In a recent Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revived the familiar rhetoric of “radical Islam,” expansionist Caliphates, and threats to the West. His comments not only echo two decades of post-9/11 messaging but also reveal something deeper - an underlying fear of a powerful united Muslim world.

The flood disaster on the island of Sumatra has claimed 1,071 lives as of December 19, according to Abdul Muhari, Head of the Center for Disaster Data, Information, and Communication at Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). In disasters, women and children often become double victims due to structural vulnerabilities, including the neglect of women’s reproductive health needs.

Early parliamentary elections were held in Kyrgyzstan. On 13 December, IA 24.kg reported: “The Central Commission for Elections and Referendums has summarised the results of the extraordinary elections of deputies to the Zhogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, which took place on 30 November 2025.

The term “arms race” became widespread during the Cold War era between the Eastern and Western blocs. It can be defined as: “a relationship of competition and hostility existing between two countries or a group of countries, with the aim of increasing the quantity and quality of weapons.”