World | Middle East
Assad’s fall has rewards for Israel. It’s focused on the risks.Invoking its security, Israel moved quickly to seize border positions and smash Syrian military equipment after the fall of the Assad regime. But can it translate its strategic advantage into diplomatic achievements?
With Assad’s ouster, Russia’s Mideast influence collapses. What will Moscow do now?Russia kept Syria’s Bashar al-Assad in power over the last decade. Now he’s gone. But setbacks in the Mideast are familiar to the Kremlin.
Cover Story‘We are looking for a good future’: Lebanese life amid the rubbleAmid Israeli airstrikes, tens of thousands of Lebanon’s Shiites fled their homes. After ceasefire, residents express support and anger for Hezbollah.
Time to go home? Hezbollah ceasefire offers northern Israelis hope.Northern Israel offered residents a relaxed refuge away from the country’s crowded center. Now a ceasefire with Hezbollah, bolstered by the fall of Syria’s government, offers northerners displaced by war hope that they can return home.
For Syrians, Assad is in the past: ‘The thing we all have now is hope’After decades of repression, the pace of political change in Syria over the weekend was stunning. But resetting the country’s institutions and reassuring the public will be painstakingly slow.
What next for leaderless Syria, once the Mideast’s hub?The civil war in Syria flared into sudden action last week, toppling Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship in a matter of days. What comes next?
First LookNetanyahu’s corruption trial started four years ago. Why is he taking the stand now?Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial for accusations of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes. In a trial that first began in 2020, he will become the country’s first prime minister to take the witness stand as a defendant on Dec. 10.
First LookOusted Syrian President reportedly in Moscow after rebel takeoverSyrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly arrived in Moscow with his family, granted asylum by Russia after rebel advances. Russian state media says Assad fled Syria following negotiations with rebels, sparking celebrations nationwide.
First LookInsurgents advance in Syria: Army Withdraws, Assad Denies FleeingSyrian insurgents advance near Damascus as the army retreats, seizing key areas. sparking rumors of Assad's flight. Rumors of President Bashar Assad fleeing the country circulate amid largest opposition gains in years.
As Syrian rebels advance, what can Iran and its tired allies do for Assad?What can Iran do to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad defeat newly energized rebel forces? Its anti-Israel “Axis of Resistance” has been overworked and diminished. Yet even as Iran searches for solutions, there are some suggestions it is not panicking.
Syrian civil war: What rebels’ lightning gains say about Assad regimeSyria’s devastating civil war, responsible for more than 300,000 deaths, was never officially resolved. Lightning gains by rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad were opportunistic, but also indicated years of patient preparations.
Trump’s Mideast team: A familiar look for a transformed regionDonald Trump has put together a Mideast team charged with building on his first term’s successes. But in a region shaken by the war in Gaza, can the deal-making president achieve a historic peace agreement with a pro-Israel team?
Israel enjoys upper hand as ceasefire signals Hezbollah’s limitsHezbollah has emerged from its war with Israel leaderless and weak, no longer the force that Iran has depended on. Will Israel seek to take advantage of Tehran’s vulnerability?
First LookAfter months of war, officials say Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with LebanonIsrael has dealt massive blows against Hezbollah since going on the offensive in September. Now, a ceasefire appears to be on the table, as fighting still rages in Lebanon and Gaza.
As Syrian rebels advance, what can Iran and its tired allies do for Assad?
The ExplainerBoston broke a record last year for fewest homicides. It’s on track to do it again.
Five years after fire, a shining Notre Dame is ready to reopen its doors
French women flock to Gisèle Pelicot rape trial, ‘to show her that she’s not alone’
How fall of Assad showcases the Biden-Trump policy divide in the Mideast
