Under growing pressure from the West, China has been doubling down on its close partnership with Russia in recent weeks. But experts say Beijing is still trying to use a "double-track approach" to maximize its interests.

Abductions are a new fundraising method used by separatists, analysts say. Over 30 women were taken last week for "allowing themselves to be manipulated by Cameroon's government," according to the insurgents themselves.

Although climate change has been conspicuously absent from Nigeria's political agenda, the tangible effects of global warming are undeniably present. The country has one of the highest rates of desertification in the world, many of its cities are under threat from rising sea levels, and the 2022 floods resulted in hundreds of fatalities and displaced over a million people.

A divided U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling on Wednesday, with majority support from both Democrats and Republicans to overcome opposition led by hardline conservatives and avoid a catastrophic default.

For the first time in nine years, leaders from the regional bloc formerly known as the Union of South American Nations have convened this week in Brazil. The gathering of these 11 countries has demonstrated a renewed spirit of cooperation. A notable highlight is Brazilian President Lula da Silva's meeting with Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro, a significant move, as diplomatic relations were severed under Lula’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.