Since Ahmad al-Sharaa came to power in Syria, the Damascus government has been given carte blanche to use maximum force against any threat to its continued rule, writes VIJAY PRASHAD
Less than 5 deaths
As a rule, poor countries are very vulnerable to COVID-19. Nevertheless, the fight against the virus was particularly effective in both countries. Kerala was one of the first Indian states affected by the virus. Six weeks after the outbreak, it already had the lowest mortality rate in the country. A total of 690 infections and four deaths were counted. India as a whole, on the other hand, may be heading for millions of corona cases with serious illness.
Vietnam did even better. It managed to nip the outbreak in the bud. A total of 324 infections and zero deaths have been reported to date.
Compared to the countries of the North, these countries have very few resources to fight the virus. Their GDP per capita is about 16 times lower than that of Britain. What, then, is the secret behind their efficient approach? We list its elements.

For those in the West, hunger is often just the familiar feeling of a growling stomach between meals — in Gaza, it has become a strategic weapon of slow, systematic and deadly destruction, writes MARC VANDEPITTE

The EU faces a critical choice: will it remain in the shadow of an increasingly unreliable US ally, or will it forge its own path in a multilateral world where co-operation with China is essential, asks MARC VANDEPITTE as leaders meet for the EU-China Summit

The Middle East once again appears to be on the brink of open war. What drives Netanyahu to this escalating attack, and what are the broader military and economic consequences, asks MARC VANDEPITTE

With the death of Pope Francis, the world loses not only a church leader but also a moral compass