Global Affairs

Al Qaeda-Linked Insurgents Overrun Mali Army Base: The Sahel’s Deepening Crisis

Michael Frick

03 Jun 2025 — 6 min read

Introduction

On June 1, 2025, the central Sahel region was once again thrust into the international spotlight when Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda-affiliated group, launched a devastating assault on a Malian military base near Boulkessi, close to the Burkina Faso border. The attack resulted in the deaths of over 30 Malian soldiers and forced the army to abandon its position.

Elon Musk Calls Trump Megabill a ‘Disgusting Abomination’: A Comprehensive Analysis

Introduction Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and former head of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has launched a scathing critique of President Donald Trump’s flagship legislative initiative—the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In a series of social media posts and interviews, Musk denounced the

Trump Administration’s $425 Billion Funding Freeze: An Assault on Congressional Spending Authority

Introduction Congressional Democrats have unveiled an updated report documenting the Trump administration’s unprecedented withholding of $425 billion in federal funds legally appropriated by Congress. The blocked funding spans critical programs—from disaster relief and cancer research to small-business grants and public health initiatives—igniting a constitutional clash over the

OECD Slashes U.S. Growth Forecast Amid Tariff Turmoil: A Comprehensive Analysis

Introduction The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has delivered a stark warning about the trajectory of the U.S. economy, slashing its 2025 growth forecast to 1.6%—a significant downward revision from the 2.1% projected in March 2025. This adjustment, detailed in the OECD’s June

Ukraine’s Underwater Strike on the Kerch Bridge: A Strategic Blow to Russian Logistics and Symbolism

The early hours of June 1, 2025, witnessed a daring Ukrainian operation targeting the Kerch Bridge, a 19-kilometer structure connecting Russia to Crimea. This third assault on the bridge since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 marked a new frontier in asymmetric warfare, leveraging covert underwater sabotage to cripple a