Glimpse from the Globe

On Oct.19, 2025, thieves stole eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The incident drew international condemnation, not just because of the immense monetary value of the jewels, but because of their undeniable historical significance as well. French President Emmanuel Macron called the heist “an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history.” Irony, however, persists.

In December 2025, more than half a million civilians along either side of the Thailand and Cambodia border sheltered from bombardment. As of early 2026, the conflict’s impact remains ongoing, with millions of people displaced. The months-long conflict began on May 28, 2025, following a skirmish between the Thai and Cambodian military troops.

The United States Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. affirmed a lower court’s ruling on March 6, 2026, blocking the Trump administration’s efforts, through the Department of Homeland Security, to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for around 350,000 Haitians living in the United States. The divided 2-1 ruling protects the hundreds of thousands of Haitians from deportation, permitting them to remain and work legally in the United States, as opposed to returning to Haiti.

Over the past few years, several Gulf nations in the Middle East have unveiled ambitious plans using Artificial Intelligence (AI), with financial investments, infrastructure developments and international collaborations becoming a focal point of many countries’ vision for the future. Saudi Arabia is expected to see the most gains from these new AI developments, with a PWC report projecting that AI will account for 12.4% of the Kingdom’s GDP by 2030.

On a crisp autumn day in October 2024, Kazakhs entered the polling booths to voice their support or dissent for a nationwide referendum authorizing the construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant. With an astounding turnout of almost 8 million citizens and a 71% approval rate, the referendum was successful. Nonetheless, the opposition against the nuclear plant’s construction was vociferous.

The CIA has been working to arm Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, according to reporting by CNN on Tuesday, March 3. The effort appears aimed at opening a new front in the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, which President Trump reportedly discussed on Sunday with Iraqi Kurdish leaders Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani. Trump also reportedly spoke on Tuesday with Mustafa Hijri, the president of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI).

As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, questions about the durability of Western support have become increasingly relevant. The United States and the European Union (EU) have poured tens of billions of dollars into Ukraine’s defense since Russia’s invasion, providing a mix of military equipment, financial assistance and humanitarian relief. Yet the pace and consistency of that support have begun to diverge, shaped by shifting political priorities and leadership changes.

On April 22 of last year, militants launched a deadly attack on tourists in the scenic town of Pahalgam, located in Indian-administered Kashmir. While investigations are still underway, with India quickly placing blame on Pakistan for the event, a relatively unknown group known as The Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the killing of 25 Indian nationals, consisting of 24 Indian tourists and a Kashmiri guide, and one Nepali national.

On Sept. 22, 2025, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was open to resuming talks with the United States if Washington “drops the absurd obsession” with denuclearization. Just weeks later, Pyongyang unveiled the latest version of its Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)—sparking renewed fears among U.S. policymakers over the country’s nuclear advancement.

The world held a moment of silence during the COVID-19 pandemic, an eerie one, where the busiest streets of the world’s most populated cities were vacant. The emptiness of a smileless face covered with a mask became a sense of safety, a discomforting juxtaposition that many people grappled with. Healthcare workers were covered in Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and wore double N95 masks cutting into the back of their ears.