Besieged Idlib province has been sending reinforcements to rebels in the capital. Now, it celebrates a stunning victory–the assassination of two members of President Assad’s inner circle.
Islam
Why Madonna’s Swastika Swipe May Actually Help Marine Le Pen
Madonna’s concert video featuring Marine Le Pen’s face with a swastika on it has generated a lawsuit from the extreme-right National Front party — and unease that the pop star went too far
Must-Reads from Around the World, July 12, 2012
Today’s global picks: another Syrian defection, the U.S. wades into the South China Sea and the decline of the Tetra Pak dynasty.
French Audio-leak: Controversy Rages After Toulouse Jihadi’s Comments Get Broadcast
The airing of leaked police recordings of Toulouse al-Qaeda adept Mohammed Merah sparks condemnation in France—and new legal inquiries into his March killing spree that critics claim took place because of serious intelligence failures.
Must-Reads from Around the World, July 9, 2012
In today’s brief: an interview with the Dalai Lama, Israeli settlements under the spotlight and the mysterious deaths of U.S. forces in Africa
Exclusive: French Officials Detail “Big Coup” Bust of Key Al-Qaeda Enabler
French counter-terror authorities tell TIME about a Tunisian arrested on suspicion of being a central figure in al-Qaeda’s activity on the internet and in the terrorist network’s recruitment, and fund-raising.
Countering al-Shabab: How the War on Terrorism Is Being Fought in East Africa
Two bombings of churches in Kenya pointed to the resurgence al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups in East Africa. But a TIME investigation into how the region’s countries (and the U.S.) are handling groups like Somalia’s al-Shabab …
Wishful Spring Thinking or the Beginning of the End for al-Bashir?
Does a week of protests in and around Khartoum show that Sudan is facing its own Arab Spring?
Egypt’s Islamists Make History, but Can They Make a Difference?
The long-banned Muslim Brotherhood makes a stunning turnaround as its candidate is declared President after a historic runoff with a Mubarak veteran. But how will the Brotherhood work with the all-powerful military?
Yemen: What an Al-Qaeda Assassination Has Exposed
The Yemeni army has had remarkable success evicting the terrorist group from towns it held. But military cohesiveness is weak–and a suicide bomber managed to kill the leader of the campaign.
How the Military Won Egypt’s Presidential Election
Almost immediately after polls closed, the junta announced directives on the constitution, lawmaking and, it seemed, the nature of the presidency. Activists are furious, but no one is likely to change the status quo
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 18, 2012
In today’s required reading: evidence of Iranian subterfuge, power plays in Pakistani and more communal clashes in Nigeria’s divided Kaduna state.
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 15, 2012
Today we focus on coverage of investigations of official wrongdoing in China, the furor over the political situation in Egypt, and why Germans think Obama has failed