Dispatch

The view from the ground.

  • Dozens of Hindu devotees wait in line beneath a hazy blue sky near the newly opened temple of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, India. Many of the pilgrims are dressed in orange.
    Dozens of Hindu devotees wait in line beneath a hazy blue sky near the newly opened temple of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, India. Many of the pilgrims are dressed in orange.

    Indian Temples Are Scanning Visitors’ Faces

    Data privacy advocates fear a testing ground for mass religious surveillance.

  • A woman wearing a short sleeve shirt stands in a doorway inside a house. Bullet holes can be seen in the walls behind her and writing and spray paint is on a wall.
    A woman wearing a short sleeve shirt stands in a doorway inside a house. Bullet holes can be seen in the walls behind her and writing and spray paint is on a wall.

    Inside Israel, the Gaza War Looks Very Different

    Mired in the trauma of Oct. 7, many see the war as one of existential necessity.

  • An illustration shows Syrian-born cook Chef Omar holding a shawarma in front of a kitchen counter. Behind him are figures lining up for food at left and refugees on the move at right The building-covered skyline of Istanbul (left) and the rubble-filled skyline of Aleppo (right) are seen farther in the background.
    An illustration shows Syrian-born cook Chef Omar holding a shawarma in front of a kitchen counter. Behind him are figures lining up for food at left and refugees on the move at right The building-covered skyline of Istanbul (left) and the rubble-filled skyline of Aleppo (right) are seen farther in the background.

    The Influencer Chef Dividing Syria’s Diaspora

    Chef Omar has popularized Damascene cuisine online and in his Istanbul restaurant. But is he linked to the Assad regime?

  • Two crew members in an ice-covered boat assist three others behind them. The ocean is in the background.
    Two crew members in an ice-covered boat assist three others behind them. The ocean is in the background.

    The End of American Exceptionalism in the High North

    After years of inattention, the United States is playing catch-up where it once held significant sway. This article has an audio recording

  • German politician Sahra Wagenknecht gestures with both hands open, palms facing the ceiling, as she speaks into the microphone at a podium. A sign on the podium has the German name of her new political party, the BSW.
    German politician Sahra Wagenknecht gestures with both hands open, palms facing the ceiling, as she speaks into the microphone at a podium. A sign on the podium has the German name of her new political party, the BSW.

    The Party That Could Shake Up German Politics

    A new so-called left-conservative party seeks a foothold in the European Parliament elections.

  • A banner depicting the late President Ebrahim Raisi hangs above a gathering of women at the Shah Abdol-Azim shrine in Rey, a conservative southern suburb of Tehran, during the funeral of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
    A banner depicting the late President Ebrahim Raisi hangs above a gathering of women at the Shah Abdol-Azim shrine in Rey, a conservative southern suburb of Tehran, during the funeral of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

    The Mood From Tehran

    As Iran gears up for elections to replace Raisi, the country is divided.

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