Trump and Xi Jingping summit: How are the United States and China redefining their relationship?

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As tensions over trade, Taiwan, technology, and global influence intensify, the meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping may determine the future balance of power between Washington and Beijing. By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Sulaimani, Iraq | 13 May 2026 — Kurdish Policy Analysis "We don't have permanent allies and we don't have permanent enemies, only our interests are permanent, and we have to follow them." – Henry John Temple. The root of the current Strait of Hormuz tensions is not only about shipping routes or oil prices, but also about the final collapse of the historical US concept towards Beijing. However, the 2025 National Security Strategy, released by the White House in November, says this was a historic mistake because China used the assets it accumulated to strengthen itself and compete with the West, not to become their partner. For many years, the United States alone maintained maritime security; The fifth US ship in Manama, Bahrain, worked only to keep o...

Iraq Intelligence Agency Foils Major Drug Smuggling Operation Across Borders

More than one million Captagon pills and 100 kg of hashish seized in coordinated multi-agency crackdown

Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj, Sulaimani, Iraq — 05 April 2026 — Iraq’s National Intelligence Service of Iraq announced it has thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of narcotic substances across Iraqi territory to neighboring countries, in a coordinated operation involving judicial and regional security authorities.

According to a statement, the operation was carried out in coordination with the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq, specifically the First Al-Karkh Investigation Court, following what officials described as precise intelligence gathering.

Authorities said the investigation led to the identification and monitoring of a criminal network composed of both Iraqi nationals and foreign operatives. The suspects were tracked across multiple governorates before being arrested in a series of coordinated raids.

The operation was conducted in cooperation with the Zanyari Agency and the General Directorate for Combating Drugs in Sulaymaniyah, highlighting joint efforts between federal and regional institutions.

Security forces reported the seizure of more than one million pills of the stimulant drug Captagon, along with approximately 100 kilograms of hashish. All identified members of the network were taken into custody, according to the statement.

Officials did not disclose the intended destination of the shipment, but noted that Iraq has increasingly been used as a transit corridor for narcotics trafficking between regional markets.

The dismantling of the network comes amid broader regional concerns over the expansion of Captagon production and trafficking, which has become a significant security and economic issue across parts of the Middle East.

#Iraq #Security #Captagon #DrugTrafficking #Kurdistan #MiddleEast #CounterNarcotics #BreakingNews

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