Series Note: We are in the middle of an unprecedented crisis as the Covid-19 pandemic, and the lockdowns implemented in response, continue to deliver a series of economic, social and psychological shocks to the world. In this time of chaos, some of the world’s most powerful interest groups have stepped …

Iran-backed militias have arrested militants from the Nujaba movement near Aleppo, reports Etihad Press. Iranian militias arrested a Damascus regime officer, as well as civilians and several members of the Iraqi “Nujaba” movement, in rural Aleppo. According to the local website Ain Al-Furat, drivers were arrested at a checkpoint held …

The resurgence of the terrorist group in the Syrian desert puts the region again at the forefront of the conflict, according to Baladi News. The Syrian Badia (desert) reclaimed its position at the forefront of hostilities in Syria following the recent return of activities by ISIS’ cells and increased military …

The spokesman of Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Khaled al-Shami, and two other fighters were reportedly killed by Russian bombardments, according to Al-Etihad Press. On Thursday, news reports said that the spokesman of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (Al-Nusra) was killed in a missile strike targeting several areas of the Idleb governorate, controlled …

Next month’s planned meeting between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to include conversations on Ukraine, COVID-19 and the recent diversion of a flight by officials in Belarus, but as tensions between the two countries remain tense, there are bigger issues at play, like the …

Spotlighting an African rarity: a poor but democratic nation. A dirty white, bullet-pocked house, without electricity and running water, does not merit a second glance in the town of Burao high in the east of Somaliland. Yet this former colonial governor’s residence, shaded by a giant acacia, was the site …

The US bridles at China’s growing Middle East footprint. But the two are not necessarily doomed to be regional rivals. Last month the Wall Street Journal reported that a planned sale of F-35 fighter aircraft and Reaper drones by the US to the UAE might fall through. The story was …

Islamic identity has been a critical part of Pakistan’s national ethos and has remained a principal determinant of its political history and foreign policy. But it also creates awkward situations, such as the question of the Uyghurs in relations with China. Pakistan is one of only a few states where …

After former Prime Minister Abe’s warm embrace of President Putin, Japan’s attitude towards Russia under his successor, Yoshihide Suga, has notably cooled. Under Shinzo Abe, who was Japan’s longest serving prime minister before stepping down in September 2020, Japan stood out within the G7 for the friendliness of its policy …

The most recent killing is likely meant to undercut Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s efforts to curb militias outside the control of the state. For the second time this year, a senior officer of the Iraqi intelligence service has been killed by unidentified gunmen. On June 7, Nibras Farman al-Fayli, assistant …