At the ceremony in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the leaders of European and Arab states gathered behind US President Donald Trump. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) seemed somewhat lost on the sidelines of the peace show. Trump praised him, saying he was “very smart and he is doing a fantastic job for his country.”
Syria needs an economic reconstruction program. Desperately. Yet nearly a year after the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad, there is still no talk of putting together a comprehensive economic reconstruction plan, whether in Damascus or among the obvious international stakeholders. Without clarity and wide-based consultation on the country’s new economic framework, there is a distinct risk that the cronyism of the Assad-era economy will reappear, undermining social equity and generating political discontent, and that violence will reemerge as “a central mechanism for the redistribution of power and wealth among competing forces,” as it did during the long civil war.
The convergence of interests between the US, Pakistan, and the Taliban means that a compromise between them to this end can’t be ruled out no matter how unlikely it might appear to be right now.
Trump’s recent reaffirmation of his plans to return US troops to Afghanistan’s Bagram Airbase was rejected by the Taliban, which was to be expected for appearance’s sake at this point while talks are reportedly underway, but another obstacle comes from Pakistan’s opposition. It recently released a joint statement with China, Iran, and Russia condemning the US’ plans. Nevertheless, since Pakistan would benefit from them and openly backs his Gaza plan, its statement shouldn’t be taken at face value.
Fortifying the Durand Line, eliminating sleeper cell threats on Pakistan’s side, and dividing-and-ruling Afghanistan through hybrid means can ensure Pakistan’s national security in lieu of the invasion that the US might be putting Pakistan up to in advance of America’s geopolitical and mineral-related goals.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid repeated accusations that Pakistan backs ISIS-K, which was one of the reasons why the Taliban attacked along the Durand Line over the weekend, but added that attacks on Iran and Russia were also orchestrated from there: “Training centers for ISIS-K have been established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and trainees are being brought there through Karachi and Islamabad airports. Our findings show that the attacks in Iran and Moscow were orchestrated from these centers.”
Manchester, England, October 2, 2025: In the most violent act of antisemitic hatred Britain has seen in years, a Muslim man rams a car into a group of Jews on a sidewalk in front of a synagogue, exits the vehicle and begins stabbing other Jews. He is shot by the police. Two Jews are killed, one by the murderer and another who was shot accidentally by police.
A well-armed jihadist group affiliated with al Qaeda is closing in on Bamako, the capital of Mali. The country’s military junta and their Russian partners are struggling to counter the jihadis, who now hold sway in many parts of the huge Sahelian country.
Fuel is running short in Bamako as militants belonging to a group called Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam al-Muslimin (JNIM) cut roads to the capital, attack military patrols and ambush tanker trucks.
Latest Developments
For years, France choreographed the politics of the Sahel with soldiers and secret deals. Today, the tables have turned
For half a century, Niger’s plains fed France’s atomic dreams. The uranium pulled from the ground there lit Paris’ streets, powered its factories, and gave France the illusion of energy independence.
Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) claimed its first attack in Nigeria on 28 October. The strike, in the north of Kwara State near the Benin border, left one soldier dead. The Sahel-based group says it seized weapons, equipment and cash.