Riyadh
BUSINESS
New Alliances, Old Tensions: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the Future of Middle East Security
Israeli jets bomb Doha, killing six during ceasefire talks. Riyadh signs defense pact with Pakistan as Europe eyes stability for the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor and Qatari LNG supplies.
PODCASTS
The Role of AI in a Future EU-GCC FTA?
EU-GCC FTA talks may hinge on AI’s role, as UAE boosts major investments in artificial intelligence amid renewed trade negotiations.
BUSINESS
Trump May Have Found His Match in the UAE
Donald Trump visits Abu Dhabi in a new era of US-Gulf diplomacy, blending business with diplomacy in the Middle East, as the UAE redefines U.S.-GCC ties.
Ukraine War
Trump Breaks Rank with Europe at Riyadh on Ukraine
Trump's Riyadh talks with Russia on Ukraine spark tension, bypassing Kyiv and risking a U.S.-Europe rift on future cooperation.
Gaza War
Forced Displacement is a Red Line for International Community
Arab nations, EU, and BRICS reject forced Gaza displacement, urging peace under international law and the Arab Peace Initiative ahead of the Cairo summit.
Popular
Britain Navigates a Growing Trade Imbalance with China
As its trade gap with Beijing hits £42 billion, London is pursuing a growth strategy that increasingly tests the enduring strategic patience of Washington.
Winter Storm Research Rewrites a Witch Trial Tragedy
As new research published in Smithsonian Magazine this week connects a 1617 Arctic storm to Norway's deadliest witch trials, climate historians reveal how weather shock fed decades of persecution.
Prediction Takes Politics: Prophets and Polymarkets Collide
As 11 Peruvian shamans predicted Nicolás Maduro's fall on 29 December 2025, crypto traders were placing similar bets online—five days before U.S. forces extracted the Venezuelan leader to New York.
Mladenov Takes Over Gaza Board After Regional Veto
Nickolay Mladenov becomes Gaza peace board head after Arab states blocked Tony Blair, raising questions about whose interests guide Washington's selection.
Abu Dhabi Rebuffs British Universities Over Campus Radicalisation
The world’s wealthiest patrons now view Western campuses as hazards, forcing a costly inversion of the traditional hierarchy that once defined global education.
