Michaelm Phillips News Today

A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend.

American officials urge leaders in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to reject Beijing’s overtures for a military presence on their Atlantic coastline.

Ron DeSantis suspends his campaign just two days before voters in New Hampshire go to the polls.

Biden administration had hoped to avoid formal coup designation to preserve strategy to combat al Qaeda, Islamic State

Somalia has become a surprising bright spot in the global battle pitting the U.S. and its allies against insurgents

Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here. A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news. GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS - NIGER A planned meeting by the West African regional bloc, Ecowas’ chiefs of defense staff to discuss the Niger coup was postponed. No reason was given for the

Junta’s statement ratchets up rhetoric between Niger and other West African countries

Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, long courted by Washington as a partner against Islamist extremism, has emerged as the main diplomatic channel between the U.S. and the junta

Washington views West African nation as bulwark against Islamist terror, Russian advances

Executive Summary Due to their wealth of critical natural resources (primarily rare earth minerals), rapidly growing populations (labor and consumer markets) and strategic geographic location, many Francophone and Lusophone countries in Africa occupy strategic roles for China and its large businesses operating in, among others, the electronics and high-tech industries. Given Beijing’s ambitious plans in strengthening its most innovation-pinned industries—which …