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Sunday, January 18, 2026 10:32 PM ET

Christian Science Monitor - World

Their power grid under attack, Ukrainians struggle with a long, cold winter -- Russian attacks are hitting Ukrainian energy infrastructure hard, leaving residents without power and heat in one of the coldest winters of the war to date.

2 days ago

In Iran, witness accounts of atrocities counter regime claims of calm -- A brutal Iranian crackdown has appeared to quash most protests, and officials are seeking to portray a sense of "national solidarity." But images and witness accounts of shocking "atrocities" are accumulating and painting a different picture.

2 days ago

Musk reins in Grok from making provocative images. Is it a victory for Europe? -- AI chatbot Grok's generation of provocative "deepfake" images of women and children has highlighted how differently Europe and the U.S. view online regulation.

3 days ago

New Gaza governing committee meets, a step forward for fragile ceasefire -- Formation of the apolitical Palestinian committee, which met for the first time in Cairo, follows months of low-level conflict and unfulfilled pledges that have threatened the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. In Gaza, it was greeted with skepticism and hope.

3 days ago

In Iran, shah's 1979 fall echoes in today's protests -- The historic protests in Iran have become increasingly deadly. They're also showing more parallels with another uprising nearly 50 years ago.

3 days ago

Gulf powers fall out over Yemen. At stake is cooperation over Gaza and Syria. -- A spat over Yemen has quickly spiraled into what is being called a diplomatic "divorce" between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both of which are vying to lead the Middle East into a new era of stability and cooperation.

4 days ago

Does the US need to own Greenland to be secure? History suggests not. -- The United States has long worked with Denmark on Greenland's security – so much so that it's dubious that direct control would be better for U.S. defense.

4 days ago

Cuba has wielded global soft power for decades. Why that matters now. -- When the United States struck Venezuela on Jan. 3, almost a third of the victims were Cuban nationals. Their presence in the country shows Cuba's soft power.

4 days ago

On election day, Ugandan youth weigh stability versus possibility -- The youth vote in Uganda's presidential elections is divided; young people are rallying around both President Yoweri Museveni and challenger Bobi Wine.

4 days ago

How the race for rare earths could shape Myanmar's civil war -- Efforts to diversify rare earth supply chains are bringing new attention to war-ravaged Myanmar, where massive rare earth deposits create opportunity – and risk – for the fractured rebellion.

5 days ago

Letter from Moscow: For travelers in Russia, road to Europe is longer than ever -- Since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, travel from Moscow to Europe has become a frustration – as the Monitor's Moscow correspondent well knows.

5 days ago

Jihadis took over their towns. Many distrust Mali's rulers just as much. -- In a refugee camp in Mauritania, displaced Malians describe fleeing both Islamist insurgents and their own military government.

6 days ago

Central American politicians offer fewer freedoms to win more votes -- Central American authoritarian governments have earned public support with their crackdowns on crime. Democracy has suffered as a result.

6 days ago

Seeing an 'existential' struggle, Iran cracks down hard on protests -- A harsh crackdown is under way in Iran as leaders see a current wave of antigovernment protests as a threat to the regime. The protests began as economic in nature but have been fueled by anger over years of failed state policies.

7 days ago