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
Trump and Musk Stretch ‘Interference’ in Opposite Directions
"Interference" used to suggest covert foreign state action. Now it is being stretched to cover everything from intelligence claims to billionaire endorsements, and the word is losing precision in both directions.
Anime’s Cult is Fading in Europe But Why?
Japanese anime helped romanticise Europe for global audiences. If the industry weakens, Europe may lose one of its strangest and most flattering cultural mirrors.
Greek Prosecutors Score Wins Amid Political Resistance
Greek prosecutors dismantled a €71million fraud ring and indicted four MPs this week, even as Athens keeps limiting the EU's own prosecution office.
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.
