New Lines Magazine
@newlinesmag.bsky.social
An award-winning magazine for the best writing from around the world. Longform essays run daily online and quarterly in print. http://lnk.bio/newlinesmag
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🚨 Dear @newlinesmag.bsky.social readers,
A letter from our Middle East and Newsletters Editor, @kshaheen.bsky.social :
newlinesmag.com/become-a-mem...
A letter from our Middle East and Newsletters Editor, @kshaheen.bsky.social :
newlinesmag.com/become-a-mem...
In 2023, Jordan blocked the Arabic satirical news site Al Hudood. Its editor, Isam Uraiqat, explains how royal wedding jokes likely led to the measure and what it says about priorities in a country beset by economic challenges.
Wedding Jokes Are Not Funny to Jordan's Royals
The government took offense at satirical humor that tied the crown prince’s lavish nuptials to the country’s languishing economy
shorturl.at
February 8, 2026 at 9:52 PM
In 2023, Jordan blocked the Arabic satirical news site Al Hudood. Its editor, Isam Uraiqat, explains how royal wedding jokes likely led to the measure and what it says about priorities in a country beset by economic challenges.
Up to 300,000 Syrians remain missing a year after Assad’s fall. The White Helmets and a new national commission are exhuming bodies, mapping grave sites and building records in a search that will take years, reports @amelied.bsky.social . https://shorturl.at/PJwLy
February 8, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Up to 300,000 Syrians remain missing a year after Assad’s fall. The White Helmets and a new national commission are exhuming bodies, mapping grave sites and building records in a search that will take years, reports @amelied.bsky.social . https://shorturl.at/PJwLy
"I believe Venezuela deserves better leaders, better public officials and an opposition that truly plays by democratic rules. But I don’t want war; I don’t want to live through that kind of trauma."
Mie Hoejris Dahl reports from Venezuela:
Mie Hoejris Dahl reports from Venezuela:
What Venezuelans Are Thinking Amid US Saber-Rattling
As Washington ratchets up pressure on the government of Nicolás Maduro, ordinary citizens are torn between hope for change and fear of what might follow
shorturl.at
February 8, 2026 at 4:50 PM
"I believe Venezuela deserves better leaders, better public officials and an opposition that truly plays by democratic rules. But I don’t want war; I don’t want to live through that kind of trauma."
Mie Hoejris Dahl reports from Venezuela:
Mie Hoejris Dahl reports from Venezuela:
Why is Saudi Arabia drifting away from the UAE-Israel axis — and what does it reveal about the Middle East’s shifting strategic landscape? @alamer.bsky.social examines the forces at work.
Saudi Arabia’s Break With Interventionism
The kingdom’s recent ‘zero-conflict’ approach to its neighbors follows decades of shifting alliances that failed to bring stability
newlinesmag.com
February 8, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Why is Saudi Arabia drifting away from the UAE-Israel axis — and what does it reveal about the Middle East’s shifting strategic landscape? @alamer.bsky.social examines the forces at work.
📽️ A new video from our North Africa Editor @erinclarebrown.bsky.social looks at the recent essay by @diane2v.bsky.social about the parallels some historians are making between Minnesota and occupied France:
Minneapolis Protests Sound a Lot Like the French Resistance
Our North Africa Editor Erin Clare Brown looks at an essay by Diane de Vignemont about how civic solidarity networks and grassroots organizing in Minneapolis...
www.youtube.com
February 8, 2026 at 11:43 AM
📽️ A new video from our North Africa Editor @erinclarebrown.bsky.social looks at the recent essay by @diane2v.bsky.social about the parallels some historians are making between Minnesota and occupied France:
IShowSpeed’s viral Africa tour last month wasn’t just entertainment. It laid bare enduring dynamics of race, power and who gets to tell Africa’s story, writes Adam Makary.
IShowSpeed’s Africa Tour Isn’t About Saving Anyone
The famous YouTuber is livestreaming from across the continent for a month — and people are seeing it differently
newlinesmag.com
February 8, 2026 at 12:40 AM
IShowSpeed’s viral Africa tour last month wasn’t just entertainment. It laid bare enduring dynamics of race, power and who gets to tell Africa’s story, writes Adam Makary.
