Economy and ecologyReconstruction begins where sanctions end The lifting of US sanctions marks a turning point for Syria and its new president, offering more than 20 million people hope for a better future By Marcus Schneider
Democracy and societyWhat seems like the end is only the beginning Turkey gets the dissolution of the PKK — but not the start of a solution By Stefan Hibbeler
Democracy and societyPope Francis opened the door for queer Africans — will Pope Leo XIV keep it open? By Zikora Ibeh
Foreign and security policyA region redefined Trump’s coercive foreign policy is accelerating US decline in Latin America and the Caribbean, opening the door to new alliances By Guadalupe González González, Monica Hirst, Juan Gabriel Tokatlian
Democracy and societySocial justice in crisis In the UK, a supposedly progressive government is taking a leaf out of the right-wing playbook by slashing disability benefits By Kate Pickett
Economy and ecologyCargo kings and cocaine rings Rotterdam’s fight against drug smuggling shows that public and private forces, when united, can set a new standard for European port security By Richard Van Herzeele
Democracy and societyLonging for peace: how the Kremlin co-opted Victory Day What once was the most important and sacred national holiday for Russians has become a day of shame By Daria Boll-Palievskaya
European integrationThe European miracle Why Europe’s future is built on the ruins of the past — and what is at stake today By Martin Schulz