With a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons at stake, many in the West are calling for quick and decisive action to ensure Syria does not sink into chaos in the aftermath of its lightning regime change. But the weight of historical interventions and non-interventions in the region hangs heavy on Western leaders mulling over their response to Syria's new leadership.

What did the commentators say?
Syria is "perilously close to becoming another chaotic 'failed state'", said The Independent. HTS is "not yet in control of the nation" and the power vacuum could allow "ethno-religious tensions" to be "exploited by local warlords, and by ambitious neighbouring states". Even if HTS consolidates its grasp, its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, "doesn't give cause for optimism": despite his recent attempt at crafting a moderate image, he is "undeniably an Islamist".

First and foremost, the West must secure Syria's undeclared stockpile of chemical and biological weapons, so it does not "end up in the hands of Islamic State or other extremists", said The Times. The US is already acting against this eventuality, carrying out precision strikes over the weekend.

Beyond that, there are two major opportunities for the West here, said former foreign minister William Hague, in The Times. With its leadership weakened and a comparatively moderate president in office, this is now "the best chance for a decade to limit or reverse Iran's nuclear programme". The second opportunity is to promote "peaceful settlement in Syria", both to stabilise the region and reduce the flow of refugees towards Europe.

What next?
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has said that it was urgently seeking assurances that the Syria stockpile of chemical and biological weapons is secure.

No. 10 has suggested that Britain could hold talks with the new Syrian regime despite its terrorist label. Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said that a review of HTS's designation as a terror organisation "has got to be considered". However, "a lot will depend on whether statements about the protection of minorities and citizens are backed up", he added.

A rapid rise in demand has left pubs across Britain facing a potential shortage of Guinness in the run-up to Christmas. Distributors have been allocating less than "usual" to pubs to try and "make sure there's enough stock to meet demand", said the BBC.

Parent company Diageo said it was working as "efficiently as possible" to meet what it called a period of "exceptional consumer demand" for the famous Irish stout in the UK.

'Golden age'
"Defying an industry setback faced by other brewers", Guinness is "entering its golden age", said Fortune. According to the most recent YouGov data, the stout is the UK's joint-most recognisable beer brand, and second in popularity only to San Miguel.

It isn't a big marketing push driving the upswing, but rather the "free marketing" it has received from "cool sections of the internet without spending a penny". Social media hype in the form of "Guinnflencers" and trends like "splitting the G" (aiming to reach halfway down the letter G on the glass with your first sip) have "helped Guinness shift its old-man reputation", said The Drum. Its "demographic is getting younger", and Diageo recently reported that consumption "is up 24% among women".

'Uniqueness of Guinness'
Guinness, like most other leading beers, is produced by a "global drinks conglomerate", but its long history and cultural footprint gives it a "sense of rootedness" against the "backdrop of endless and interchangeable craft beers that spring up and fade away", said The Times.

That "uniqueness of Guinness" also makes it hard for pubs to find an alternative if supplies do run low, said the BBC. Some pubs have been "stocking up on Murphy's" in case of emergency, but that has led to its brewer "limiting allocations" as well.

Diageo also has to be careful not to "overproduce" to meet the "temporary mismatch between supply and demand", Professor Michael Lewis, a supply chain expert from the University of Bath, told the i news site. Guinness lasts only "around two to three months in an unopened keg", leaving the brewer with a "constant battle to keep the capacity and demand in check".

"The Sticky" begins, as most crime dramas tend to, with a body. But "this body happens to be submerged in a vat of maple syrup", said Aramide Tinubu in Variety.

In this new Amazon Prime series, writers Brian Donovan and Ed Herro have "put their own Fargo-like spin" on the real-life Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist of 2011, in which thieves stole almost 3,000 tons of the sticky sap from a storage facility in Quebec.

The "beautifully unhinged dramedy" follows Ruth (Margo Martindale) a "bitter maple farmer" fallen upon hard times, who bands together with mobster Mike (Chris Diamantopoulos) and security guard Remy (Guillaume Cyr) on a "zany mission" to make off with $150 million (£119 million) of "poorly guarded syrup". However, "things don't exactly go according to plan". "Breezy, fun and entirely insane", the series takes viewers on a "wild and wacky ride" filled with "high jinks and false starts".

Such is its pace, the series could have been "honed into a single feature film", said Jesse Hassenger in The Guardian, and instead spends too much time "dithering around the idea of the heist". Still, the central trio are "hugely entertaining", said Pat Stacey in the Irish Independent. The "wonderful" Margo Martindale anchors the entire show, "grabbing a rare leading role with both hands".

All in all, "The Sticky" is a "delightful, suspenseful adventure, full of jokes, bizarre situations and a sharp cast", said Tinubu in Variety. "It never stops being a complete ball of fun."

Nigel Farage isn't the threat to the Tories that Kemi Badenoch thinks he is
John Rentoul in The Independent
Conservative MPs are "properly spooked", writes John Rentoul. Last week brought reports that Elon Musk may donate $100 million (£78 million) to Nigel Farage, and now "here comes" former Tory donor Nick Candy announcing plans to raise a fortune for Reform. But "I have more faith in British voters than to believe that they can be bought", and the "fundamentals" are still against Farage. Elections are "won in the centre ground", and he has "shut himself off from the broad mass of moderate opinion".

Should we feel pity for the Pelicot accused?
Victoria Smith in The Critic
Many of the 51 men accused of raping Gisèle Pelicot appear to have had "an awful start in life", telling the court of childhood abuse, says Victoria Smith. But we cannot overlook "the choices these men made to become abusers themselves". They've decided "this is the time and place" to "reveal their own pain", in a quest to "defend the indefensible". Pitying them "does not make less of us", but their suffering "does not justify anything".

It is time for justice and accountability in Syria
Samer Abboud on Al Jazeera
It's "far too early" to make declarations about "what will happen next in Syria", writes Samer Abboud, and "there is room for both optimism and cynicism in the coming weeks and months". The "challenge" will be "in balancing justice and accountability" with "inevitable demands for revenge". Every conflict lives on in "memories and stories", and Syria "will be no different" – this will be an "arduous" process that Syrians will be "grappling with for years to come".