Over 4,000 flown home in the face of rebel victory and overthrow of ally Bashar al-Assad
Masoud Pezeshkian and his supporters say measures will be tough to enforce as hardline parliament pushes for approval
The end of the US-led order is giving way to a kind of chaos that chimes with the president-elect’s preferences
Helping Damascus stretched Tehran’s capabilities, while Russia exploited perceived western weakness
Netanyahu has justified the incursion as a temporary move to protect Israeli citizens
Also in this newsletter: How to protect critical undersea cables
Plastic surgeon Victoria Rose shares her experience
Held in the country for six years, the former prisoner shares her insights into how repressive states work — and finding escape through books
Head of nuclear watchdog said ‘very concerning’ move could rapidly expand Tehran’s production capacity
Steven Witkoff held talks with Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed to discuss deal ahead of inauguration
What began as a band of a few dozen jihadis is now a disciplined force with units producing modern weaponry
Assad regime looks vulnerable as rebels retake Aleppo
Opposition supporters are ecstatic but others are wary of their new Islamist rulers as Assad regime begins counteroffensive
Advance from Aleppo highlights weakness of regime forces
Aiotec GmbH agrees $14.5mn settlement with US after disguising shipment of dismantled polypropylene facility
Minister’s vow to ‘go deeper’ if hostilities resume comes after deadly Israeli air strikes severely test truce
Ankara, long a backer of opposition groups, sees chance to push back Kurdish militants and force Assad to negotiate
Air strikes by Israeli military across Lebanon come after militant group fires rockets
Arrangements such as the ceasefire in Lebanon are all the more important as the region lurches from one convulsion to the next
Biden’s energy adviser exudes ‘positive American arrogance . . . he gets results’, says one official
The militant group claims victory in its war with Israel, despite devastating losses
Bashar al-Assad vows to defend country’s stability as shock offensive challenges his regime
Rapid capture of Aleppo from government forces underlines regime’s fragility despite Russian and Iranian help
Lebanon’s capital was hit hard by bombing and an influx of displaced people but residents are rebuilding their lives
World’s largest inland water body ‘within weeks’ of lowest level as climate change takes toll, says ecology official
