Last year, more than 500,000 people crossed the Darién Gap on the Panama-Colombia border, a major route for U.S.-bound migrants. This jungle route is a critical issue for politicians in Central and South America as well as the U.S. For José Raúl Mulino, a Panamanian presidential frontrunner, addressing it could be key to winning office.…

With major wars, sanctions, tribal militias, and pirate gangs each disrupting the world’s waterways, global maritime trade is becoming more complicated, more expensive, and more dangerous. Many of these conflicts show signs of intensifying, raising important questions about the future of global maritime trade. Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan says it is only a…

The crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border is worsening, with record-breaking numbers of migrant encounters. According to NewsNation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported 302,000 migrant encounters in December alone, surpassing the previous monthly high of nearly 270,000 in September. The surge of migrants is not limited to individuals from Mexico and Latin American countries.…

Oscar Pistorius, a South African Olympian who was convicted of killing his girlfriend in 2013, has been released from prison. Pistorius served nearly nine years of the 15-year prison sentence handed down to him for killing Reeva Steenkamp, his then-girlfriend, a decade ago. There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming…

Is the United States ready to declare war against Iranian-backed Houthi militants? Since launching Operation Prosperity Guardian in December, issues have intensified for the U.S. and its allies in the Red Sea. Houthi rebels carried out another attack on Thursday, Jan. 4, employing an unmanned surface vessel to target U.S. Navy and commercial vessels. The…

The Panama Canal has imposed unprecedented restrictions on transits, driven by water shortages linked to the El Niño phenomenon in 2023. The canal’s reservoir system is significantly impacted, causing ripple effects across global shipping operations. Following Panama’s rainy season, Lake Gatun, the crucial reservoir supplying water for the canal’s locks and the nation’s primary source…

Climate activists around the world have been employing increasingly disruptive tactics to draw awareness toward environmental abuses they believe pose a threat to the planet. Their methods, which have included blocking traffic, occupying vessels and defacing art, have been met with varying responses from law enforcement, lawmakers and the general public. “We’ve tried every other…

A significant drought has struck the Panama Canal, creating disruptions in international supply chains and posing a potential threat to the upcoming holiday season. The vital international waterway, responsible for connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, manages about 5% of seaborne trade. Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan sheds light on the grim conditions at…

The Russian navy has suffered a string of setbacks recently. The Ukrainians have begun striking targets in Crimea, which formerly served as Russia’s control hub over the Black Sea. Meanwhile, Sweden and Finland together control most of the Baltic Sea, and both of those nations filed to join NATO following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine…

Two individuals died Tuesday, Nov. 7, when a gunman opened fire during one of the protests against a mining contract. Protests have been ongoing for two weeks in Panama. A man, later identified as 77-year-old Kenneth Darlington, a U.S. citizen born in Panama, appeared frustrated by a protest-related roadblock near Panama’s capital. He attempted to…