Conflict & Justice

When the terrorist group ISIS emerged in Syria in the last decade, some 30,000 foreign fighters went to Syria to fight for the group. Most were from Europe and Asia. About 300 Americans joined or attempted to join ISIS, including one woman who was married to an American ISIS fighter. 

ISIS still conducts large-scale attacks like the one in Russia last month that killed about 130 people. In Syria, where the group originated, it continues to be active. One strategy to contain ISIS has been to hold thousands of people in detention camps in northeastern Syria.

Paris won the bid to host this summer’s Olympics, in part, on a promise to rejuvenate one of the country’s most notorious suburbs: Seine-Saint-Denis. But not all residents are sure the transformation will work.

As war continues in Gaza, Israelis and Palestinians are also fighting. A recent Israeli military raid on a Palestinian refugee camp killed at least 10 people. Israel said it was a counterterrorism operation against Hamas. The raid led to a general strike staged by Palestinians across the West Bank where, since Oct. 7, 2023, tensions and violence have increased. 

The intersection of billionaires and politics is the topic of a new play, “Patriots,” by Peter Morgan, the writer of “The Crown.” And like that Netflix series, it’s based on real characters.