Dispatch
The view from the ground.
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A child in winter clothes with a red hat walks toward the camera in the foreground as other children are seen crossing a dusty road in the distance in front of a large pile of phosphates that look like a hill of dirt. The Dark Side of Tunisia’s Phosphate Boom
As Kais Saied’s government tries to capitalize on demand for a critical mineral, the country’s environment and Gafsa Valley residents are suffering.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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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Russian President Vladimir Putin sits in front of a microphone with his hands clasped, watching the Uzbek president, not seen, deliver a statement. A Russian flag hangs behind Putin, who wears a dark suit and tie. Putin Is Obsessed With Russian Liberals
Attacks on the movement show how insecure Russia’s dictator feels.
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Arms reach up to sacks of aid as they are unloaded by people atop them on a truck above. The World’s Refugee Relief Is Utterly Broken
Millions of Sudanese are fleeing a warzone—and exposing the world’s bankrupt response.
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A top-down view of a number of Taiwanese dishes on a dark table. Taiwan’s Dinner Table Diplomacy
One of the courses at Lai Ching-te’s inauguration banquet is rumored to be a playful nod to Xi Jinping.
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A security officer interacts with a driver at the Burkina Faso border with Ghana in Paga, northern Ghana, on Dec. 6, 2022. Could Ghana Be Jihadists’ Next Target?
Long seen as an island of stability, the country shares many of the same vulnerabilities that militants have exploited across the Sahel region.
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A woman wearing mittens, a coat, and a winter hat touches a flag with a soldier's face on it to her face. Behind her is a snowy graveyard scene with flowers and Ukrainian flags. The Resilience of Ukraine’s War Widows
Perhaps tens of thousands of Ukrainian women have lost their partners in the conflict with Russia. They look to rebuild amid precarity and uncertainty.
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Protesters attend a rally organized by the ruling Georgian Dream party aimed at countering days of mass anti-government protests over a controversial “foreign agent” bill in Tbilisi, Georgia. How Georgia Sided With Its Enemy
Georgians are angry at the government’s pro-Russian turn.
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A worker picks fruit at a farm at the Malkia kibbutz. Israel Is Desperate to Replace Palestinian Farmhands
Newly arrived Indian workers say abuse is common.
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A soldier wearing a hat and face covering over his lower face and camouflage combat gear holds an artillery shell about the length of his forearm. He stands in a low, log-roofed bunker with boxes of ammunition stacked on either side. Fear and Hoarding on Ukraine’s Eastern Front
Ammo shortages are costing lives and time.
