How Assad’s Trade in Captagon Fueled His Downfall
The Assad regime’s manipulation of the Captagon trade, combining industrial-scale production with carefully crafted counternarcotics rhetoric, staged seizures and inflated statistics, gave the illusion of a crackdown. But the regime’s reliance on Captagon to reinforce its hold on power prompted a backlash from neighboring states and hastened its collapse.
Syria Needs a Strong Society, Not a Strongman
The world is worried about the jihadism of Syria’s new leaders, but the world may be missing the point. Whether the state is religious or secular, Syria needs a strong society, not a strongman.
It Takes Defiance To Tango
Tango, Argentina's iconic dance, is being reimagined by a new generation of dancers who are breaking away from traditional gender roles. The International Queer Tango Festival in Buenos Aires celebrates this evolution, showcasing a more inclusive and expressive way to embrace the dance.
Pakistan Is Losing Its Glaciers to Climate Change
With over 7,200 dotting its three mountain ranges — the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram and the Himalayas — Pakistan is home to the most glaciers outside the polar regions. Due to climate change, they are melting rapidly, creating unique challenges.
The University That Shaped Russia’s Intervention in Syria
For decades, an elite university in St. Petersburg sustained Russia’s expertise on the Middle East and its influence abroad. Yet cracks in Russia’s supposed mastery of the region started to show around the turn of the millennium.