Is Syria Becoming Salafist?
The question of whether Syria is becoming more Salafist is both unavoidable and misleading. It assumes that because those who captured the state emerged from a particular Islamist trajectory, they can simply remake society in their own religious image. But political victory is not the same thing as religious authority.
Lebanon’s Cannabis Farmers Are Still Outlaws
Six years after Lebanon legalized cannabis for medical and industrial use, growers in the Bekaa still farm outside the law, waiting on licenses that can’t be issued and an amnesty that has been suspended.
Houthi Missiles Force Postponement of Saudi Asian Cup
Missile attacks on Riyadh have forced the tournament to be delayed until December 2027. The postponement is a setback to the kingdom’s sports push, which was already being hit by a shrinking economy.
Syria’s UNESCO-Listed Crafts Are Dying Out
Syria’s shadow puppetry, oud-making and glassblowing, which once won UNESCO recognition, are now at risk of dying out, say their practitioners.
Can India’s Oldest Political Dynasty Find a New Mandate?
Once mocked as a reluctant heir, Rahul Gandhi now fronts a resurgent opposition as protests sweep India. His sister Priyanka is his sharpest ally, and his mother Sonia is releasing a much-anticipated memoir, but can the family mount a credible challenge to Narendra Modi?