Recent Posts

French forces make Niger new home after being expelled by Mali

French forces in the Sahel will switch operating mode after they leave Mali, acting more “in support” of local forces rather than substituting for them, their commander says. After nearly a decade fighting militants in Mali, France is pulling its troops out of the country after falling out with its …

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Shell joins Qatar’s LNG expansion mega-project

QatarEnergy on Tuesday signed a deal with Shell (SHEL.L) for the Gulf state’s North Field East expansion, the first phase of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, following agreements with TotalEnergies , Exxon , ConocoPhillips (COP.N) and Eni (ENI.MI). Shell will take a 6.25% stake in the North …

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Ukraine and the Return of the Multipolar World

Ukraine is itself not a repudiation of the idea of spheres of influence, but rather a clear example of how they work in practice. IN DECEMBER 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed negotiations over Russia’s formidable military buildup around Ukraine. He reiterated that the United States would not discuss …

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Turkey’s runaway inflation soars to near 79%

The Turkish government’s continued failure to stabilize the battered lira raises the prospect of inflation topping 100% in the fall. Consumer prices in Turkey rose 4.95% in June, bringing annual inflation to 78.6%, the highest reading since 1998, according to official data released Monday. The spiraling inflation — fueled mainly …

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