Eurasia

President Trump’s decision to break off peace talks with the Taliban, at least for now, left Afghanistan bracing for a bloody prelude to national elections this month, while the administration declined on Sunday to rule out a withdrawal of American troops without a peace accord.

Afghanistan’s president has postponed a planned visit to Washington early next week where he was to discuss the U.S.-Taliban talks on ending America’s longest war, a person familiar with the negotiations said Friday.

Iraqi forces on Thursday killed five Islamic State (IS) militants in an operation and an airstrike in the central province of Salahudin, a military statement and a police source said.

The European Union has set up a common counter-terrorism register, hoping to facilitate prosecutions and convictions of suspected militants and people returning home from fighting with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, EU officials said on Thursday.

A senior U.S. diplomatic official reportedly said Thursday the U.S. is negotiating with the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels an in effort to end the Yemeni Civil War.

A Taliban car bomb exploded and killed U.S. and Romanian service members and 10 civilians in a busy diplomatic area near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Thursday, the second major attack this week as the Afghan government warned that a U.S.-Taliban deal on ending America’s longest war was moving …

Nine Islamic State militants were killed Tuesday during a counter-terrorism operation in Mosul city, a senior security official said.

Israeli military says Hezbollah evacuating the Bekaa Valley site, which was used to develop and enhance high-accuracy missiles, out of fear of strikes The Israeli army announced Tuesday that it identified a Hezbollah precision missile development and enhancement site, which is operated in partnership with Iran.

America’s longest war – soon approaching its 18th year in Afghanistan – is not over although it may be entering a new phase.

Washington has been very critical of Berlin in the past due to the latter’s failure to meet NATO’s defence spending target, with a shortage of planes also signaling Germany’s inability to meet the required training practice for its pilots.