Lebanese socialist academic and thinker Gilbert Achcar spoke to bianet about the attacks targeting Syrian Kurds, the emerging “new order” in the Middle East, and the roles of the US, Turkey, and Israel in this new framework. A final agreement on military and administrative integration was reached on Jan 30 between the Syrian Interim Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The agreement includes provisions for a ceasefire, the gradual unification of military and administrative (…)

“The idea that Jamaat-e-Islami has transformed since the July uprising has not withstood the harsh test of reality. The killings, rapes, and sexual violence of the past year and a half have made it painfully clear: ideologically, Jamaat remains where it always was.” After the July uprising, a wave of political turbulence swept through Bangladesh. One significant aspect of this moment was the widespread discussion about a possible “transformation” within Jamaat-e-Islami. A political force (…)

Syria's soaring electricity prices are deepening daily hardship and exposing how the government's economic strategy is failing the masses, writes Joseph Daher. A local resident holds a placard as she takes part in a protest against the soaring electricity prices, in front of the Ministry of Energy in Damascus on January 29, 2026. [GETTY] Following last October's announcement from the Syrian government that there'd be a rise in electricity prices, the recent implementation of the new (…)