WORLD - The African Mirror

Dec

31

2025

Taiwan: The flashpoint in America’s strategic contest with China

WORLD

AS Chinese rockets splashed into waters surrounding Taiwan on Tuesday, the island nation found itself once again at the epicentre of an escalating strategic confrontation between Washington and Beijing - a role it never sought but cannot escape. The "Justice Mission 2025" war games represent more than routine sabre-rattling. They are the latest move in a high-stakes competition where Taiwan has become both prize and proxy, its 23 million people living on terrain that U.S. and Chinese strategists view as critical to dominance in the Indo-Pacific. The Arms Package That Triggered a Response Beijing's decision to launch its most extensive…

Dec

31

2025

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Middle east peace efforts enter new phase as 2025 closes

WORLD

AS the year draws to a close, the Middle East peace process stands at a critical juncture, with U.S. President Donald Trump meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to advance a fragile ceasefire deal and address mounting regional tensions. The discussions at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate focused on transitioning the Gaza ceasefire into its second phase, a complex undertaking that would require international peacekeeping forces and the disarmament of Hamas. The militant group has refused to lay down its weapons and has been reasserting control in Gaza as Israeli troops remain deployed across roughly half the territory. Trump issued…

Dec

31

2025

By VICTORIA JULIE SCHOU

When a crisis leaves no ruins behind

WORLD

BY the harbour in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, a statue of the Mother of the Sea, Sassuma Arnaa, sits on a small rock, half-submerged in the sea. In Inuit mythology, she governs the ocean and its creatures. When people act with greed or ungratefulness, her hair becomes tangled, trapping the animals and leaving people with nothing to catch or eat. Only when an angakok, a shaman, travels down to untangle her hair, the animals are released again. This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. By Victoria Julie Schou Ifyou follow her gaze 50 metres up the hill,…

Dec

30

2025

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

FBI Director Kash Patel: An analysis of mounting accusations and questions of judgment

WORLD

FBI Director Kash Patel faces intensifying scrutiny over his stewardship of taxpayer resources and leadership judgment as revelations emerge about luxury vehicle purchases, failed jet upgrade requests, and a pattern of behaviour that former Justice Department officials characterise as image-driven rather than mission-focused. The BMW Controversy: Breaking With Tradition The FBI has purchased armoured BMW X5 vehicles at Patel's request, marking a departure from decades of tradition in which FBI directors travelled in Chevrolet Suburbans. The purchase raises fundamental questions about fiscal responsibility and the symbolism of leadership choices at America's premier law enforcement agency. Patel reportedly pressed for the…

Dec

30

2025

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Freed activist’s apology fails to quell firestorm over resurfaced tweets

WORLD

THE jubilation surrounding Alaa Abdel Fattah's return to Britain has collapsed into political turmoil within days, as the British-Egyptian dissident scrambles to contain the fallout from inflammatory tweets that have transformed his homecoming into a full-blown crisis. What should have been a moment of triumph for a man who spent years in Egyptian prisons has instead become a cautionary tale about the permanence of digital footprints and the perils of incomplete vetting. Now, politicians from across the spectrum are demanding his citizenship be stripped and calling for his deportation from the very country that fought to secure his freedom. The…

Dec

29

2025

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Following the Money: Why dismantling terror finance networks is as crucial as military operations

WORLD

IN a sophisticated operation that spanned multiple European jurisdictions, Italian authorities struck a significant blow this weekend - not on a battlefield, but in the shadowy world of terror financing. The arrest of nine individuals and seizure of over €8 million in assets linked to Hamas funding through purported charities represents more than a law enforcement success. It illuminates a strategic reality often overshadowed by kinetic military operations: the war against terrorism cannot be won without an equally vigorous war against those who bankroll it. The Genoa prosecutors' investigation, coordinated by anti-mafia and anti-terrorism units working with Dutch authorities through…

Dec

29

2025

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

In Memoriam: Brigitte Bardot

WORLD

AND so the curtain falls on one of cinema's most magnificent contradictions: Brigitte Bardot, the woman who made pouting an art form and then spent half her life scowling at humanity for being beastly to actual beasts. At 91, BB has finally hung up her iconic gingham dress (you know the one), leaving behind a legacy that's equal parts va-va-voom and "vegan-or-bust," with a healthy dollop of "mon Dieu, what was she thinking?" thrown in for good measure. The Glory Years: When Sex Was Invented (Apparently) Let's be honest: before Brigitte sashayed onto screens in And God Created Woman, the…

Dec

29

2025

By GEORGE MICHAEL

Why are some Black conservatives drawn to Nick Fuentes?

WORLD

FAR-RIGHT activist Nick Fuentes continues to gain momentum. The openly racist and antisemitic podcaster has emerged as an influential figure on the American political right. Recent profiles in The Atlantic and The New York Times have elevated the 27-year-old into practically a household name. But as a scholar of the American right, I’ve been fascinated by one aspect of Fuentes’ rise: the way some Black podcast hosts and political influencers have been receptive to some of his views. “Isn’t that amazing?” Black pastor and radio host Jesse Lee Peterson gushed after hosting Fuentes on his show in 2023. “Finally, a…

Dec

27

2025

By The African Mirror

UK joins international coalition condemning Israeli settlement expansion

WORLD

THE United Kingdom has joined an international coalition of nations in condemning Israel's approval of 19 new settlements in Palestine, calling for the decision to be reversed. UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the condemnation, stating that international law must be respected in the pursuit of lasting peace in the region. The statement comes after Israel's Security Cabinet approved the establishment of the new settlements. The coalition opposing the move includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and other partner nations, representing a significant diplomatic pushback against Israeli settlement expansion. International law generally considers Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories to…

Dec

27

2025

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Pope Leo XIV’s first Christmas: A new voice for the displaced

WORLD

WHEN Pope Leo XIV stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Day to deliver his first "Urbi et Orbi" blessing, he did more than fulfil a ceremonial obligation. The first American-born pontiff used the global stage to spotlight what many world leaders would rather ignore: the human cost of conflict playing out in real time across Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond. The pope's most striking departure from diplomatic convention came in his unflinching focus on Palestinian suffering. His imagery was visceral and immediate. He asked listeners to envision families huddled in tents, exposed to winter's rain, wind, and…