‘Earthquake diplomacy’ in Syria

Diplomats from many Arab nations are meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the first time since the country’s civil war began in 2011, when most of them severed ties. The visits follow the devastating earthquakes that hit the region earlier this month. And, the Taliban restricted the media and freedom of expression when they took power in August 2021. In the last two months, there’s been a crackdown on government critics who have been imprisoned alongside academics, journalists and former Afghan government employees. Also, the European Parliament has banned the Chinese short-video-sharing app TikTok from staff phones for security reasons. This follows similar actions taken by the governments of Canada and the United States in recent days. Plus, 76 years after a deadly massacre, Taiwanese people continue to commemorate — and debate — the tragedy.