Spotlight
War Returns to Lebanon
After Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Israeli airstrikes resumed across Lebanon, killing civilians and displacing some 700,000 people.
Chants for the Dead
As Iran's January crackdown killed thousands, grieving families abandoned traditional Shiite funerary rites, refusing prayers and instead releasing doves and dancing at gravesides. The shift reflects deepening rejection of the government’s grip on religious life and public grief, with secular terminology replacing the state’s language of martyrdom.
War, Emigration and the Search for Love in Lebanon
After years of war, economic collapse and mass emigration, Lebanon’s dating pool has shrunk and sectarian pressures remain deeply entrenched. Yet, from niche dating apps to blind dates, young Lebanese are finding new ways to look for love.
Saudi Arabia’s Coffee Renaissance
Coffee in Saudi Arabia has never been just a drink, and now a specialty cafe boom is renewing the tradition of coffeehouses as spaces for culture, conversation and community.
Life Returns to Aleppo’s Old Town
Aleppo’s historic markets are reopening after years of destruction, yet residents remain cautious, rebuilding their livelihoods while waiting to learn what kind of country they now live in.
How an Afghan Commando Brought America’s Shadow War to Washington
An elite Afghan commando trained by the CIA ended up opening fire near the White House. An interview with a former national security adviser under the Afghan republic lays bare the parallel state the U.S. built and then abandoned, which helped to forge the shooter’s path.
The Chaos and Uncertainty That Dissolved Al-Hawl
A rushed transfer of authority in northeastern Syria has upended the fragile order inside al-Hawl, the sprawling camp that for years has held tens of thousands of people linked, directly or indirectly, to the Islamic State group. Witnesses described a chaotic handover marked by unguarded fences, smuggling networks and fear.