Global
Cross-regional, system-level stories that span multiple theaters, alliances, and strategic domains.
679 Dispatches
Why Hasn't America Attacked Iran Yet? Reading the Buildup Behind the Pause
The US massed overwhelming force around Iran, then held fire. Reading the military movements and back-channel talks to explain Washington's pause.
Mexico Is at War: The Killing of El Mencho and the CJNG's Day of Vengeance
How the killing of CJNG boss El Mencho turned Jalisco into a warzone, what it means for Mexico's drug war, and the fight to come over his empire.
Assad Loyalists Are Plotting a Comeback in Syria — and It's Falling Apart
Exiled Assad loyalists in Russia and Lebanon are competing to revive the old Syrian regime, but money, rivalry, and a stabilizing Syria are sinking the plot.
China's Population Crisis and the Limits of Its Military Ambitions
China's population is falling fast, and the demographic decline threatens Beijing's economy, pension system, and the modernized military Xi Jinping envisions.
How Morocco Won Western Sahara at the Negotiating Table, Not on the Battlefield
After 55 years of conflict, Morocco's diplomatic campaign and a new autonomy plan have all but sealed its control of Western Sahara over the Polisario Front.
Japan: Roadmap to Rearmament
After eight decades of pacifism, Japan is rebuilding its military. What is driving the shift, what it is buying, and what still constrains it.
Why Ukraine Cannot Surrender the Donbas: The Fortress Belt and the Ceasefire Trap
Russia's ceasefire demands hinge on Ukraine surrendering the Donbas and its fortress belt—a concession Kyiv views as a path to a far worse war.
Haiti Between Anarchy and Autocracy: A Crisis That Keeps Getting Worse
Haiti's transitional council collapsed and an unelected, US-backed prime minister now stands alone, as a UN force prepares to deploy into gang-held streets.
Pakistan is in Crisis. Could It End in Collapse?
Pakistan faces simultaneous crises in 2026: a massive BLA insurgency in Balochistan, the Pakistani Taliban's resurgence, political repression, economic collapse, and overextended alliances.
Sudan's Military is on a Roll
Sudan’s army broke two sieges in seventeen days, reversing a war most analysts had written off. What changed, and what it means for the RSF.
Niger's Ignored Nuclear Crisis
An Islamic State attack on Niamey's international airport exposed Niger's deepening security collapse — and the jihadist proto-state forming in its countryside.
Ukraine Is Freezing Over: How Russia Weaponizes Winter Against the Grid
Inside Ukraine's fourth winter of war, where Russian strikes on the power grid have turned subzero cold into a deliberate weapon against civilians.