Infrastructure

Rotterdam Blast Tests Europe’s Infrastructure Nerves

The Rotterdam explosion appears to be an industrial accident, but Europe's reaction shows how sabotage fears now shadow every disruption at critical infrastructure.

Starlink, Grok, and the Price of Private Infrastructure

As UK regulator Ofcom launched a formal investigation into X on 12 January 2026 over Grok's generation of sexualised deepfakes, including images of children, the case exposed how everyday life runs on systems voters never designed.

AfDB Turns to Gulf as Western Funders Step Back

The African Development Bank has installed a president with ingrained Gulf experience as Washington pulls back hundreds of millions

After the Raid: Trump, Maduro and Exile Politics

As images of Nicolás Maduro in Manhattan federal court appeared on screens across Madrid on 5 January, Venezuelan exile communities in Europe watched the outcome of an operation that changed the region overnight.

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.

Popular

Thailand Halves Visa-Free Stays to Reclaim Migration Control

Thailand is discovering that the line between a tourist and a resident cannot be managed with the same visa exemption for everyone.

Berlin’s Drone Accusation Against the Kremlin

Germany's accusation against Moscow lands beside a French warning, a Chinese pledge on nuclear weapons and a new EU push to close defence gaps.

Nordic Compass Weighs Merging Stock Exchanges

Nordic Compass believes four national stock exchanges might attract more capital as a single regional market than as four separate systems.

Why America Sent Its Spy Chief to Moscow?

America's spy chief flew secretly to Moscow this week, and mounting evidence points to one worry shaping his agenda, an atomic Iran built with Russian help.

Dolly Parton Proved Stars Could Avoid Political Tribes

Dolly Parton showed that a public figure could hold strong convictions without turning fame into a partisan loyalty test.