Eurasia

Post-civil war Lebanon can be described as a series of calamitous events impacting a people who are already no stranger to being taken advantage of by their political system, as the civil war and subsequent three-decade Syrian military occupation had the combined consequence of eliminating all progressive resistance, creating a …

Mutual funds that allow investors to buy or sell their shares daily are an important component of the financial system, offering investment opportunities to investors and providing financing to companies and governments. Open-end investment funds, as they are known, have grown significantly in the past two decades, with $41 trillion …

The State Department has a new appointee. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has: “Designated Monica P. Medina as the United States’ Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources, signaling the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to resolving the world’s intertwined biodiversity and water crises. Monica Medina is the Assistant Secretary of State …

Despite Vladimir Putin having explained in a 7,000-word manifesto a year ago what was on his mind, pundits continue to try predicting his next move. And that is precisely the problem. Putin plays the tune, and NATO and the US begin the waltz, always a couple of dance steps late. …

One of my areas of research in institutional economics is the social behavior of people under different political regimes, what Thomas Schelling called micromotives and macrobehavior. Of course, this topic is directly related to many disciplines, from behavioral economics and political theory to the neurobiology of decision-making and the theory …

The internationally recognized government of Yemen has slammed Houthi threats to attack oil ships and called for international action to stop the group from damaging civilian infrastructure and power sources. Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak described the threats as “criminal and terrorist activity,” adding that the Iran-backed Houthis …

Syrian government forces are deployed in the Syrian desert in preparation for a large campaign against the Islamic State. Media sources from Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria told Al-Monitor that government forces instructed members in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa to mobilize ahead of a major military operation in the Badia …

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz traveled this week to Azerbaijan on the backdrop of growing tensions with Iran and Jerusalem’s desire to deepen strategic, security and economic ties with Baku. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz traveled this week to Azerbaijan, where he met with President Ilham Aliyev and Defense Minister …

Islamists are bearing the brunt of President Kais Saied’s “counter revolution” with their leaders facing possible jail time and little public sympathy, as many view them as the principal architects of the economic woes and political gridlock that has long gripped the country. On a gray December morning, Noureddine Bhiri …

According to Iranian authorities, those protesting Mahsa Amini’s death are some of the youngest ever seen in the country. According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the latest protests in Iran are being attended by some of the youngest age groups ever to attend protests in the country. Ali …