MbS

Germany Joins France in the Gulf’s Widening Orbit

Germany's courtship of Abu Dhabi follows Paris's trailblazing, confirming how Europe treats the Emirates as an indispensable partner

Washington’s Saudi Nuclear Bet Against a Pakistani Shortcut

Washington is in a quiet contest with Islamabad over who arms Riyadh against Tehran.

NEOM Shrinks Yet Saudi Ambition Rebrands

After years of promising a mirror-line city in the desert, Saudi Arabia is quietly rewriting the script for its most ambitious project.

NEOM Revisited: The Blueprint for Instant City Ventures

Big city dreams cooked up by consultants often turn into very expensive ghost towns before anyone even moves in as with the case in Saudi's NEOM.

A Line in the Sand? Saudi Hosts Putin-Trump Showdown

Trump and Putin plan Saudi talks on Ukraine war; Kyiv's role uncertain, raising concerns over the legitimacy of any peace deal.

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Super Intelligence: The Datacentre Is the New Science Lab

As Europe funds brilliant laboratories, are datacentre owners harvesting the discoveries?

Strasbourg Naked Golden Trump Trolls the Monument Tradition

A naked golden Trump in Strasbourg shows how statues, once made to flatter rulers, now serve to roast them.

Hanning Affair Hurts German Intel Cred

Germany's ex-spymaster undermined allied confidence and gave Moscow-friendly politicians a talking point.

Rubio Cherry-Picks Ancient Greece to Sell Modern Nationalism

Rubio urged the West to copy ancient Greek loyalty, yet ancient Athens thrived on argument, dissent and noisy assemblies.

Young Voters Could Decide France’s Next President

Hate-speech allegations bruise Bardella and energise Mélenchon, but household finances and young-voter turnout will determine who wins France's presidency.