Christmas
Food & Drink
Christmas Was Never ‘Pure’ Even Before Culture Wars
An "anti-woke" Christmas party tries to reclaim tradition, yet the holiday itself has always been a quiet collage of borrowed customs, foreign gods and local habits.
WORLD
Protests in Syria Over the Burning of a Christmas Tree
Protests erupted across Syria after a Christmas tree was burned in Suqaylabiyah, raising doubts about the ability of the Islamist-led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to protect minorities as they transition from a Islamist group to the halls of power in post-Assad Syria.
Food & Drink
Christmas in all Forms: Traditions & Trials
Christmas celebrations in the MENA region showcase a blend of joy and adversity, with some countries embracing the holiday with multicultural flair, while others, like Gaza and Bethlehem, face the challenges of conflict, highlighting the resilience of communities amidst difficult circumstances.
Popular
Gulf Airlines Sell Reassurance as Their Core Summer Product
Emirates and Etihad are not simply selling seats this summer; they are selling the idea that the Gulf is safe enough to book, and those are very different products.
Gibraltar Border Opens, but the Real Test Starts Now
The new Gibraltar treaty removes a border that had become economically absurd, but its real success will depend on whether Britain, Spain and the EU can turn symbolic relief into durable trust.
Football Becomes Another Front in the Falklands Dispute
Argentina's win over England has reignited old grievances over the Falklands, though the celebration conceals a claim with little new diplomatic leverage.
The Iran War Outlives Its Architects
With Khamenei dead and Graham gone, the Iran war is spreading through runways, courts, and homemade drone fleets.
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.
