Afiya Ibnath Ayshi

“We’re tired of so many days of blackouts. Three days in a row of the same,” said Edward Rafael, an 18‑year‑old participating in a protest in Havana. For Cubans, this statement captures the atmosphere across much of the island as the country experiences one of its most severe economic and infrastructure crises in decades. Between January and March 2026, Cuba entered a period of escalating instability marked by widespread electricity failures, growing public protests, and increased...

How much does a nation’s future security depend on the way it manages its debts? And what hidden costs emerge when power and infrastructure projects are poorly governed? These were the questions on my mind as I attended a policy roundtable organized by the research think tank Change Initiative in partnership with SOAS University of London on 18 February 2026. The event, titled “The Governance of Power and Infrastructure Projects and the Implications for Public Debt Management,” brought...

A sudden disruption in liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Qatar, one of the world’s largest LNG exporters, has triggered immediate concerns across Asian energy markets, particularly for import-dependent economies such as Bangladesh. The disruption is caused by attacks on major energy infrastructures in Qatar and wider instability in the Middle East, raising the risk of long-term supply shortages and price fluctuations. Energy production and exports have also been disrupted in other...