Nigeria Repels Major Militant Attack
In West Africa, Nigerian soldiers repelled a significant assault on a military base in Mallam Fatori, Borno State, killing 80 Islamic militants. The attackers — suspected members of Boko Haram or the…
India’s Budget Process and Australia’s Domestic Struggles
India’s Lok Sabha “guillotined” Demands for Grants worth ₹53 lakh crore (approximately $630 billion), a procedural move that allows budget spending to be approved without detailed debate. Union…
The Big Picture
March 18, 2026, offered a snapshot of a world grappling with overlapping crises: hot wars and fragile ceasefires, geopolitical chess played through sport, organised crime threatening democratic…
Walter MurrowUnderworld Threats Shadow Australia’s CFMEU Probe
Domestically, Australia faces its own rule-of-law challenges. A senior Australian Federal Police officer has warned that the investigation into the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union…
France’s Municipal Campaign Heats Up
In France, the 2026 municipal election campaign shifted into high gear on March 18. Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella held a rally in Châlons-en-Champagne, while in Paris, a televised debate brought…
Brazil and Chile: Investigators Press Forward
Across Latin America, law enforcement agencies signalled they are not backing down from high-profile cases. In Brazil, Federal Police Director Andrei Rodrigues declared at a banking federation event…
Australia’s Pacific Play: Rugby as a Counter to China
Half a world away, Australia is waging a very different kind of strategic contest — this time on the rugby field. Leaders from Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa are lobbying the Albanese government for a $150…
Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions: Airstrikes, Diplomacy, and an Eid “Pause”
The most volatile story of the day unfolded across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where a fragile Eid ceasefire has been announced even as the two nations remain locked in a bitter confrontation…
The Bigger Picture
Three weeks in, the Iran conflict is proving what energy analysts and security experts have long warned: a war in the Persian Gulf would not stay contained. Its effects are being felt in German…
Pakistan: Security Tensions and Development Promises
In neighbouring Pakistan, security forces announced the arrest of a young woman identified as a “would-be” female suicide bomber in Khuzdar, Balochistan. Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti told reporters…