Despite global scrutiny of Israel's actions in Gaza, the upcoming election campaign will be dominated by domestic demands for a reckoning over the intelligence and policy failures that led to the October 7th attack.
Benjamin Netanyahu's political survival doesn't solely depend on winning a majority. A key advantage is the high probability that the opposition, even with more collective seats, will struggle to form a stable governing coalition, potentially allowing him to remain in power.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—the three countries most impacted by jihadism—declined to participate in a major US-led training exercise. This boycott signals a significant geopolitical shift away from Western security partnerships and towards Russia.
Despite nearly 20 years of significant US investment in training African special forces, jihadism has not been contained. Instead, it has spread from the Sahel to coastal nations, questioning the long-term efficacy of this expensive, hands-on approach.
The small nation of Cape Verde successfully recruits players from its global diaspora for its World Cup squad using unconventional tools like LinkedIn, demonstrating a resourceful and modern approach to talent acquisition on the world stage.