After Assad fled to Russia, Moscow opened the door for asylum and humanitarian protection to many Syrians, including former military members. Yet their journeys north are very different.
Tag: russia
Russia’s invasion pushed some 8 million Ukrainians to leave the country. While some are starting to return — for their families, education or other reasons — the total number of Ukrainians who return home depends on the duration of the war. And some demographers warn that only one-third or one half of emigrants may come back.
Ukrainian sea drones have been attacking Russian tankers in the open sea for the first time in recent weeks. The risky tactic is proving effective and has angered Putin. But even allies are issuing warnings.
In the language of math or geography: two thousand kilometers and three and a half years — that’s five settlements. Bucha. Hostomel. Narovlya, Belarus. Novozybkov, Russia. Pakino, Russia. Udarnoye, Russia.
A controversial warning from France’s Army Chief of Staff coincides with sabotage in Poland and a divisive Russian-American plan for Ukraine, raising concerns about Europe’s security.
The strategically important city of Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, is the scene of intense fighting between Russian attackers and Ukrainian defenders. This is an important test as Vladimir Putin seeks to assert his dominance on the ground, not only over Ukraine but also over Europe.
In one of the world’s most connected countries, cyber soldiers protect critical systems against constant foreign attacks while preparing for the day when artificial intelligence could take control of the battlefield.
A week of record highs flipped to panic with new China tariff talk, exposing fragile nerves as experts warn that a fast growing $2.2 trillion private credit market with light oversight, risky PIK structures, and bank and insurer exposure could turn the next shock into a chain reaction.
From political folly to looming crises, investors are betting on collapse — and turning to gold as their safe haven.
President Maia Sandu’s pro-European party is leading the vote count in Moldova’s parliamentary elections, pulling ahead of the pro-Russian party. The elections are seen as a test in the wider struggle between Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s supporters along the European Union’s borders.
Donald Trump changed his tone toward Russia after his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, even saying he was ready to shoot down Russian planes that enter NATO airspace. Is this a real shift in favor of Ukraine, or just hurt feelings about his would-be pal Vladimir Putin.
The incursion of 19 Russian drones into Polish airspace prompted several NATO countries to mobilize, but also highlighted the weakness of the alliance’s defense capabilities. Warsaw has called it a “provocation” and the incident will accelerate the move towards European defense.
With strikes on Russia’s oil industry, Ukraine is showing just how effectively it can defend itself. A new missile could soon spell further trouble for Moscow.
👋 Sannu!* Welcome to Thursday, where Kim Jong-un affirms his support for Vladimir Putin, the UAE denounces Israeli plans to annex the West Bank, and today’s quiz question is about a Nazi-looted Italian painting. Meanwhile, we offer a tour du monde of the state of the debate as to whether adults can physically discipline children. […]
The leaders of Russia, India and China were all smiles as they posed for a photo on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, with their thoughts on the “absent” Donald Trump. The battle for world order in the 21st century captured in a single photo.
Even after diplomatic overtures and red-carpet treatment abroad, Moscow answers with one of its deadliest strikes since the invasion, showing the Kremlin has no intention of negotiating an end to the war.
With resources poured into the fight, allies watching, and propaganda framing it as a struggle against the West, President Vladimir Putin has locked Russia’s foreign policy into a war Moscow cannot afford to lose.
👋 Manao ahoana!* Welcome to Wednesday, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls for “complete” defeat of Hamas as Israel considers total Gaza occupation, the world marks 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and today’s quiz question highlights a Parisian mishap. Meanwhile, La Marea’s Amador Iranzo looks at the worrying gentrification at play […]
👋 Ekamowir omo!* Welcome to Thursday, where Canada says it will recognize a Palestinian state if democratic conditions are met, a Russian airstrike kills at least six in Kyiv, and today’s quiz question takes us back to one of the earliest traces of human addiction. Meanwhile, for German weekly Die Zeit, researcher Olivia Masseck lays […]
👋 Zdravo!* Welcome to Tuesday, where Russia continues to strike Ukraine despite Trump’s ultimatum, a lone gunman kills four in a Manhattan skyscraper and our daily quiz question is about Portugal’s down-to-earth president. Meanwhile, Basma Al-Atty in Beirut-based independent media Daraj looks at how sudden floods following years of drought have fueled conspiracy theories about […]
👋 Yokwe!* Welcome to Thursday, where Israel receives a new “workable” ceasefire proposal from Hamas, the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia escalates following deadly military clashes and our daily quiz question is about a fake ambassador. Meanwhile, Rina Nikolaeva for independent Russian media Vazhnyye Istorii looks at why the Kremlin has been systematically shutting off […]
👋 Ha’u!* Welcome to Tuesday, where the WHO condemns Israel’s ground offensive in central Gaza, Bangladesh mourns the victims of a crash of an air force training jet on a school and our daily quiz question is about a deliciously disappearing artwork. Meanwhile, An Flores for independent Latin American online Volcánicas looks at how discussions […]
👋 Alò!* Welcome to Friday, where the EU imposes new sanctions on Russia, Donald Trump struggles to tamp down the Jeffrey Epstein uproar, and a famed Austrian daredevil dies in a paragliding accident. We also feature an article on the rise of the “Instagram Sheikhs” — a diverse group of digital-savvy Muslims who fuse Islamic […]
👋 Hyvää päivää!* Welcome to Thursday, where a ceasefire in Syria appears to be holding after government soldiers clashed with Druze minority forces, Ukraine gets a new prime minister and our daily quiz question is about a festival in Belgium. Meanwhile, Marcelo Cantelmi for Argentine daily Clarín looks at why Trump’s threats against Brazil aren’t […]
👋 Aссалом* Welcome to Tuesday, where Trump threatens Russia with steep tariffs if a peace deal is not reached within 50 days, Netanyahu’s coalition is under pressure after an ultra-Orthodox party quits and our daily quiz question is about the hacking of a famous puppet’s X account. Meanwhile, Johanna Jürgens for German weekly Die Zeit […]
As official data vanishes from Russian state reports, independent experts warn that losses from Putin’s war in Ukraine are becoming too large to hide.
