Ahmed al-Sharaa'

Rails Across Continents: The Orient Express and Hejaz Line Revived

Two legendary railway lines, one in Europe and one crossing the Middle East, are being restored in 2025, proving that infrastructure can tell stories across time.

Tartus: Syria Eyes Up European and Emirati Integration

UAE's $800M Tartus port deal signals Syria’s shift from Russian military reliance to Gulf-European economic integration.

End of an Era: Hope and Anxiety for the Kurds

In a stunning about-face, the Kurds via the PKK, lay down their guns... leaving hopes of peace and political questions hanging in the mountain air.

On the Back Foot: Israel Targets Turkish T4 Base

Türkiye’s missile deployment at Syria’s T4 base sparks Israeli airstrikes, escalating tensions over defense, trade, and regional power.

Popular

LVMH, War and the Luxury of Trees

As war dents luxury sales and Europe's tree cover grows more unequal, an old truth is returning: comfort is becoming easier to buy than to share.

UAE Quits OPEC to Define New Energy Order

After missile strikes on Gulf ports and thousands of flight cancellations, the UAE's exit from OPEC shatters the old oil order, exposing a ruthless energy future.

After the Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting, Trump Changes Tone

After gunfire erupted at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this weekend, Donald Trump responded with less fury than after earlier political attacks, and that change matters.

West Overlooks Russian Grain and Borders in Ukraine

As stolen grain enters Israeli docks and Berlin hints at regional trade-offs, a quiet consensus forms around the permanence of Russia's seized Ukrainian areas.

Deraa First Trial Puts Syrian Justice on the Stand

This week's public trial of Atef Najib returned Deraa to the centre of Syrian politics, with the first courtroom reckoning for the crackdown that helped ignite the uprising.