World | Middle East
Why a $4 bicycle repair signals hope for Syria’s postwar economyAfter over a decade of civil war, and several months since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, small investments by Syrian families signal hope for the economy’s future.
Syria’s new flag is everywhere: ‘Everyone wants to touch freedom’Syrians rally around their old/new flag, a symbol of pride, hope, and freedom that rode into Damascus with the rebels who overthrew the Assad regime. It adorns everything.
Facing internal and external foes, Syria rebuilds and rethinks its armySyria’s new leadership is trying to rebuild its army from the ruins of sectarianism and foreign intervention. The fledgling force has little of material value, but the need for a shift in mindset is most important.
Israel’s economy, wounded by war, is healing. Why the public remains sour.After 18 months of war, uncertainty is everywhere in Israel. The economy shows signs of recovery, but citizens lack confidence.
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First LookNew Israeli corridor in southern Gaza; Netanyahu, Trump to meet againThe Israeli military’s announcement of the Morag Corridor followed White House confirmation that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would meet Monday with President Donald Trump, their second meeting at the White House since Mr. Trump took office in January.
PJs, dogs, and babies: Learning to find comfort in our bomb shelterIn this “Letter from a bomb shelter” (really just a dusty storage space under a Tel Aviv apartment building), correspondent Dina Kraft tells of a community that has formed over the course of the Israel-Hamas war, and of the young lives growing with it.
In Turkey, authoritarian president faces burgeoning protestsA new wave of popular protest is gathering strength in Turkey, where President Erdoğan is showing increasing signs of authoritarianism. But past demonstrations have not made him back down.
In Syria’s terrorized Alawite region, competing narratives, mutual suspicionsSyria’s Alawite minority considers March 7 the start of a genocidal campaign. In the eyes of the Sunni majority, it marked operations to quash a coup. Ensuring justice and preventing further killings will be a key test for the new Syria.
In post-Assad Syria, a Ramadan embrace of freedom and solidarityAcross Syria, the reunification of families and communities that had been displaced by conflict has enhanced the spirituality and generosity of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Invoking Trump, targeting ‘deep state,’ Israel’s Netanyahu triggers protestsAs Israelis demonstrate in defense of democracy, newspaper headlines and neighbors’ conversations brim with references to a constitutional crisis. Analysts say Benjamin Netanyahu is emboldened by Donald Trump.
In Syria, Palestinians’ war-shattered camp is a ruin. But it’s home.Palestinians flocking back to the Yarmouk refugee camp outside Damascus say it’s more than a physical place. It’s their last physical tie to a Palestine they have never seen.
The Istanbul mayor’s arrest, and rise of a ‘new model’ of Turkish autocracyTurkey’s next presidential election is in 2028, so why would the mayor of Istanbul, a Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rival, be arrested now? One reason: The autocratic Mr. Erdoğan fears a loosening hold on voters.
‘Abandoned by everyone,’ Gazans watch the bombs fallAfter the resumption of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, the population worries it has been abandoned by the world.
‘A chance to build’: How Syrian civil society is making the country workAcross Syria, as the interim government struggles to provide both security and services, local civil society groups are helping to fill the voids. But is there a part for them to play in politics, and in helping to shape the country’s future?
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Some decry Trump disruptions. These voters exult in them.
