Syria latest, Saudi-US security pact, Tunisia central bank

The advance by Syrian rebels, which has taken President Assad’s forces by surprise, is unlikely to have significant macro implications, but it has shone the light on how geopolitical alliances in the region have shifted in recent years. Elsewhere, despite pushback on a Saudi-US security pact, the two countries’ ties are improving and this could pull the Kingdom away from China’s sphere of influence. Finally, Tunisia’s government approved a law to monetise debt and adds to the unorthodox policymaking shift that keeps Tunisia on the path to a messy balance of payments crisis and sovereign default.