Analysis and news on great-power rivalry, diplomacy, sanctions and alliances, from the UN General Assembly to the Gulf, Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Treasury’s Operation Economic Outcast hits Iran Khodro, SAIPA and state rail firms as Washington squeezes land logistics after the maritime blockade.
In Nabatieh, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says Beirut cannot wait for a regional deal and must secure a full pullout plus a single state chain of command.
Scholars agree Putin’s Russia is authoritarian. Whether it is also fascist is disputed. Here is what Freedom House and historians say, and why it matters.
A WSJ report says Quds Force tech and Chinese dual-use drone components help Houthis hold Mokha and press Bab el-Mandeb as Saudi-linked ships are hit.
Al Jazeera maps how North, South and West Kordofan link SAF-held centers to RSF Darfur, with el-Obeid under rising drone threat and mass displacement.
A Russian document threatens nuclear use if NATO cuts off Kaliningrad; Rutte tells Moscow to stop nuclear threats as Marines bolster Baltic Sentry.
After Tehran says it received a U.S. reply on Hormuz, Trump warns he could ‘blow them up’; aides push nuclear limits as Pezeshkian seeks a win-win deal.
Rutte says NATO will stop using high-end jets against low-cost drones as Russia’s barrage on Ukraine again scrambles aircraft in Poland and Romania.
Taiwan says 15 of 21 Chinese aircraft detected after 9:12 a.m. crossed the median line in a ‘joint combat readiness patrol’; overnight count was nine.
Washington warned Beirut that Israel will keep operating in south Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, The New Arab reports, as Salam meets Rubio in Washington.
Treasury targets 10 weapons procurers for Iran’s defense ministry; State designates Russia’s Yakovlev and MG-Flot and offers $15 million over IRGC finances.
Araghchi took Washington’s answer to Iran’s cabinet; a briefed official says both sides agree on the steps of the seven-day plan but not their order.
Democrats lead polls as the 2026 midterms near: all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships are up Nov. 3, with redistricting in play.
Profile of Donald Trump: Queens childhood, Fred Trump’s real estate, casinos, The Apprentice, two impeachments, a 2024 conviction and a second term of tariffs.
Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev held what a US official called constructive talks on ending the Ukraine war and postwar energy deals, as strikes on Kyiv go on.
With Hormuz contested, Houthi control of Perim and Yemen’s Red Sea coast elevates Bab el-Mandeb as a second global energy chokepoint.
UN Ambassador Mike Waltz says Trump rejected Iran’s Hormuz reopen plan because Tehran wanted sanctions relief before nuclear negotiations.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tells Ynet Israel should annex to the Litani and Gaza’s Yellow Line and wage war to dismantle the PA.
Russian hybrid attacks on NATO states are rising, from drone incursions to sabotage, as Moscow stakes its Ukraine war on a winter strike campaign.
Israeli troops surrounded a farm near Kfar Shuba on September 25, 2026, as Lebanon’s PM told the UN the June framework ceasefire is not being honored.
Saudi-led forces said they shot down six Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu on Sept. 24, 2026, and Macron pledged French troops for Yanbu.
Iran proposed a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear talks if the U.S. lifts its blockade, per AP and Al Jazeera.
Sergei Lavrov told the UN Security Council Russia will not pause the war for talks, as Marco Rubio said both sides show interest in limited ceasefires.
The U.S. is withholding a UN visa for Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan pending a 90-day ceasefire plan, sparking a sovereignty outcry in Sudan.
France Unrest Explained: Timeline, Causes and the Islam Debate
Investigation: The UN Gaza Genocide Report, Hamas’s Charter and the Blood Libel
flydubai FZ1073: What the Flight Data Shows and What It Does Not
Haiti Sanctions Renewal: Russia Breaks UN Council Consensus
Venezuela Talks Resume After US Delists Jorge Rodríguez
Sovereign Grant Bill Clears Parliament: Royal Funding ResetWe use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
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