Editor Picks

‘Geneva Documents’ Expose Constitutional Gap between Damascus, Opposition

The sixth round of talks of the Syria Constitutional Committee in Geneva concluded on Friday with “big disappointment” for the UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen as they stood on the “precipice of flexibility” outlined by Damascus. This has put the ball in Moscow’s court.

Lebanon Activists Set Sights on Vote

Two years after a now-defunct protest movement shook Lebanon, opposition activists are hoping parliamentary polls will challenge the ruling elite's stranglehold on the country. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese took to the streets from October 17, 2019 in an unprecedented countrywide and cross-se

Rifaat Assad: Challenged his Brother for Syria’s Presidency, Aged in Exile, Pardoned by his Nephew

The Syria that Rifaat al-Assad left when he was vice president to Hafez al-Assad decades ago is not the same one that he returned to after his nephew, President Bashar al-Assad, allowed him to return to as a “citizen.” The country has changed with its foreign alliances and role in the region.

Togolese FM: We Look Forward to Strategic Partnership with Saudi Arabia

Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey revealed that his country, which enjoys the highest living standards in Africa, is moving closer to building a comprehensive strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, which will boost security in West Africa.

Normalization of Ties with Damascus and Caesar Act

The train of normalization of ties bound for Damascus has departed.

Syria’s Idlib Poses New Test to Putin, Erdogan

The fate of Syria’s Idlib, or at least part of it, hinges on the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi on September 29.