Thursday, October 8

Critical Minerals

Increasingly, as great powers compete for prominence in AI, energy, electronics, and electric vehicles, the pursuit of natural resources like critical minerals is a key objective. Rare earths are valuable for the new age and big-tech development.

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan
6Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Critical Minerals, Domestic Politics, Geopolitics, Human rights, Types of News: Brief

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan. Have any lessons for U.S. leaders been learned? September 6, 2026—Five years after the dramatic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the repressive Taliban regime remains in control, even as it is still unrecognized by a majority of countries. Nearly half the population is dependent on humanitarian aid. Humanitarian Action calculates that is 21.9 million. Also, more than 5 million Afghans who lived in neighboring countries have been forced to return. What's more, Afghanistan and Pakistan are at war. The Aftermath of the U.S. Withdrawal The United States spent 20 years fighting in Afghanistan, often asserting a strategy of nation-building while the underlying strategic goals went ...
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Diamond’s Are Dubai’s Best Friends
21May By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Critical Minerals, Types of News: Analysis

Diamond’s Are Dubai’s Best Friends

As UAE Hosts Kimberely Process, Participants Push for Broader Definition of Conflict May 21, 2025— This year, the UAE shone as a top diamond trader as it hosted the annual Kimberley Process meeting in Dubai. As one of the world’s top traders in diamonds, the United Arab Emirates has an interest in the regulation of the trade to ensure it runs smoothly. Some stakeholders worry that interest will hinder efforts to strengthen protections. In the closing session, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the UAE’s chair of the process, highlighted the country’s trade of over 1.06 billion carats in diamonds, an amount making the Dubai “the largest rough diamond hub in the world.” “We need the Kimberley Process to remain focused, so that all of us can continue to support trade growth, resilience and d...
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Taliban Government Auctions Off Mining Rights
26Jun By Patti MohrNo Comments
Critical Minerals, Diplomacy and International Law, Energy Policy, Oil & Gas, Types of News: Brief

Taliban Government Auctions Off Mining Rights

Update as of September 26, 2026: Five years after the dramatic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the repressive Taliban regime remains in brutal control, even as it is still unrecognized by a majority of countries. The country is weak economically but rich in critical minerals and is eager to sell them. June 26, 2024—Nearly three years into reclaiming its rule over Afghanistan, the Taliban government is raising revenue auctioning mining rights to gems and critical minerals to the highest bidders. The Islamic Taliban government has struggled economically and diplomatically since it took control of the country in August 2021. But since the beginning, its leaders asserted they have their own sources of income. Notably, the land is rich in gold, gemstones, metals, oil and gas, and...
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UN Peacekeepers Under Investigation for Trafficking Diamonds And Gold
8Nov By Patti MohrNo Comments
Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Critical Minerals, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

UN Peacekeepers Under Investigation for Trafficking Diamonds And Gold

File photo: UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. Source: UN November 8, 2021--Over 300 Portuguese police and military officers are investigating reports that elite Portuguese troops taking part in a UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic may have engaged in the illegal trafficking of diamonds, gold, and drugs. Officers issued 10 arrest warrants and raided properties in Lisbon, Funchal, Bragança, Porto de Mós, Entroncamento, Setúbal, Beja and Faro, The Guardian and other news outlets reported on Monday. “What we are looking into now is the possibility that some soldiers taking part in the national detached force in CAR were used as couriers in the trafficking of diamonds, gold and drugs,” the army said in a statement. According to reporting by The G...
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