“As demonstrated by the recent operations in northern Syria, the question of Kurdish autonomy remains one of the most significant obstacles in Syria’s evolving political and military landscape.”
Turkey’s Lingering Influence in Syria’s New Army
Damascus has moved to fold foreign-backed factions into a new national force, but the process remains incomplete, with implications for the prospects of unity
newlinesmag.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:40 PM
“As demonstrated by the recent operations in northern Syria, the question of Kurdish autonomy remains one of the most significant obstacles in Syria’s evolving political and military landscape.”
🎧Recent episodes of @newlinesmag’s award-winning podcast The Lede tackle big subjects shaping the world: capitalism and its roots in Islamic trade networks, the war in Sudan, protests in Iran and the rise of the far right in France. Listen and subscribe: https://newlinesmag.com/podcast/
February 7, 2026 at 7:13 PM
🎧Recent episodes of @newlinesmag’s award-winning podcast The Lede tackle big subjects shaping the world: capitalism and its roots in Islamic trade networks, the war in Sudan, protests in Iran and the rise of the far right in France. Listen and subscribe: https://newlinesmag.com/podcast/
"In a society where trust in the national currency — and, as a result, in banks themselves — has collapsed, Iranians who have turned to gold are now forced to bear the burden of being the physical custodians of their own life savings."
Why Iran Is Witnessing a Gold Rush
The commodity, even in small quantities, has become a lifeline for Iranians seeking to preserve their savings
shorturl.at
February 7, 2026 at 5:10 PM
"In a society where trust in the national currency — and, as a result, in banks themselves — has collapsed, Iranians who have turned to gold are now forced to bear the burden of being the physical custodians of their own life savings."
Want to keep up to date with the best ideas and writing from around the world?
Subscribe to @newlinesmag newsletters here:
Subscribe to @newlinesmag newsletters here:
Newsletters | New Lines Magazine
A local magazine for the world
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February 7, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Want to keep up to date with the best ideas and writing from around the world?
Subscribe to @newlinesmag newsletters here:
Subscribe to @newlinesmag newsletters here:
South Korea has the world’s lowest birth rate, coinciding with a widening gender gap in views of marriage and childbirth. @hawonjung.bsky.social reports on young women’s attitudes and what the trend might mean for the U.S.
South Korea’s ‘Willfully Unmarried’ Movement
The country has the lowest birth rate in the world, and young women’s rejection of traditional partnerships may hold lessons for the US
newlinesmag.com
February 7, 2026 at 12:32 PM
South Korea has the world’s lowest birth rate, coinciding with a widening gender gap in views of marriage and childbirth. @hawonjung.bsky.social reports on young women’s attitudes and what the trend might mean for the U.S.
Reposted by New Lines Magazine
Happy to share my new article on Saudi Arabia’s regional policy.
Setting aside the misplaced talk of a “return to Islamism,” I situate Saudi strategy historically and show how Riyadh’s “zero-conflict” turn is being undermined by ongoing Emirati and Israeli interventionism.
Setting aside the misplaced talk of a “return to Islamism,” I situate Saudi strategy historically and show how Riyadh’s “zero-conflict” turn is being undermined by ongoing Emirati and Israeli interventionism.
NEW: After decades of shifting alliances that failed to deliver stability, Saudi Arabia now has a “zero-conflict” regional policy. It is this that is paradoxically creating tension with the UAE and Israel, writes @alamer.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/essays/saudi...
Saudi Arabia’s Break With Interventionism
The kingdom’s recent ‘zero-conflict’ approach to its neighbors follows decades of shifting alliances that failed to bring stability
newlinesmag.com
February 6, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Happy to share my new article on Saudi Arabia’s regional policy.
Setting aside the misplaced talk of a “return to Islamism,” I situate Saudi strategy historically and show how Riyadh’s “zero-conflict” turn is being undermined by ongoing Emirati and Israeli interventionism.
Setting aside the misplaced talk of a “return to Islamism,” I situate Saudi strategy historically and show how Riyadh’s “zero-conflict” turn is being undermined by ongoing Emirati and Israeli interventionism.
