France rejects Niger accusation over alleged role in failed mutiny in Niamey
France has rejected Niger's accusation that Paris helped incite a failed mutiny involving attacks on a military airbase and the presidential palace in Niamey. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described the claim as "pure fantasy" after Niger's ruling military council repeated its allegations a week after the unrest. The dispute adds to already strained relations between the two countries since Niger's 2023 coup.According to Niger's government, the operation was "instigated and sustained" by what it called a broad network led by the French government. Government spokesman Soumana Boubacar said in a statement read on television that "traitorous and renegade elements"... [Continue Reading]
Sponsored
US says it struck three Iranian oil tankers after warships were targeted in the Gulf of Oman
US Central Command says it struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships in regional waters. The command said one tanker near Kharg Island was permanently disabled, while another vessel near Jask in the Gulf of Oman was also disabled and a third tanker in the Gulf of Oman was completely destroyed. It said no American personnel were harmed in the exchange.Centcom said the attacks on the tankers followed what it described as multiple Iranian missile launches aimed at a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer. Admiral Brad... [Continue Reading]
Ratko Mladić commemoration opens in Belgrade as burial set without state honours
A commemoration for former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladić opened on Saturday at the House of the Serbian Army in Belgrade, as Serbia faces renewed scrutiny over how it is handling the death of the convicted war criminal. His remains were flown to Serbia from The Hague on a government plane on Thursday, before being taken under police escort through the capital. Serbian authorities have said the burial will take place without state or military honours and without serving officials in attendance.Mladić died last week while serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity linked... [Continue Reading]
Drone incidents linked to Russia-Ukraine war spread across at least 20 European countries
Drone incidents linked to the Russia-Ukraine war have now been recorded in at least 20 European countries, according to the supplied report. The latest cases cited include a drone carrying explosives found at an airport in Germany and a major incident in Poland involving dozens of drones. The report says the pattern has widened beyond the front lines and into NATO airspace and critical infrastructure.The German case is described as the most recent episode, with the government accusing Russia after analysing the technology used in the device. In Poland, dozens of drones fell during a Russian air attack on neighbouring... [Continue Reading]
Sponsored
UAE president pardons Egyptian dissident-poet Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi after 10-year sentence
The United Arab Emirates has pardoned Egyptian opposition activist and poet Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, days after an Abu Dhabi court sentenced him to 10 years in prison. State media said President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued the pardon and that procedures are now under way to implement it. It was not immediately clear whether al-Qaradawi has been released.According to the reported court ruling, al-Qaradawi was sentenced on August 27 by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal's Cybercrime Division and fined 200,000 dirhams, or about $55,000. The case followed his arrest in Lebanon in December 2024 and extradition... [Continue Reading]
Europe faces suspected Russian sabotage campaign as Leipzig airport drone case deepens
Germany has said the drone incident at Leipzig airport was part of a wider pattern of Russian hybrid operations, adding to growing European concern about suspected sabotage linked to the war in Ukraine. The latest material describes a month of incidents that officials and investigators are treating as part of a broader campaign, with defence and military-related sites appearing to be the main targets. Some of the cases remain under investigation, but the pattern has prompted warnings that the activity may be intensifying.The Leipzig case began on 4 August, when the first drone was discovered at the airport. German officials... [Continue Reading]
Germany-Russia dispute over Leipzig/Halle drone allegation deepens amid diplomatic backlash
Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Russian ambassador after Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport last month. The move adds a diplomatic layer to a case that began as a security incident at one of Germany's major cargo airports. Russia has denied any connection to the allegation and rejected claims of involvement in hybrid activity in Europe.The Irish minister for European affairs, Thomas Byrne, described Russia's conduct as "absolutely outrageous" and said he paid no attention to the ambassador's remarks. The Russian Embassy in Ireland said Ambassador Yuriy Filatov "categorically rejected" the allegations... [Continue Reading]
US investigates alleged wedding strike in southern Iran as Tehran says it hit bases in Kuwait and the UAE
The United States says it is investigating Iranian claims that a missile strike hit a wedding in southern Iran, killing at least four people and injuring dozens more. Vice-President JD Vance said he was "extremely sceptical" about the allegation, but confirmed the administration would examine it. Iran says the strike hit a home in Sirik, in the country's south near the Strait of Hormuz, and has described the incident as a war crime.The Iranian Red Crescent Society said shrapnel from a missile struck the ceremony on Tuesday, leaving 67 people hurt and killing at least four. Iranian state media later... [Continue Reading]
Sponsored
Germany tests Israeli-made Lora missile in North Atlantic amid Russia tensions
Germany has successfully tested an Israeli-made ballistic missile in the North Atlantic, according to military and Nato officials. The test took place overnight and came as tensions with Moscow remained elevated. It followed Berlin's public accusation that Russia had attempted a drone attack near Leipzig/Halle Airport.The missile was identified as the Lora system, which is manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries and has a reported range of up to 500 km. German authorities said the test was successful, and Navy chief Jan Christian Kaack said the country's units could use the system effectively. He added that its potential range exceeded anything... [Continue Reading]
