Syrian prison offers a glimpse into Assad’s brutal rule

Syria

Sednaya prison in Damascus was once synonymous with death and disappearance. Yet over the past week, thousands of families rushed to the prison in the hope of finding their missing loved ones. Many left with no answer. 

As Ukraine loses ground in the east, the mobilization debate becomes more heated

Ukraine

After Assad’s fall, long-displaced Syrians begin to return home

Syria

College leaders and international students brace for Trump administration

Fake news? Unpacking the ‘Blue Zone’ myth in Okinawa.

Japan in Focus

Hamptons hospital adapts fall-prevention classes for aging Spanish-speaking population 

Immigration

The number of foreign-born older people in the US is increasing fast: It’s expected to reach 23% of the total older population by 2060. But the US health care system is not always well prepared to cater to aging immigrants. In an increasingly immigrant community in the Hamptons, in New York, a local hospital is offering fall-prevention classes in Spanish.

‘We are experiencing a taste of freedom’: Syrians react to President Bashar al-Assad’s downfall

Syria

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country and, for the first time in two decades, Syrians say they are experiencing a taste of freedom. Assad brutally repressed a popular uprising, which started in 2011. His forces killed, tortured and imprisoned those who spoke out against the government. Some Syrians share about what his departure means to them.

Russia’s military role in Syria

Syria

Russian state news agencies reported on Sunday that Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia where they will be granted asylum. For years, the Kremlin’s political and military support has enabled Assad to cling onto power. Today, Russia’s military still has boots on the ground in Syria — but with the fall of the Assad regime, the Kremlin’s foothold has become uncertain.

Women in Afghanistan can no longer attend medical institutes

Afghanistan

A new directive from the Taliban bans women from studying dentistry, nursing and midwifery. The group, which took over the country by force in 2021 after the US withdrawal, also reportedly prevents women from getting treatment from male doctors unless a male guardian is present. Human rights activists say they are worried about what these restrictions mean for the future of Afghan women’s health.

The leader behind Syria’s rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham

Syria

The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Martin Smith, the first Western journalist to interview HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani a few years ago for a Frontline film called “The Jihadist.”

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