On March 4th, 2026, Iranian forces declared the Strait of Hormuz “closed.” Roughly 20 percent of global LNG, one third of the world’s fertiliser, and 20 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait in 2025, exposing the cost of energy dependence on conflict-prone chokepoints. Since Iran shut the Strait,
On Sunday, May 24th, an Oreshnik ballistic missile was used during a drone and missile attack in Kyiv. This marks the third time this weapon has been used during the Russo-Ukrainian war. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, four people were killed by the strike. At least 83 were wounded,
Israeli strikes have continued across southern Lebanon during the first week of June despite ongoing ceasefire efforts, raising concerns about renewed escalation in the conflict. The airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military targeted several different towns in the south following an evacuation order for residents of the Lebanese city
On Saturday, May 23, the U.S. military flew two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft over Caracas and landed them near the U.S. Embassy. It was the first military exercise conducted in Venezuela’s capital since U.S. forces captured former President Nicolás Maduro back in January. The U.S. Embassy described this new development
On November 28, 1984, Casper W. Weinberger made a speech at the National Press Club. During his speech titled “The Uses of Military Power,” then-US Defense Secretary said, “I have developed six major tests to be applied when we are weighing the use of U.S. combat forces abroad.” The United
On May 28, 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israeli Defense Forces to seize control of 70% of the Gaza Strip as the Palestinian death toll rose to over 75,000. A U.S.-brokered truce from October 2025 initially allowed Israel to control 53% of Gaza; however, they have been consistently
On May 26, 2026 North Korea launched another ballistic missile, this one aimed towards the country’s West Coast, which landed in the Yellow Sea. This is the eighth missile launch conducted as a test by North Korea, all of which are aimed at not only testing their weapons, but also
On May 14th, 2026, in Amman, Jordan, Yemeni parties came to an agreement to release more than 1,600 prisoners based on an accord brokered by the United Nations. In terms of numbers released, it marks the largest-ever deal for releasing prisoners since the start of the civil war a decade
Ukrainian forces intensified their intermediate-range strike campaign designed to cripple Russian industrial capacity while simultaneously shifting their tactics on the frontline, signaling what analysts are describing as a “new phase” of the war. In recent weeks, Ukrainian drones targeted ammunition depots, military training facilities, airfields, and other defense-industrial infrastructure located
Eleven children on average have been killed or injured every 24 hours in Lebanon following Israel’s expansion of strikes in the country, totaling 77 child deaths or injuries in the last seven days, according to UNICEF. Israeli strikes have occurred in multiple towns and villages throughout Southern Lebanon following Israeli
NEW DELHI — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s arrival in India this week carries the distinct weight of a diplomatic rescue mission. Billed as a four-day effort to steady increasingly rocky relations between Washington and New Delhi, the high-stakes visit is a delicate balancing act of hard-nosed geopolitical strategy,
On May 13th, the Romanian president Nicușor Dan and Polish leader Karol Nawrocki co-hosted the Bucharest Nine (B.9.) and Nordic Allies, resulting in a joint declaration ahead of N.A.T.O.’s Ankara Summit in July. The B.9. endorsed the N.A.T.O. 3.0 strategy, committing to build “a stronger Europe in a stronger N.A.T.O.”
On May 25th, Pope Leo XIV published his encyclical titled Magnifica Humanitas, which takes a drastically different stance on international conflict than previously expressed by the Catholic Church. In the encyclical, Leo wrote that just war theory, a centuries old list of criteria determining how to wage war morally, is
The rate of mass repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and Iran has increased significantly. According to the statistics provided by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), about 232,500 Afghans returned to Afghanistan in 2026. As of May 17 2026, the latest UNHCR Weekly Dashboard shows that there were 146,206
Mistreatment of activists aboard a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza sparks international condemnation. More than 50 vessels made up the flotilla that was carrying food and medical aid for the people of Gaza. The flotilla attempted to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, but was intercepted by Israeli forces before
On May 24th, Russia launched a drone attack against Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, according to The New York Times. Missiles struck two entryways to a subway system currently serving as a refuge for those sheltering from bombardment, and also struck near Kyiv’s Independence Square. This attack has been deemed ‘nuclear
R.S.F. Brigadier General al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, also known as Abu Lulu, was reportedly released from prison and returned to the battlefield despite his internationally sanctioned actions that constituted the filmed execution of unarmed civilians. Nine separate sources told Reuters that they personally saw Abu Lulu back on the battlefield in
On Tuesday, May 19th, a Hong Kong court completed arguments regarding a national security trial for two organizers of a city vigil that took place in remembrance of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. The charges were brought against Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan—two ex-leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support
Last week, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed an active outbreak of the Ebola virus in the northeast region of the country. The first cases were found in Ituri Province, though the disease has spread in the last seven days to nearby provinces
On May 14th, 2023, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa resigned from her position following the collapse of her coalition government. The downfall began with Siliņa firing Defense Minister Andris Sprūds after Ukrainian drones flew into Latvia from Russia on May 7th and later exploded at an oil storage facility. According
