UNESCO

Iranian Heritage Under Threat From All Sides

As civil unrest spreads across Iranian cities in early January 2026 and President Trump renews warnings about military options, the country's 28 UNESCO World Heritage sites sit vulnerable to dangers from multiple directions.

Italy’s UNESCO Victory: Shared Mediterranean Food Gets a National Label

UNESCO has crowned Italian cooking an intangible treasure, but in a shared Mediterranean kitchen it raises a question: how far can one country claim what ends up on the plate?

Lebanon Deserves Headlines for Its Wonders, Not Wars

Ancient temples in Lebanon, from Baalbek to Byblos, stand as timeless symbols of beauty, resilience, and cultural heritage.

Yazd, Iran: Where Wind, Clay, and Faith Endure 

Tehran opens a metro station named for the Virgin Mary in Yazd. Another city in Iran takes quieter, deeper steps toward preservation.

A New Wave of Bioethics: The Frontiers of Genetic Engineering

In 2025, genetic editing in bioethics blurs the line between therapy and enhancement, sparking ethical debates on humanity’s future.

Popular

LVMH, War and the Luxury of Trees

As war dents luxury sales and Europe's tree cover grows more unequal, an old truth is returning: comfort is becoming easier to buy than to share.

UAE Quits OPEC to Define New Energy Order

After missile strikes on Gulf ports and thousands of flight cancellations, the UAE's exit from OPEC shatters the old oil order, exposing a ruthless energy future.

After the Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting, Trump Changes Tone

After gunfire erupted at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this weekend, Donald Trump responded with less fury than after earlier political attacks, and that change matters.

West Overlooks Russian Grain and Borders in Ukraine

As stolen grain enters Israeli docks and Berlin hints at regional trade-offs, a quiet consensus forms around the permanence of Russia's seized Ukrainian areas.

Deraa First Trial Puts Syrian Justice on the Stand

This week's public trial of Atef Najib returned Deraa to the centre of Syrian politics, with the first courtroom reckoning for the crackdown that helped ignite the uprising.