sectarian conflict

Unravelling the factions, sheikhs, and fighters of Sweida

This Druze-dominated city that has been the scene of fierce fighting in recent days may be a single governorate, but it is home to myriad armed groups with sometimes conflicting agendas.

Subhi Franjieh 24 July 2025

A member of the Lebanese security forces stands guard in front of a billboard bearing a portrait of slain former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri to mark his assassination on February 14, 2005.

AFP

The legacy of Rafik Hariri and the collapse of the Lebanese state

Although it has been 18 years since Hariri's brutal assassination, the pain of his loss is being felt now more than ever

Mohamed abi Samra 16 February 2023

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Sara Padovan

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The flaw in Trump’s 'dealmaking' Middle East peace plan

16 October 2025

Rushed deals and a disregard for root problems provide a flimsy foundation for sustainable peace

Abdullah F. Alrebh

Opinion

Syria, Russia reassert ties with an eye on mutual benefits

20 October 2025

Syria seeks balance and protection; Russia wants permanence and influence. These issues were surely discussed when Sharaa met Putin in Moscow last week.

Ibrahim Hamidi

LDP President Sanae Takaichi receives applause after she was selected as Japan's new prime minister during an extraordinary session of the lower house of parliament in Tokyo on October 21, 2025.

Philip FONG / AFP

Profiles

Sanae Takaichi: Japan's first female prime minister

21 October 2025

Her task will be to balance the country's security imperatives with American expectations regarding burden-sharing, defence spending, and economic cooperation

Futoshi Matsumoto

Peter Reynolds

Business & Economy

The fight for resources could determine who 'wins' the war in Sudan

17 October 2025

The army and the RSF rely on the assets at their disposal to sustain governance and fund their war efforts, while trying to win over the international community by seizing larger swathes of Sudan

Sharif Mohammad