‘Thank God, the nightmare is over’: A Syrian returns home to Damascus to witness the celebration and struggle

Syria

Amr Al-Azm, an archaeologist and former professor at Damascus University, left Syria with his family in 2006. He recently returned to witness firsthand the celebrations and struggles that followed the abrupt departure of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad. The World’s Carolyn Beeler speaks with Azm about what it’s been like to return.

How Ukrainian writers are processing war through poetry 

Ukraine

Former US President Jimmy Carter dies at 100

Leaders

Some people on Indonesia’s Simeulue island relied on folklore to escape the 2004 tsunami

Natural disasters

Survivors in Indonesia grapple with trauma as they rebuild their lives 20 years after devastating tsunami

Development

This aging Buenos Aires stadium continues to be the undisputed ‘temple of soccer’

Sacred Spaces

In Argentina, a country of sporting icons like Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, soccer fandom is, for many, akin to a religion.

Kolkata’s Jewish population is dwindling

Sacred Spaces

The Jewish community in Kolkata came from all over the Middle East, from places like Syria and Iraq. Once home to around 5,000 Jews, only 20 still remain there.

Denmark is fed up with Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’

Energy

The Great Belt is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world, and it allows passage to vessels from different countries. But Denmark is increasingly concerned about a Russian “shadow fleet” using its waterways.

On this remote isle, an icon of the Virgin Mary has endured the flames of war

Sacred Spaces

After a devastating fire, people in Bougainville found hope and strength from a statue of the Virgin Mary that survived the flames. It not only represents a miracle, but serves as an icon for the island’s struggle for independence.

Mapuche sports help Indigenous Chileans revive culture

Sacred Spaces

Chile’s Indigenous Mapuche people have long fought the government over land claims. They’ve faced discrimination and assimilation in Chilean society. But some Mapuche communities are now turning the page. And they’re using an ancestral sport to help protect and revive their culture, customs and language.

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