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Macron says French forces killed ISIS leader in Sahara

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French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that French military forces had killed Islamic State (ISIS) militant Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the leader of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.

“It’s another major success in our fight against terrorist groups in the Sahel,” Macron said in a tweet, without disclosing the location of the operation.

Sahrawi was the historic leader of ISIS in the Sahel region of West Africa and his group targeted U.S. soldiers in a deadly attack in 2017, Macron’s office said.

In August 2020, Sahrawi personally ordered the killing of six French charity workers and their Nigerien driver, it added.

Macron said in July that France would soon begin reshaping its force in the Sahel, where it has been on the front line of the fight against ISIS, and would ultimately halve its military presence, Reuters reported.

With no apparent end in sight to France’s operations and political turmoil especially in Mali, Paris had grown frustrated.

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Pakistan nominates Donald Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

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Pakistan has formally nominated US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of “his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.”

The Government of Pakistan in a post on X said: “The international community bore witness to unprovoked and unlawful Indian aggression, which constituted a grave violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent lives, including women, children, and the elderly.”

Pakistani leaders said at a moment of heightened regional turbulence, Trump demonstrated “great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship” through “robust diplomatic engagement” with both Islamabad and New Delhi, securing a ceasefire.

“This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue,” the post continued. “The Government of Pakistan also acknowledges and greatly admires President Trump’s sincere offers to help resolve the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan—an issue that lies at the heart of regional instability.”

“President Trump’s leadership during the 2025 Pakistan India crisis manifestly showcases the continuation of his legacy of pragmatic diplomacy and effective peace-building. Pakistan remains hopeful that his earnest efforts will continue to contribute towards regional and global stability, particularly in the context of ongoing crises in the Middle East, including the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating escalation involving Iran.”

Meanwhile, Trump announced on Friday he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had secured a “wonderful” treaty between Rwanda and Congo.

He went on to discuss his chances at winning a Nobel Peace Prize, claiming he wouldn’t get one, “no matter what I do.”

“This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World,” Trump wrote in the post. “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between Serbia and Kosovo, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping Peace between Egypt and Ethiopia (A massive Ethiopian built dam, stupidly financed by the United States of America, substantially reduces the water flowing into The Nile River), and I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for doing the Abraham Accord in the Middle East which, if all goes well, will be loaded to the brim with additional Countries signing on, and will unify the Middle East for the first time in “The Ages!”

According to The Nobel Prize’s website, to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, a person must be a “qualified nominator,” which includes national governments, heads of state, previous award winners, and members of specific international organizations. 

The nomination process is confidential, and entries are due by Jan. 31, hence the 2026 nomination.

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Trump says he is seeking ‘real end’ to Iran’s nuclear program

He said he is instead seeking “a real end,” which involves Iran “giving up entirely” on nukes.

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US President Donald Trump said early Tuesday that he is seeking “a real end” to Iran’s nuclear program, adding that he will be monitoring developments in the Middle East from the White House later in the day.

Speaking to reporters on his return flight from a G7 leaders’ summit in Canada, Trump ruled out the possibility of calling for a ceasefire in the Iran-Israel conflict.

“I didn’t say I was looking for a ceasefire,” he said, CBS News reporter Jennifer Jacobs posted on X. Instead, he stressed the need for Iran to give up its nuclear activities completely.

He said he is instead seeking “a real end,” which involves Iran “giving up entirely” on nukes.

On Israel’s ongoing military strikes, Trump said: “The Israelis aren’t slowing up their barrage on Iran. You’re going to find out over the next two days. You’re going to find out. Nobody’s slowed up so far.”

On any potential threat to US interests, Trump said Iran knows not to touch US troops, warning that the US would “come down so hard if they do anything to our people.”

Asked about sending US emissaries such as Steven Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to meet with Iranian officials, Trump remained noncommittal. “I may,” he said, adding that his decision “depends what happens when I get back.”

Asked about calls for Iran’s capital Tehran to evacuate, Trump said he wants “people to be safe.”

When asked whether the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman and the US defense secretary have provided him with military planning options should Iran attack US bases in the Middle East, Trump declined to comment, saying: “I can’t tell you that.”

Trump also commented on whether the Gang of Eight – a group of US congressional leaders with access to sensitive intelligence – has been briefed on the situation, he said they would, but “it’s not necessary” at this stage.

On the possibility of US involvement in the conflict leading to the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program, Trump expressed hope that Iran’s program “is wiped out long before that.”

Tensions in the region have intensified since Friday, following Israeli airstrikes targeting several locations across Iran, including military and nuclear sites, which triggered retaliatory attacks from Tehran.

Israeli officials reported that Iranian missile strikes have killed at least 24 people and injured hundreds.

Iran stated that the Israeli attacks have resulted in at least 224 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries.

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Britain appoints first female head of MI6 spy agency

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is currently in Canada for the G7 summit, said Metreweli’s appointment comes when Britain is “facing threats on an unprecedented scale”.

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Britain on Sunday named Blaise Metreweli, a career intelligence officer, as the first female head of the Secret Intelligence Service, the foreign spy service known as MI6, Reuters reported.

Metreweli, 47, who is currently MI6’s head of technology, known as “Q”, joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1999, and has spent most of her career in operational roles in the Middle East and Europe, the government said in a statement.

Richard Moore, the current chief of MI6, will step down in the autumn after a five-year tenure.

“I am proud and honoured to be asked to lead my service,” said Metreweli, who takes on one of the most powerful jobs in Western intelligence and will be known by the code name “C”.

MI6, founded in 1909, joins the other main British spy agencies, the domestic spy service MI5, and the intelligence communications agency GCHQ, in having appointed a female head.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is currently in Canada for the G7 summit, said Metreweli’s appointment comes when Britain is “facing threats on an unprecedented scale”.

“I know Blaise will continue to provide the excellent leadership needed to defend our country,” he said.

Metreweli’s biggest challenges are likely to be dealing with Russia, China and Iran, read the report.

Britain’s spy agencies have accused Russia of waging a campaign of sabotage across Europe to scare other countries off from backing Ukraine in its fight against a Russian invasion.

Moore in 2021 said China was the single greatest priority for his spy agency, while MI5 said last year that Iran had been behind 20 plots to kill, kidnap or target dissidents or political opponents in Britain since 2022.

MI6, depicted by novelists as the employer of some of the most memorable fictional spies, from John le Carré’s George Smiley to Ian Fleming’s James Bond, operates overseas and is tasked with defending Britain and its interests.

Metreweli previously held a director-level role in MI5, and studied anthropology at the University of Cambridge, the government said.

MI5 has had two female bosses, starting with Stella Rimington in 1992. Eliza Manningham-Buller ran MI5 between 2002 and 2007, Reuters reported.

In 2023, Britain named its first female director of GCHQ.

Metreweli’s appointment comes three decades after the actress Judi Dench first played a female boss of MI6 in the James Bond film “GoldenEye”.

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