Spotlight
Shkoon’s Sonic Revolution
Shkoon, an electronic music duo formed by Syrian refugee Ameen Khayer and German musician Thorben Diekmann, is gaining international attention for blending Syrian folk traditions with modern electronic sounds. The band has become a cultural touchstone for Arab youth navigating identity, alienation and displacement.
Syria’s Forests Are on Fire
Massive wildfires have engulfed the Syrian coast, burning through forests in Latakia, Hama and Idlib and threatening to worsen the country’s food crisis. In their wake have come competing accusations of blame.
The Deadly Remnants of Syria’s War
Seven months after the fall of the Assad regime, the detritus of battle still weighs on Syria’s land. Unexploded ordnance litters the countryside, maiming children and threatening farmers, returning refugees and aid workers, while also delaying the country’s recovery.
The Hiking Trails Reshaping Lebanese Tourism
A grassroots ecotourism initiative in Lebanon is using hiking trails to reconnect fragmented communities, revive struggling local economies and reshape the country’s image amid renewed regional conflict.
The Toll of Israel’s War on Iran
From Tehran to Los Angeles, Iranians are struggling to make sense of a war that claimed to free them while silencing their voices.
Cutting US Aid Jeopardizes the Lives of Ukrainian Civilians
Dodging Russian bombs is nothing new for Ukraine’s evacuators, teams of volunteers that crisscross the country to help civilians escape the approaching front line. But the financial bombshell dropped by Elon Musk’s chainsawing of USAID was impossible to avoid.
A Pact Between Al-Shabab and the Houthis Threatens Red Sea Shipping
A growing covert alliance between the Houthis in Yemen and al-Shabab in Somalia is creating a new axis of piracy, smuggling and asymmetric warfare along the Red Sea.