Mecca
WORLD
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.
EUROPE
All Roads Lead to Mecca: Syria’s New Patron
Syria’s new interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, visited Mecca after arriving in Riyadh yesterday in a trip that indicates the future order of regional power in Syria.
Popular
Venice Festival Turns Screens into Political Battlegrounds
Cultural festivals now face demands for political alignment that test how far artistic freedom can stretch.
How Eiffel Tower Went On Strike Over Religion
Religious accommodation is supposed to make room for someone's own beliefs, not require somebody else to disappear from view.
The Arms Race Heats Up Around a Divided Island
As Ankara triples its arms budget and Athens leans on Israeli firepower, the Aegean standoff risks pulling Cyprus into a wider Mediterranean clash.
Estonia’s Budget Woes Might Outweigh Its Ukraine Zeal
A botched €70 million shell deal took Estonia's defence minister down, as debt, scandal and a hardening European mood question Tallinn's Ukraine loyalty.
LVMH Pandemic Luxury Boom Loses Its Aspirational Shoppers
LVMH's slide from its pandemic-era peak shows what happens when a brand's own success prices out the customers who made it aspirational.
