Lebanon Rejects Any Hezbollah Involvement in Syria - The Syrian Observer The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a forceful statement on Monday condemning what it described as “attempts aimed at destabilizing Syria and undermining public order.”

syrianobserver.com/foreign-acto...

Syria at a Crossroads: Enhancing Inclusiveness in a Highly Centralized Political Transition - PeaceRep This policy brief sets out the current context in Syria, highlighting the political, demographic and institutional developments shaping the transition and constitutional process.

Syria at a Crossroads: Enhancing Inclusiveness in a Highly Centralized Political Transition

peacerep.org/publication/...

A long-shuttered Iraq-Syria border crossing reopens for the first time in more than a decade A key border crossing between Iraq and Syria reopened on Monday for the first time in more than a decade, with officials highlighting its potential for trade and oil exports.

www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...

EU proposes full resumption of cooperative agreement with Syria The European Commission has proposed a full ​resumption of its 1978 cooperation ‌agreement with Syria, deepening its engagement ahead of formal talks ​with Syria's authorities in ​May, confirming a Re...

www.reuters.com/world/middle...

A Journalist’s Arrest Points to Diminishing Freedoms in Kuwait and the Gulf Prize-winning, high-profile international journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been in prison in Kuwait for the past six weeks, with limited access to his lawyer. Charges are yet to be brought, but it is...

newlinesmag.com/running-note...

Authorities must protect the right to peaceful assembly for all citizens - Gulf Centre for Human Rights On 17 April 2026, a peaceful sit-in was held in the Governorate Square in Damascus, Syria which was called for by a number of citizens, including a group of civil society activists, to express their p...

Syria:
Authorities must protect the right to peaceful assembly for all citizens

www.gc4hr.org/authorities-...

Bailout. Of the UAE. WTF.

From The Google:

"As of early 2026, the UAE's state-owned investors manage approximately $2.93 trillion in assets, ranking as the world's fourth-largest holder of state wealth."

In 2 weeks. For sure.

What don't you get? This is a rogue government. It has no interest in the Lebanese negotiations. It repeatedly spits in the face of the EU.

So who's actually making decisions? Electeds? Senate-confirmed? Or family members and hangers-on? Are civilians still in charge of the war? Or are the military on their own? F-g sh-t show.

Open access to "The Palestinians: From Peasants to Revolutionaries," by my amazing mother, Rosemary Sayigh, who turned an impressive 99 this month. Published in 1979, it went thru several reprints & translations and remains a landmark book:

michaelharrison.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Israeli former general Ya'akov Or: "Jewish violence, terrorism, and pogroms are a brutality that taints every Israeli, left and right. These are metastases that will spread until the disease is terminal, and it is critical to stop them while possible."

Sharaa: Golan is Syrian Land, Any Other Status is Invalid Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said the Golan Heights are “occupied Syrian land” and that any recognition of Israeli sovereignty there would be “null and void,” stressing that the international comm...

english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5...

“This year there will be a small pre-conference workshop for HPE scholars with work focusing on the SWANA/MENA region. If you are interested in participating, please indicate your interest in the application form.”

About 3 years, given the supine state of Republicans

DOJ demanded voter files from all 50 states.

DOJ sued 31 states for refusing their demand.

My law firm intervened to protect voters in those cases.

DOJ is now 0-5.

My firm is 5-0.

Lesson: When we fight we win.

From the FT.
"New York City’s super-rich are up in arms over a new tax on second homes proposed by mayor Zohran Mamdani and state governor Kathy Hochul."

First person quoted: Daniel Loeb, a billionaire who spent tons of money to defeat Mamdani.

Israel's Road to Nowhere Shibley Telhami and I joined Ezra Klein in New York for his popular New York Times podcast to talk about our 2023 edited volume The One State Reality, our series of publications in Foreign Affairs about the end of the two state solution, and the harsh and deterioriating realities on

Israel’s Road to Nowhere - on my new article on the failure of Israel’s post October 7 regional strategy, plus our podcast with Ezra.

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io/israels-road...

DOJ said Vermont was violating federal voting laws. Asked for evidence, it couldn’t provide any The hearing comes less than a week after a federal judge dismissed a similar DOJ lawsuit against Massachusetts on comparable grounds.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) admitted it has no evidence that Vermont is not complying with federal voter roll maintenance laws — an admission that could further weaken its case for amassing voters’ sensitive data. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Virginia Governor Ends Tax Breaks for Confederate Groups

Great move. racist hate groups should not benefit from the tax breaks for non-profits, which are legally required to work in the public interest.

Virginia Governor Ends Tax Breaks for Confederate Groups www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/u...

It exists, but is far less draconian than in the GCC.

Middle East crisis live: US-sanctioned ships pass through strait of Hormuz with France and UK to chair talks on Friday Macron and Starmer will co-host Paris summit as sanctioned vessels pass despite Trump’s blockade on ports

Italy suspends automatic renewal of defense agreement with Israel.

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

Cement company Lafarge found guilty in Syria terrorism financing case A French court has found cement company Lafarge guilty of financing armed groups during the Syrian war.

French court finds Lafarge company guilty of financing terrorism in Syria.

www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfe...

War as a Pretext: Gulf States Are Tightening the Screws on Speech—Again War does not only reshape borders. It also reshapes what can be seen, said, and remembered. When governments invoke “misinformation” during wartime, they often mean something simpler: speech they do n...

Gulf regimes exploit war to tighten restrictions on speech. Hundreds arrested in Bahrain and UAE.

www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...

US-Israeli Attacks on Iran Show a Pattern of ‘Double-Tap’ Strikes New Lines verified three cases in Tehran and Karaj where sites were hit multiple times, increasing the harm to civilians and first responders for little military advantage

Evidence of use of "double tap" strikes by Israeli and US forces.

newlinesmag.com/reportage/us...

Wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Well almost anyone.

🇭🇺 "Russians, go home."

Periodic reminder that the president has lost his fucking mind

I was elected as a democratic socialist, and will continue to govern as a democratic socialist.

100 days in — and we’re just getting started.