Today
Rebels vow reforms in race to stabilise Syria
The government is trying to get the state functioning again, while Russia frets over its bases, and Israel and Turkey look to increase their leverage.
- Hans van Leeuwen
- Updated
- Syrian conflict
New day dawns for Syria after Assad flees to Moscow
The swift and surprise toppling of President Bashar al-Assad is sending shockwaves through the Middle East and the world – especially in Moscow and Tehran.
- Updated
- Hans van Leeuwen
Yesterday
How Assad’s family ran Syria like the mafia
Hafez and his son Bashar killed countless people over five decades and oversaw the country’s descent into kleptocracy.
- Chloe Cornish
This Month
- Updated
- Emmanuel Macron
Trump welcomed by Macron, joined by Zelensky for talks
On a day that mixed pageantry with attention to pressing global problems, the once and future American president was warmly embraced by the French president.
- Updated
- Tom McIlroy
- Opinion
- Political unrest
A crazy six hours in Seoul and the fragility of democracy
A presidential brain snap in South Korea has revived dark memories of the country’s past, with potentially damaging geopolitical ripples across north-east Asia.
- James Curran
Yoon survives impeachment vote after his power grab
The move to impeach the South Korean president was foiled by his conservative People Power Party, which boycotted the vote.
- Soo-Hyang Choi and Sam Kim
South Korea’s president apologises hours before impeachment vote
President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed his regret for plunging the country into political turmoil, but did not resign from parliament.
- Soo-Hyang Choi and Sam Kim
South Korea’s crisis deepens after party leader turns on president
The leader of the country’s ruling party now supports suspending Yoon Suk Yeol from office, a bombshell reversal that makes the president’s impeachment more likely.
- Soo-Hyang Choi
- Analysis
- Analysis
Why a destabilised South Korea is dangerous
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is not backing down from his nuclear ambitions. A stable South Korea is crucial for peace in the region.
- Edward Howell
Notre-Dame to have its moment of glory but Macron’s legacy in doubt
The iconic cathedral will rise from the ashes in a grand reopening on Saturday, but glory eludes the French president as the country faces a political crisis.
- Catherine Porter
‘Authentic’ Jeremy Clarkson tops polls in disaffected, desperate UK
His shift from Top Gear cars to Diddly Squat cows has so enhanced Clarkson’s everyman appeal that people are asking if a political future beckons.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Macron plans to name new PM within days
The French president also vowed to stay in office until the end of his term in 2027.
- Updated
- Ellen Francis and Annabelle Timsit
- Updated
- France
France plunges into turmoil after government toppled
The parliament voted to oust prime minister Michel Barnier over his proposed deficit-cutting budget, throwing the country into deeper political turmoil.
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- Hans van Leeuwen
South Korea’s defence minister sacked over martial law chaos
President Yoon Suk Yeol replaced his defence minister as he tries to stave off an impeachment bid following his failed attempt to impose martial law.
- Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung
- Opinion
- International affairs
Prabowo’s first overseas visit was a shambles
The Indonesian president was so charmed by Xi Jinping that he agreed to a Chinese draft of a joint statement that gave away his nation’s longstanding positions.
- The Economist
- Analysis
- Analysis
How South Korea fought off a presidential power grab
Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration sparked shock and fear throughout the country. But the nation’s relatively new democratic institutions held firm.
- Jessica Sier
- Updated
- North Korea
Tanks, troops. How the drama unfolded in South Korea
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and accused opposition parties of siding with North Korea, sparking crisis and chaos in the country.
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- Foster Klug
- Updated
- South Korea
South Korean MPs to impeach president over martial law chaos
The opposition is pushing for a vote to remove Yoon Suk Yeol after his failed attempt to impose martial law triggered a major political crisis in the country.
- Updated
- Soo-Hyang Choi
Trump to attend Notre Dame Cathedral reopening in Paris
The US president-elect will meet French President Emmanuel Macron during his first foreign visit. The pair have had a fraught relationship.
- Maggie Haberman
France lurches towards political, economic crisis
Populists from right and left could topple Prime Minister Michel Barnier, risking a market meltdown over intractable politics and a burgeoning budget deficit.
- Hans van Leeuwen
