Global Affairs
Introduction Russia’s engagement in Africa has intensified dramatically in recent years, marked by a strategic blend of military deployments, economic investments, and diplomatic overtures. As of 2025, Moscow is advancing plans to establish a naval base in Sudan, expand its network of embassies, and deepen security partnerships with authoritarian
Global Affairs
Introduction On April 24, 2025, the heads of intelligence and security agencies from all five Central Asian states-Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan-convened in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for an unprecedented summit. This historic gathering marked a significant milestone in the evolution of regional security cooperation, as the region’s governments seek
Global Affairs
Introduction The past 24 hours have seen a dangerous escalation in the decades-long India-Pakistan conflict, with cross-border skirmishes, diplomatic ruptures, and nuclear posturing bringing the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of broader military confrontation. The flashpoint remains the disputed region of Kashmir, where a lethal terrorist attack on April 22,
Global Affairs
Introduction Ecuador, once celebrated as an “island of peace” in the Andes, now finds itself at the epicenter of Latin America’s spiraling drug war. In the spring of 2025, President Daniel Noboa made a dramatic and unprecedented appeal: he called for the deployment of U.S., European, and Brazilian
Elections
Introduction The 2025 Canadian federal election, held on April 28, marked a pivotal moment in the nation’s political history. Against a backdrop of economic anxiety, aggressive U.S. trade policies, and rising nationalist sentiment, Canadians delivered a verdict that both reaffirmed the Liberal Party’s dominance and signaled a
Global Affairs
Introduction In late April 2025, the long-simmering territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea erupted into a new and highly publicized confrontation. Both countries planted their national flags on Sandy Cay-a collection of three uninhabited sandbars near Thitu Island (Pag-asa) in the Spratly Islands-each seeking
Global Affairs
Introduction On April 22, 2025, the tranquil meadows of Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir were shattered by one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in the region’s recent history. Multiple gunmen, emerging from the dense pine forests, opened fire on hundreds of tourists, killing at least 26
Global Affairs
Introduction Romania stands at a political crossroads as it approaches its rescheduled presidential elections in May 2025. The country’s democratic institutions, already shaken by the annulment of the previous year’s vote due to evidence of Russian interference, are now under further strain. At the center of the storm
Global Affairs
Executive Summary A new U.S. intelligence assessment has upended the narrative that the Venezuelan government is orchestrating the activities of the Tren de Aragua gang in the United States. This finding directly contradicts claims previously used to justify mass deportations and the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act against
Global Affairs
Introduction A dramatic escalation in the Ukraine war’s fourth year unfolded on Friday, April 25, 2025, as a senior Russian general was killed in a car bombing outside Moscow just as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in the Russian capital for high-stakes peace talks with President Vladimir
Global Affairs
Introduction A sweeping corruption probe in Brussels has triggered unprecedented action against the lobbying operations of Chinese technology giant Huawei within the European Union. In April 2025, the European Commission announced it would no longer meet with any lobbyists or intermediaries representing Huawei’s interests. This move follows the European
Global Affairs
Introduction The global economic landscape has been rocked by a renewed escalation in the U.S.-China trade war, with President Donald Trump’s administration imposing a 145% tariff on Chinese imports earlier this month. China has responded in kind, raising its own tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%