Washington

Nigeria: Where Every Fault Line Is Exploding

The tragic events of Monday, November 11, speak volumes about Nigeria’s downward spiral. Nearly 200 jihadists were killed in clashes between Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) around Lake Chad, according to several local sources. The infighting highlights the extreme fragmentation of a conflict that has torn apart ...

Syria Foils Two Islamic State Plots to Assassinate Sharaa

According to Reuters, Syrian authorities have thwarted two separate Islamic State (IS) plots to assassinate President Ahmed al-Sharaa in recent months, in what officials described as a direct threat to the leader as he prepares to join a U.S.-led coalition against the militant group. Two senior officials, one Syrian and one from the broader ...

Disarmament in Lebanon’s Interest Amid Mounting International Pressure

According to an official Lebanese source, the process of placing all weapons exclusively under state authority is first and foremost a Lebanese initiative — not an Israeli, American, or broader international demand. Any delay or suspension of this process, the source warned, would have negative repercussions solely for Lebanon and its ...

Trump Hails Central Asia's 'Unbelievable Potential' at Summit

US President Donald Trump hosted all five Central Asian leaders on Thursday for the first time, a few months after they held separate summits with Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping. The West has upped its interest in the resource-rich region, where Moscow's traditional influence has been questioned since the Kremlin's Ukraine ...

New U.S. Sanctions Target Hezbollah Financial Intermediaries

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Thursday new sanctions against several individuals accused of transferring tens of millions of dollars from Iran to Hezbollah in 2025 through Lebanese money exchange houses. According to the Treasury, these networks exploit Lebanon’s largely cash-based and informal financial system to fund the ...

US Govt to Become Shareholder in Rare Earths Processing Firm

The US government will become a shareholder in a startup specializing in rare earth processing, the company announced Monday, as the United States looks to reduce its dependence on China. Vulcan Elements, based in North Carolina, said the US government is to partner with private investors who will inject $550 million into the firm's capital. The ...

Dominican Republic says Americas Summit Postponed Amid Tension over US Military Deployment

A meeting called the Summit of the Americas has been postponed because of tension in the region, host Dominican Republic said Monday, amid the US military deployment in the Caribbean. Originally due to take place in December, the gathering has been delayed until next year after consultations with countries that had been invited to attend, ...

Asia Markets Mostly up on Heels of Apple, Amazon Earnings

Asian stock markets mostly rose Friday morning, with a surge in Japanese shares coming after better-than-expected earnings reports from US tech behemoths Apple and Amazon. Investor confidence in artificial intelligence has fuelled a rally in global stock markets this week that saw California-based chip designer Nvidia become the first-ever $5 ...

Donald Trump’s Rare Earth Diplomacy

Donald Trump is taking aim at China’s dominance over rare earths, the invisible metals that power everything from smartphones to missiles. His goal: to free the global economy from its dependence on Beijing and secure US access to these critical resources. What Are Rare Earths? Despite their name, rare earths are 17 metals, including ...

Kanaan Rejects New Taxes and Calls for Fair Public Sector Reform

Head of Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, reiterated on Thursday that the committee “rejects any increase or creation of new taxes and fees” aimed solely at closing the state’s budget deficit. “Every time the state needs funding, it imposes new burdens on citizens. This approach must stop,” Kanaan declared ...

G7 Meets on Countering China's Critical Mineral Dominance

Curbing China's critical mineral dominance will top the agenda at a G7 energy ministers meeting in Canada on Thursday, as industrialized democracies seek more reliable access to the resources that power future technologies. The Group of Seven, including US President Donald Trump's administration, has sounded the alarm over China's stranglehold on ...