Damascus

Syria’s New State Looks Alarmingly Rural

Post-Assad Syria is not settling into a new national centre. It is hardening into a patchwork of rural power bases, clan ties, and competing local loyalties.

Foreign Capital Flows into Damascus Despite Insecurity

As European trade ties return and energy giants sign deals, Damascus car bombs ask whether stability can coexist with transition.

A Tug of War: TĂĽrkiye and its Rivals in Syria

Türkiye emerges as Syria’s dominant power post-Assad, rejecting federalism to block Kurdish autonomy and rival regional influence.

Russia Bunkers Down in Libya, European Assets on the Line

Just 1,000 kilometers from Italy, Russia is quietly building its next front against Europe while Brussels remains fixated on Ukraine's endless war.

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.

Popular

Armenia’s EU Turn is Russia’s Own Making

Armenia's parliament has embraced a European future which Russia's own inertia made almost inevitable.

Ukraine Postpones Elections as Brussels Holds the Line

Zelenskyy brands snap wartime elections a tsunami that would split Ukraine apart, leaving Brussels holding the sharpest check left on Kyiv's power.

Macron Deepens France’s Strategic Partnership with Saudi Arabia

France's embrace of Saudi Arabia argues that strategic and economic interests now outweigh the human-rights concerns that once made the relationship toxic.

Como Bans Bicycles After Mayor Hit

A mayor's collision with an electric bicycle produced a citywide ban. Can personal misfortune justify policy for everyone else?

EU Cybersecurity Rules Create a New Kind of Cyber Slop

EU cybersecurity rules are expanding just as artificial intelligence multiplies digital threats, leaving companies with more alerts and obligations to process.