👋 Hay!* Welcome to Friday, where two people are killed in Russia by overnight drone attacks launched by Ukraine, the Kurdish rebels of the PKK are set to lay down their weapons after 40 years of conflict with the Turkish state, and our daily quiz question is about a futuristic restaurant in Dubai. Meanwhile, Bernard […]
While Mattel’s Barbie doll is the world’s most popular fashion doll, she faces competition from local and regional dolls: from Mimi in South Korea to Steffi Love in Germany, Worldcrunch takes a look at her past and present counterparts around the world.
Putin is happy to go around the Europeans, and just needs Trump to stay out of the way.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky courts and convinces (at least for now) U.S. President Donald Trump. Meanwhile Russia’s leader has failed to enter the negotiations with Tehran to gain on Ukraine.
👋 ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ* Welcome to Thursday, where Iran’s nuclear sites are reported to be “severely damaged,” Gaza mediators are intensifying ceasefire efforts, and our daily quiz question is related to a very old discovery from a Polish cave. Meanwhile, Inma Mora Sánchez for Ethic outlines the issues surrounding women’s self-esteem, from the housewives’ awakening of the […]
👋 Salü bisàmme!* Welcome to Tuesday, where Israel and Iran trade more strikes as Trump says he is “looking at better than a ceasefire,” Russian airstrikes kill at least 14 in Kyiv, and tourists in Ibiza are scared to answer today’s quiz question. Meanwhile, Pauline Castellani in French daily Le Figaro takes a deep whiff […]
June 14-15 • Putin’s long game• Music world mourns Brian Wilson, Sly Stone…• “Climate-responsive” paint• … and much more ⬇️ STARTER Israel’s Iran strikes required extensive planning, with parallels to pager attack in Lebanon On Sunday, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was due to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Oman to negotiate a […]
Public support for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine is growing in Russia, with new polling showing record levels of backing for diplomacy. But the majority still insists on conditions that Ukraine — and its Western allies — are unlikely to accept. As the Kremlin plays the long game, a clear path to peace remains elusive.
👋 Alii!* Welcome to Tuesday, where at least eight people were killed in a school shooting in Austria, Israel is set to deport Gaza aid boat activists including Greta Thunberg, and today’s quiz question looks into a small marble sculpture that sold for nearly 900,000 euros in central France. Meanwhile, La Marea’s Juan Samaniego reports […]
June 7-8• Gulf architecture as soft power• Banning #SkinnyTok• Viral PSG éclairs• … and much more ⬇️ STARTER A timely reminder of what Ukraine’s defeat would mean for the rest of us Bahatyr and Vilne Pole. Oleksandropil and Mykhailivka and Malynivka. Here in Germany, these names mean nothing. They stir no feelings, no fear, no […]
👋 Halo!* Welcome to Thursday, where U.S. President Donald Trump signs a travel ban for 12 countries, Israel recovers the bodies of two Israeli-American hostages in southern Gaza, and our daily quiz question goes Back to the Future. Meanwhile, for Worldcrunch, Hagar Farouk explores how Gulf states are using architecture as a strategic tool of […]
👋 Saluton!* Welcome to Wednesday, where Trump doubles steel and aluminium tariffs, South Korea’s new president is sworn in and our quiz question takes you to one of Amsterdam’s iconic museums. Meanwhile, for Daraj, Iman Adel tells us the story of Laila Soueif, the mother of a jailed British-Egyptian activist who has been on a […]
With global diplomacy now driven more by personalities than institutions, summits resemble showdowns — and geopolitics risks becoming a game where the stakes are dangerously real.
👋 Hej!* Welcome to Monday, where Israeli airstrikes kill at least 52 in Gaza, U.S. President Donald Trump has harsh words for Vladimir Putin, and today’s quiz question is about vandalism in the beautiful Belgian city of Bruges. Meanwhile, Viola Kiel in Die Zeit asks scientists: Is “ultra-processed” food truly the enemy? [*Danish] ✅ SIGN […]