The Long Isolation of Syria’s al-Assad Is Over

When a devastating earthquake struck in February, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria spotted opportunity in disaster. He called for an end to international sanctions on his country and within days, some were suspended. Other Middle Eastern states sent planeloads of aid and senior officials from those countries soon followed for the first high-level visits in years. In the three months […]

Read more

Global Executions Highest in 5 Years, Amnesty International Says

Executions around the world rose to the highest number recorded in five years in 2022, even as more countries moved to outlaw the death penalty, according to an annual report by Amnesty International released on Tuesday. At least 883 executions were recorded globally last year, a 53-percent increase over 579 deaths in 2021. Those numbers did not include China, which […]

Read more

Why Americans Are Smuggling Fruit Roll-Ups Into Israel

Cocaine. Foreign currencies. Firearms. All contraband that customs agents are trained to catch. But hundreds of pounds of Fruit Roll-Ups? Welcome to the age of TikTok-influenced smuggling. Because of a recipe that spread widely on the social media platform, Fruit Roll-Ups — the American-made fruit leather snack that has been passed out to children at baseball games and slumber parties […]

Read more

Right-Wing Israelis Come Out in Force to Support Judicial Overhaul

JERUSALEM — In a defiant show of force, masses of right-wing demonstrators converged on Jerusalem on Thursday evening in support of an Israeli government plan to overhaul the judiciary that has deeply divided the country. The crowd was largely made up of Israelis from the religious Zionist camp. Many said they wanted a more Jewish Israel that put their brand […]

Read more

In Israel, Ron DeSantis Promotes His Foreign Policy Credentials

Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor and a likely contender for the Republican presidential nomination, expressed strong support for Israel during a brief visit to Jerusalem on Thursday, as he promoted his diplomatic credentials in a country considered crucial to any U.S. president’s foreign policy portfolio. Mr. DeSantis declined once again to confirm his candidacy for the presidential race in 2024, […]

Read more

During Ramadan, Palestinians Picnic in Aqsa Compound to Break Fast

JERUSALEM — With under 30 minutes until sundown, Anas Shalodi hurried through the Old City’s covered souk carrying a large pot, hot off the stove and wrapped in a green prayer rug, zipping past others making their way to the mosque to break their daily Ramadan fast. In this bustling market in the heart of Jerusalem, where the smell of […]

Read more

What Do Peace Talks in Yemen Mean for Its 8-Year War?

After eight years of crushing civil war in Yemen, where hundreds of thousands of people have died of violence and hunger, a new round of talks this week has raised a glimmer of hope for a breakthrough in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The difference between these negotiations and those of years past is not on the battlefield […]

Read more
1 2 3 183