Tag Archives: Syria

THE NEW YORK TIMES – WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14, 2026

China Announces Record Trade Surplus as Exports Flood World’s Markets

A $1.2 trillion surplus last year, the world’s largest ever, came despite efforts by President Trump to use tariffs to contain China’s factories.

U.S. Refiners to Profit as Trump Asserts Control Over Venezuelan Oil

The companies that turn oil into gasoline and diesel are likely to benefit more, right away, than the businesses that pump oil out of the ground.

Venezuelan Envoy to Make First Washington Trip in Years Amid Thaw

Ahead of White House Meeting, Trump Insists U.S. ‘Needs Greenland’

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland were set to meet with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio today.

A Top Fed Official Says the Trump Administration’s Threats Are ‘About Monetary Policy’

Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, defended Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, in an interview.

How ICE Crackdowns Set Off a Resistance in American Cities

In Minneapolis and other cities where federal agents have led immigration crackdowns, residents have formed loose networks to track and protest them.

An Emboldened Trump Places His Bets From Caracas to Tehran

President Trump has left himself plenty of room for maximal intervention. But there are a host of potential wild cards, each with risks for the president.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2026

Inflation Steady as Fed Considers Rate Path

Consumer prices in December were 2.7 percent higher than a year ago, a similar rate to the previous month. Food Prices Shot Up in December

Shoot to Kill’: Accounts of Brutal Crackdown on Protests Emerge From Iran

As many as 3,000 are feared dead after witnesses described government forces firing on unarmed protesters.

Trump Urges Iranians to Keep Up Antigovernment Protests

Deposed Shah’s Son, Now in Exile in U.S., Seeks Center Stage Amid Protests

Facing Contempt Threat, Clintons Refuse to Testify in Epstein Inquiry

The couple denounced the efforts by Representative James R. Comer, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, to force them to appear, setting the stage for a legal battle.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026

Federal Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Fed Chair Powell

The investigation, which is said to center on renovations of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters, escalates President Trump’s pressure campaign on Jerome Powell.

Why Russia’s Fearsome Arsenal Fizzled in Venezuela

The Venezuelan regime had high-powered air defense systems from its allies in the Kremlin, but failed to set much of it up.

Venezuela Frees 24 More Political Prisoners, Rights Group Says

Markets Waver After Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Fed Chair

As Death Toll Surges in Iran, Leaders Take Tough Line Against Protesters

Rights groups reported casualties in the hundreds as President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed sympathy for economic concerns but said the state must respond to “rioters.”

Deposed Shah’s Son Hopes Trump Will Put Iran Regime ‘Down for Good’

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026

Trump’s ‘Superstar’ Appellate Judges Have Voted 133 to 12 in His Favor

Trump promised to fill the appeals courts with “my judges.” Now they’ve formed a nearly united phalanx to defend his agenda from legal challenges.

Trump Is Briefed on Options for Striking Iran as Protests Continue

The president has said he will be “hitting them very hard” if Iranian leaders kill protesters amid widespread demonstrations calling for changes in the country.

Death Toll Grows as Nationwide Protests Rock Iran for a Third Night

Antigovernment unrest that began two weeks ago has intensified in recent days, as has violence.

Trump Is the Political Earthquake Shaking Latin America

The U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro has divided the region. But every nation wants to avoid being next.

U.S. Launches Major Strikes on Islamic State Targets in Syria

The airstrikes followed an even larger attack in December to avenge the killing of three Americans last year.

Smithsonian Removes Label Noting Trump Impeachments

When the National Portrait Gallery replaced a portrait of President Trump this week, it took down a biography of his first term.

Sunday Morning: Stories From London And Tokyo

Monocle on Sunday (December 15, 2024): Nina dos Santos and Andrew Tuck join Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, to discuss the week’s key topics in this festive programme from Monocle’s Christmas market in London. Plus: a chat with Fiona Wilson, Monocle’s Tokyo bureau chief.

The Economist Magazine – December 14, 2024 Preview

All weekly editions | The Economist

The Economist Magazine (December 12, 2024): The latest issue features ‘What Now?’…

How the new Syria might succeed or fail

The end of the house of Assad. Much will go wrong. But for now, celebrate a tyrant’s fall

What Spain can teach the rest of Europe

Our number-crunching suggests it was the best-performing rich economy in 2024

America’s searing market rally brings new risks

Financial innovation is just as much to blame as the technological sort

Multilateral institutions are turning away from the poorest countries

Even bail-outs are getting expensive

News: Rebuilding Syria After 13 Years Of Civil War, Ukraine-Russia War

Monocle Radio Podcast (December 12, 2024): What will it take to resurrect Syria’s once-stunning built environment? Also in the programme: the humanitarian view from Odessa with Jan Egeland, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the results of a new poll from the European Council on Foreign Relations on attitudes towards EU-UK relations.

Plus, we examine the global implications of Kenya’s illicit gold trade and take a dram from the seasonal whiskey menu at the Fife Arms.

Politics: The Guardian Weekly-December 13, 2024

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The Guardian Weekly (December 11, 2024): The new issue features The fall of Syria’s brutal dictatorship. Plus The best books of 2024.

Not even the most optimistic of rebels could have predicted the rapid collapse, last weekend, of the Assad dynasty that ruled Syria with an iron fist for more than 50 years. Yet while there was relief and joy both inside Syria and among the nation’s vast displaced diaspora, it was also accompanied by apprehension over what might come next.

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Spotlight | Russia and Ukraine wait warily for Trump transition
The idea of the US president-election as a saviour for Ukraine, as unlikely as it may seem, holds an appeal for an exhausted nation without a clear path to victory. Shaun Walker and Pjotr Sauer report

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Environment | The jailed anti-whaler defiant in face of extradition threat
Capt Paul Watson talks to Daniel Boffey about his arrest on behalf of the Japanese government, his ‘interesting’ Greenland prison, and separation from his children

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Feature | The growing threat of firearms that can be made at home
One far-right cell wanted to use 3D-printed guns to cause ‘maximum confusion and fear’ on the streets of Finland. Could the police intercept them in time? By Samira Shackle

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Opinion | Farage is lying in wait. Britain can’t afford for Starmer to fail
It is not enough for the Labour leader’s ‘milestones’ to be achieved. Voters must feel the improvement in their daily lives, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

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Culture | The best books of 2024
From a radical retelling of Huckleberry Finn to Al Pacino’s autobiography, our critics round up their favourite reads of the year

News: Israel Strikes 500 Military Targets In Syria, Macron Battles Far Right

Monocle Radio Podcast (December 11, 2024): Following the overthrow of the Assad regime, what will happen to the millions of Syrians who were granted asylum abroad? We give you the latest and look at why strikes are continuing.

Plus: Emmanuel Macron’s grand coalition talks, China sends its largest fleet in nearly 30 years to the Taiwan region – and we meet Finland’s ambassador to the UK, Jukka Siukosaari, and Business Finland’s director for western Europe, Jukka Holappa.