The visit of US President Donald Trump to the People’s Republic of China on 13–15 May, together with his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, constituted a single landmark event in contemporary world politics. Among its various accompanying aspects, the central one was determined by the Taiwan issue. It should …

Rami Makhlouf (left) portrays himself as a messianic figure. Kamal Hassan (right) believes Alawites must take up arms to defend themselves. REUTERS/Illustration/Catherine Tai; Source photos: REUTERS/Stringer and Facebook From exile in Moscow, ex-intel chief Kamal Hassan and Assad cousin Rami Makhlouf are spending millions of dollars in competing efforts to …

Just as the United States and Iran’s negotiations to end their three-month war appear to be gaining momentum, Israel has stepped up operations on another volatile front in Lebanon. The recent decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intensify airstrikes and ground operations against Hezbollah, one of Iran’s closest …