Spotlight
Captagon’s Legacy
Over four months after the fall of Assad, Syria is still struggling with the pervasive Captagon trade. Despite the new authorities vowing to dismantle drug networks, the illicit business continues, fueled by economic hardship and lingering connections from the previous regime.
A Mission of Rehabilitation
Sisters Maya and Nancy Yamout have spent over a decade researching and rehabilitating extremists in Lebanon’s Roumieh prison. Through their organization, Rescue Me Lebanon, they offer psychotherapy and other programs to help prisoners reintegrate into society and prevent extremist groups from recruiting them again.
The War of Narratives in Jordan
On April 15, Jordanian authorities announced the arrest of 16 individuals linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, accused of preparing rocket and drone attacks from within the country. The state’s narrative was assertive and unmistakable: This was not an external operation misdirected inward, nor an ideological protest gone too far. It…
How Iran Is Weaponizing Europe’s Criminal Underworld
Iran is turning the criminal underworld into a tool of covert statecraft. Gangs in Europe and beyond are being weaponized by the regime in Tehran, which uses their networks to achieve its goals under a cover of plausible deniability.
As Tourism Surges in Sri Lanka, Locals Are Asking Who Truly Benefits
While Sri Lanka aims to attract millions of tourists to boost its economy, concerns are rising about tourism’s impact on local communities — from the displacement of local businesses by those catering to outsiders, to the exploitation of local resources and the segregation of spaces to make them exclusive to foreigners.
Talahons on Trial
Germany’s word of the year is “talahon.” It emerged from hip-hop as a meme characterizing Arab-German youth, morphed into a cultural phenomenon and was ultimately weaponized by the far right to gain unprecedented support in the recent federal elections.
Clearing Lebanon’s War Rubble
Lebanon is grappling with 32 million tons of rubble — and counting — created since war with Israel broke out in 2023. A controversial proposal to dump the debris in the Mediterranean is raising environmental concerns, while some advocate recycling it for reconstruction, amid government inaction and a financial crisis.