Afghanistan
WORLD
Five Years After Kabul, Geography Still Humbles Firepower
Five years after Kabul fell to mountain fighters, Washington now meets Tehran's coastline and narrow straits in a distant war terrain seems built to win.
BUSINESS
How Germany’s Taliban Pact Built a Recruiting Ground
Bonn's Taliban-run consulate is now hiring unpaid interns, the direct product of a deportation bargain Berlin struck last year to speed removals back to Kabul.
EUROPE
Britain Closes Its Doors, Portugal Follows: The New Face of European Refugee Policy
Britain's freeze in September on family reunions for refugees is now echoed in Portugal through tighter residency rules that double the wait for citizenship.
WORLD
Tourism in Afghanistan: Between Reality and Taliban Propaganda
Afghanistan tourism rises under Taliban rule, drawing visitors from Europe & Gulf while masking human rights abuses and women’s repression.
WORLD
Unfrozen from the Dead: Taliban Gains First Backer in Russia
Moscow's recognition of the Taliban government breaks four years of international isolation and opens a new chapter in Afghan diplomacy.
Popular
Super Intelligence: The Datacentre Is the New Science Lab
As Europe funds brilliant laboratories, are datacentre owners harvesting the discoveries?
Strasbourg Naked Golden Trump Trolls the Monument Tradition
A naked golden Trump in Strasbourg shows how statues, once made to flatter rulers, now serve to roast them.
Hanning Affair Hurts German Intel Cred
Germany's ex-spymaster undermined allied confidence and gave Moscow-friendly politicians a talking point.
Rubio Cherry-Picks Ancient Greece to Sell Modern Nationalism
Rubio urged the West to copy ancient Greek loyalty, yet ancient Athens thrived on argument, dissent and noisy assemblies.
Young Voters Could Decide France’s Next President
Hate-speech allegations bruise Bardella and energise Mélenchon, but household finances and young-voter turnout will determine who wins France's presidency.