Maltese businessman acquitted in Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case
A Maltese businessman has been acquitted of complicity in the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, in a verdict delivered in Valletta. Yorgen Fenech, 44, had been on trial over the 2017 car-bomb killing that shocked Malta and drew widespread public outrage. The jury cleared him of both charges after eight hours of deliberation, according to the reported verdict.Fenech had denied accusations of complicity in murder and criminal association to commit murder. The jury's decision was reached by an 8-1 margin, and the courtroom reacted sharply to the outcome, with members of Fenech's family reported to have celebrated while... [Continue Reading]
Polish PM says fire at defence manufacturer was arson, with sabotage probe under way
A fire at a defence manufacturing plant in south-central Poland has been described by Prime Minister Donald Tusk as deliberate arson. The blaze broke out at WB Group's production site in SkarĹĽysko-Kamienna in the early hours of Monday and was extinguished after about two hours by local fire crews. Polish police and the Internal Security Agency are investigating the incident.Mr Tusk said there was "no doubt" that the fire at the SkarĹĽysko-Kamienna plant was an act of sabotage. He made the comments before a cabinet meeting in Warsaw on Tuesday, linking the case to another recent fire at a factory... [Continue Reading]
Germany probes suspected power substation sabotage as Russia summons envoy
German authorities are investigating two suspected sabotage attacks on electricity substations in different parts of the country, with one case also being examined as a possible terrorism offence. The incidents, in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, have added to concern in Berlin about attacks on critical infrastructure. They come as Germany separately faces diplomatic fallout over its accusation that Russia was behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig airport.Police said improvised explosives were fired early on Tuesday at a site in eastern Brandenburg, damaging power cables and prompting a terrorism probe. In the second case, investigators said unknown perpetrators caused a... [Continue Reading]
Sponsored
Germany investigates second power-grid sabotage attempt amid hybrid-war fears
German police are investigating a second suspected sabotage attempt against the country's power grid in less than 24 hours, in a case that has intensified concern over possible hybrid threats to critical infrastructure. The inquiry centres on technical infrastructure at a substation near Bergheim in western Germany. Officials said the electricity supply in the area was not interrupted.Police described the incident as premeditated vandalism and said it took place on Tuesday afternoon. A police spokesperson did not specify the damage caused, but confirmed that the grid remained stable throughout the episode. Amprion, which operates part of Germany's electricity network and... [Continue Reading]
Zambian opposition leader charged with treason after post-election raid
Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile has been charged with treason following a deadly raid and a period of detention that has deepened tensions after the country's recent presidential election. His lawyer said the charge was announced on Saturday night, after Mundubile had gone into hiding at a United Nations building in the capital, Lusaka. Seventeen other people, including his running mate Makebi Zulu, were also charged.The case comes after a disputed vote in which official results gave incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema 60% of the vote, compared with 38% for Mundubile. Mundubile had challenged the outcome, while the authorities accused his... [Continue Reading]
The Ghosn Paradox The Imperial Savior, His Cinematic Escape, and the Desperate Call to Salvage a Crumbling Nissan
The Man Who Defied Corporate Gravity Few corporate sagas in modern history possess the cinematic drama, geopolitical friction, and sheer psychological tension as the rise and fall of Carlos Ghosn. Once lauded as the ultimate transnational executive, a multi-lingual titan capable of bridging disparate business cultures, Ghosn became the absolute center of a global firestorm. His story cuts through the pristine facade of global corporate governance to reveal a messy underbelly of nationalism, legal vulnerability, and strategic failure. Rebuilding an Empire from the Ashes of Bankruptcy The mythos of Carlos Ghosn began in 1999. Nissan, one of Japan's proudest manufacturing... [Continue Reading]
THE BATTLE FOR ALI AL-TAHER: HOW A SOUTHERN LEBANON AMBUSH SHATTERED TRUMP’S WASHINGTON AGREEMENT
A catastrophic military escalation in Southern Lebanon has successfully disrupted the highest levels of global diplomacy. Just days after the signing of the United States and Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), an armoured battlefield clash on the strategic heights of Ali al-Taher has effectively frozen implementation talks scheduled to begin today in Switzerland. The crisis provides an alarming look at how kinetic actions on the ground can instantly sabotage geopolitical blueprints designed in Washington. The Official Statement from Hezbollah Following the midnight clashes, the media wing of Hezbollah issued a formal, comprehensive statement outlining their strategic justification and rejecting accusations... [Continue Reading]
Sponsored
Fear the Shia, Arm the Sunnis: The Uncomfortable Numbers Behind America’s War Narrative
“When fear is managed carefully enough, a nation can be taught to look away from the blood on the floor and stare instead at the shadow on the wall.” A friend of mine, whose name I will not reveal because he asked me not to, sat across from me over dinner and placed a question on the table that would not leave me alone. He was born into a Muslim Shia background, and for the angle of this article, that detail matters, not because I wish to reduce a man to a sect, but because sect has become one of... [Continue Reading]



