Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s second visit as premier to the Syrian capital, Damascus, should not be seen as a fleeting diplomatic moment, but should be viewed within the broader geopolitical context, as part of a determined, strategic attempt to reorganize and reformulate Syrian-Lebanese relations at a pivotal historical juncture marked by radical regional and international transformations.  … Continue reading Breaking the Cycle: A Historic Opportunity to Rebuild Syria-Lebanon Relations

On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), noting that while the overall global risk remains low, national and regional risks are elevated due to ongoing transmission, population movement, weak health infrastructure, and the outbreak’s emergence in conflict-affected areas.  

Open-source satellite imagery has fundamentally altered the security landscape of the Middle East. Platforms such as Google Earth and commercially produced geospatial data have made forms of intelligence once associated with state militaries widely accessible to organizations, researchers, journalists, and non-state actors. This has enabled armed groups to monitor infrastructure, assess battlefield conditions, and shape… Continue reading Open-Source Visibility and Security Risks in the Middle East