Middle East
For this photographer, the fall of Assad means a rediscovery of his home country
Alaa Hassan was 25 years old when the uprisings against Bashar al-Assad began in Syria. He was part of the movement that grew quickly against the former president, and turned into a civil war. In 2013, facing mandatory military conscription and the death of some of his closest friends at the hands of security forces, Hassan decided to leave the country. It wasn’t until last December, when the Assad government fell, that he was able to return. Now, he has a new mission: to document both the loss and the rebirth of his country.
The iconic Al-Hadba minaret has been restored in Mosul
The Al-Hadba minaret was part of the centuries-old Great Mosque of al-Nuri when it was destroyed in 2017 by ISIS. Now, a multi-year rebuilding effort involving the United Arab Emirates, UNESCO and local Iraqi craftsmen is complete. The World’s Host Marco Werman speaks with Iraqi photojournalist Ali Al-Baroodi about the significance of the restoration and the ongoing efforts to restore Mosul’s old city.
Amid a war in Lebanon, a photographer and her subject reconnect almost 20 years later
In the aftermath of the 2006 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, photographer Rania Matar captured images of families whose homes were destroyed. Among her photos was one of a little girl she named Barbie Girl. Matar never saw her again until late last month, when Israel prepared to invade Lebanon once again, and she posted the image on her Instagram page.
US has limited leverage in pushing for ceasefire to end Israel-Hamas war, analyst says
Airstrikes in Lebanon and Iran have killed two top leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas. The World’s host, Carolyn Beeler, speaks with Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, about possible regional escalation.
Counting the civilian death toll in Gaza
Gathering accurate statistics detailing the ever-mounting toll of civilian deaths in Gaza has been an immense challenge. Now, a new study by the independent British research group Airwars has examined the statistics Gaza’s Health Ministry provided in the war’s first 17 days. Airwars’ head of investigations, Joe Dyke, tells The World’s Marco Werman why he thinks the Health Ministry’s estimates are reliable.
US authorities arrest a former Syrian official in Los Angeles
Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was arrested at the airport on his way out of the US this week. The World’s host Carolyn Beeler discussed the significance of the move with Mouaz Mustafa, who played a key role in his detention.