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.

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Moscow’s Syria Deal Hints at Wider War Theatre

A renewed Mediterranean bases deal for Moscow and Baghdad's unproven claim of Ukrainian cells both hint at a Middle East drawn into Europe's distant war.

Mecca Pact Reorders the Region’s Power Balance

A missile barrage on Najran leaves old alliances wanting, as Saudi Arabia leans on Ankara and Islamabad for a diplomatic defence pact.

Food Security: Europe’s Next Strategic Crisis

Heatwaves, war and disrupted trade routes are pushing food prices higher, turning agriculture from a consumer issue into a strategic European vulnerability.

Kinahan Extradition Shows How Safe Havens Collapse

Daniel Kinahan's extradition from Dubai closes one chapter in a criminal network that grew by exploiting the space between Ireland, Spain and the Gulf.

Berlin’s Plan to Fill Lebanon’s Coming Void

Germany wants Europe to guard southern Lebanon once UN peacekeepers leave, only to find Ankara already courting Beirut for the same role.