Chinese intelligen...

Argentina is playing more than 17,000 kilometers from Bangladesh, yet millions of fans watch Argentina as if the blue-and-white shirt represents them too. Across the country, streets fill with flags, murals of Messi and Diego Maradona cover walls, and families gather through the night for matches that begin in the early morning.   The scale of that support is striking. Bangladeshi writer and sports commentator Rajib Hasan has estimated tha...

Iraq has weighed leaving OPEC if the group refuses to grant Baghdad a significantly higher oil production quota, deepening the pressure inside a cartel already weakened by recent exits and growing internal disputes.   The dispute would add to OPEC’s internal strains and put fresh pressure on Saudi Arabia’s role as the group’s dominant power. Angola left OPEC in 2024 after a quota dispute, and the United Arab Emirates...