Arif Rafiq Journalist Profile

Articles

Trump Interview to Air on Saudi-Owned Channel as Business Ties Grow

Oct 19, 2024 | globelynews.com | Arif Rafiq

Former President Donald Trump sat down for an interview with the Saudi government-owned news channel Al Arabiya English, which will air on Sunday. In recent weeks, Trump has backed out of interviews with 60 Minutes and other U.S. news programs. Politico reports that a Trump advisor attributed those cancellations to the 78-year-old being “exhausted.”The interview is also conspicuous for other reasons.
Adani Group Hit With New Corruption Allegations

Aug 14, 2024 | lankaweb.com | Arif Rafiq

Adani Group Hit With New Corruption Allegations By Arif Rafiq Courtesy GlobelyNewsThe Adani Group is hit with fresh corruption allegations as newly revealed documents link India’s market regulator chairperson to Adani offshore companies. India’s second-richest man Gautam Adani is at the center of a new corruption scandal, with the accusations coming from a familiar source.
Guyana Tightens Embrace of U.S. As Tensions with Venezuela Rise

May 23, 2024 | globelynews.com | Arif Rafiq

The border dispute between neighboring oil producers Guyana and Venezuela could simmer this summer ahead of the July 28 Venezuelan presidential elections. Venezuela, according to an analysis of satellite imagery by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has engaged in a military buildup along the disputed border since early February — including the expansion of a base on the Anacoco Island.
Will Hezbollah and Israel Go to War?

May 7, 2024 | link.chtbl.com | Arif Rafiq

As Israel moves into Rafah, its frontier with Lebanon continues to heat up. Between October 7 and mid-March, Hezbollah and Israel exchanged over 4,000 rocket, missile, and other types of attacks, according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The escalation between these two belligerents has triggered speculation over whether Israel and Hezbollah will find themselves in yet another full-scale war.
The Ethiopia-Somaliland Deal and the Horn of Africa's Game of Ports

Mar 18, 2024 | globelynews.com | Arif Rafiq

“The Horn of Africa has always been a geopolitical hot zone,” says University of Maryland Professor Michael Woldemariam in the latest episode of our flagship global affairs podcast, The Pivot. The recent maritime access agreement between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland is a testament to the region’s volatility. Listen to this episode of The Pivot on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Audacy, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Pandora, Pocket Casts, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, or YouTube Music.
Nikki Haley's Dangerous Views on Social Media Censorship

Feb 23, 2024 | globelynews.com | Arif Rafiq

Nikki Haley remains in the Republican presidential race despite low odds of winning the nomination, befuddling many observers. The former South Carolina governor’s interview on Thursday on NPR may shed light on her aims. In the interview, Haley tailored her message not to likely South Carolina Republican primary voters, but to NPR’s audience, 65 percent of which identifies as Democrat, independent, or unaffiliated.
Alexei Navalny, Imran Khan and Washington's Double Standards

Feb 16, 2024 | globelynews.com | Arif Rafiq

Earlier today, just hours after the death of imprisoned Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was reported, President Joe Biden address the nation and spoke the plain truth. “Putin,” he said, “is responsible for Navalny’s death.”The swiftness and clarity with which the Biden administration responded to the Navalny death contrast with its garbled, slow response to another assassination attempt: the, thankfully, failed one on former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Iran's IRGC and the Battle for the Middle East

Jan 29, 2024 | link.chtbl.com | Arif Rafiq

Sunday’s deadly drone attack on U.S. forces along the Jordan-Syria border attributed to an Iran-backed militia underscores the commitment of the Iranian regime and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to drive the United States out of the Middle East.
NY-3 House Race Gets Weird and Nasty

Jan 27, 2024 | globelynews.com | Arif Rafiq

The race to succeed the disgraced George Santos for the NY-3 congressional seat took a sharp turn toward the bizarre and the ugly this week with virtually every local media outlet claiming that the Republican candidate, Mazi Melesa Pilip, is avoiding them with the election just weeks away. On the defensive, Pilip — a county legislator and veteran of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) — is now accusing her opponent, the former Rep. Tom Suozzi, of being supported by anti-Semites.
Iran-Pakistan De-Escalation Masks IRGC and ISI Strategic Competition

Jan 22, 2024 | globelynews.com | Arif Rafiq

Iran and Pakistan exchanged cross-border strikes last week across their shared frontier in what turned out to be a short-lived crisis, as the two regional powers quickly moved toward de-escalation. On Tuesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck locations inside Pakistan’s Balochistan province it claimed were associated with Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni militant group from Iran’s ethnic Baloch minority that’s been responsible for attacks in Iran for over a decade.