As Syrian government forces and rebels clash in Aleppo, TIME takes a look at the history of this ancient, cosmopolitan city now locked in a state of war
The Muslim World Observes Ramadan
During the lunar month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world fast from dawn to dusk and strive to be more pious and charitable.
As Aleppo Braces for a Bloodbath, Syria’s Regime is Far From Beaten
Rebel attacks on Syria’s two key cities had raised expectations that Assad was about to fall, but those may have been the Syrian equivalent to Vietnam’s Tet Offensive
Must-Reads from Around the World, July 27, 2012
Today’s picks include the rise of a long-dead Italian leader and the archetypical vixen.
Russia and Syria’s Assad: The End of the Affair?
It has become clear to many officials in Moscow that the Assad regime cannot restore the pre-rebellion status quo in Syria, forcing them to consider backing away from a longtime client
Congo Unrest: Clashes with Rebels Spark Refugee Exodus
More than 200,000 civilians have had to flee their homes and several hundred fighters have been killed in recent clashes between rebels and Congolese government forces. Reports of support for rebel fighters from neighboring …
The Dictator’s Bride: Kim Jong Un Debuts His First Lady
A day after Kim Jong Un’s marital status was officially announced, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released images of North Korea’s Supreme Leader touring an amusement park with his blushing new bride, Ri Sol Ju, in …
After the Beijing Floods: Why Does China Obscure Death-Toll Statistics?
Chinese officials announced that the death toll from recent floods in Beijing was 77, not the earlier reported 37. Despite the authorities’ recent pledges of openness, an instinct to tightly control information remains in the …
Must-Reads from Around the World, July 26, 2012
Today’s required reading: Romney’s Euro vision, the London Olympics from Ai Weiwei’s point of view and reports of renewed repression in Mali.
TIME Exclusive: Meet the Islamist Militants Fighting Alongside Syria’s Rebels
As foreign jihadists rally around the cause of Syria’s rebels, TIME meets two factions of Islamist fighters seeking to overthrow the Assad regime and set up a political state in their image
Heavy Rain Wreaks Havoc Across China
Heavy rain has battered 17 Chinese provinces since July 20, leaving 95 dead and another 45 missing, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Beijing received it’s worst rainfall in more than 60 years and the Yangtze River …
Forged Transcripts and Fake Essays: How Unscrupulous Agents Get Chinese Students into U.S. Schools
Because many Chinese students have trouble making sense of the American admissions process, a huge industry of education agents has arisen in China to help guide them — and, in some cases, to do whatever it takes to get them accepted
Requiem for a Cuban Dissident: Why Oswaldo Payá Spooked Castro
The untimely death of Oswaldo Payá leaves Cuba bereft of a charismatic dissident who sought a middle path between the hardline dogmas of both his country’s communist rulers and right-wing exiles abroad