Infrastructure
BUSINESS
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.
BUSINESS
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
BUSINESS
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.
BUSINESS
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.
BUSINESS
U.S. Sanctions Derailed as China and Iran Go Full Steam Ahead
China and Iran have unveiled a new railway corridor that bypasses the U.S.-controlled sea lanes, deepening their strategic partnership and undermining American efforts to isolate Tehran.
Popular
France Returns Colonial Art, and Nazi-Looted Works Too
France confronts two legacies of stolen art as new restitution laws ease colonial returns and the Musée d’Orsay spotlights Nazi-looted works still awaiting heirs.
Syrian Reconstruction Era: Abu Dhabi’s First-Mover Advantage
As foreign funds return to Damascus, the UAE has eagerly secured prime real estate with preemptive speed.
UAE Classrooms Reopen After a Week of War
UAE schools have returned to in-person learning after a second week of remote classes triggered by Iranian attacks, testing a system that has now been forced to switch modes twice in less than two months.
EU Development Finance Bankrolls China’s African Expansion
Brussels funds hundreds of buses for Dakar, a Chinese state firm bids at half the European price and wins the contract.
Populist Divorce: Meloni and the MAGA Civil War
A public break with Trump over Iran and the Pope lifts Meloni's domestic standing, saving her political skin.