During his 2024 visit to Kenya, King Charles acknowledged the legacy of colonialism — but only part of the story. @alexjwhite.bsky.social examines Britain’s role in independent Kenya:
How the UK’s Propaganda Won Cold War Allies in Kenya
The British Foreign Office’s secret anti-communist efforts helped to shape the country’s post-independence elites
newlinesmag.com
February 7, 2026 at 12:07 AM
During his 2024 visit to Kenya, King Charles acknowledged the legacy of colonialism — but only part of the story. @alexjwhite.bsky.social examines Britain’s role in independent Kenya:
Saudi Arabia is increasingly at odds with the UAE and Israel, a rift paradoxically shaped by the desire to avoid conflict. @alamer.bsky.social explores the history of Saudi regional policy to the present:
Saudi Arabia’s Break With Interventionism
The kingdom’s recent ‘zero-conflict’ approach to its neighbors follows decades of shifting alliances that failed to bring stability
newlinesmag.com
February 6, 2026 at 11:06 PM
Saudi Arabia is increasingly at odds with the UAE and Israel, a rift paradoxically shaped by the desire to avoid conflict. @alamer.bsky.social explores the history of Saudi regional policy to the present:
From the @newlinesmag.bsky.social archives:
Earthquakes are inevitable, but the real catastrophe is one-person rule. Too few lessons were learned about how to prepare after Turkey’s 1999 temblor, writes @nickashdown.bsky.social .
Earthquakes are inevitable, but the real catastrophe is one-person rule. Too few lessons were learned about how to prepare after Turkey’s 1999 temblor, writes @nickashdown.bsky.social .
Turkey’s Cataclysmic 1999 Earthquake Foretold a Future Catastrophe
How the state intentionally suppressed the warnings and ignored the lessons from the Marmara temblor a generation ago
shorturl.at
February 6, 2026 at 9:05 PM
From the @newlinesmag.bsky.social archives:
Earthquakes are inevitable, but the real catastrophe is one-person rule. Too few lessons were learned about how to prepare after Turkey’s 1999 temblor, writes @nickashdown.bsky.social .
Earthquakes are inevitable, but the real catastrophe is one-person rule. Too few lessons were learned about how to prepare after Turkey’s 1999 temblor, writes @nickashdown.bsky.social .
“So many times when I publish something I really feel that I’m happy that I did it. And then I feel the reminder of, ‘You’ll never be able to show your children where you come from.’” @ntabrizy.bsky.social joins @faisalalyafai.bsky.social on The Lede to discuss Iran: https://shorturl.at/JtmAY
February 6, 2026 at 8:03 PM
“So many times when I publish something I really feel that I’m happy that I did it. And then I feel the reminder of, ‘You’ll never be able to show your children where you come from.’” @ntabrizy.bsky.social joins @faisalalyafai.bsky.social on The Lede to discuss Iran: https://shorturl.at/JtmAY
With the rial in free fall and the threat of war looming, Iranians have been rushing to gold as a last defense for their savings, Fateme Karimkhan reports.
Why Iran Is Witnessing a Gold Rush
The commodity, even in small quantities, has become a lifeline for Iranians seeking to preserve their savings
newlinesmag.com
February 6, 2026 at 7:03 PM
With the rial in free fall and the threat of war looming, Iranians have been rushing to gold as a last defense for their savings, Fateme Karimkhan reports.
“If the UAE-Israel axis continues its interventionist campaign, it will likely be extremely difficult for Saudi Arabia to maintain its new “zero-conflict” approach.” | @alamer.bsky.social
Saudi Arabia’s Break With Interventionism
The kingdom’s recent ‘zero-conflict’ approach to its neighbors follows decades of shifting alliances that failed to bring stability
newlinesmag.com
February 6, 2026 at 6:04 PM
“If the UAE-Israel axis continues its interventionist campaign, it will likely be extremely difficult for Saudi Arabia to maintain its new “zero-conflict” approach.” | @alamer.bsky.social
Reposted by New Lines Magazine
On my latest, for @newlinesmag.bsky.social
📽️How does civic solidarity in Minneapolis echo the French Resistance? A new video from North Africa Editor @erinclarebrown.bsky.social looks at the recent essay by @diane2v.bsky.social, showing history doesn’t need to repeat itself to remain instructive:
Minneapolis Protests Sound a Lot Like the French Resistance
Our North Africa Editor Erin Clare Brown looks at an essay by Diane de Vignemont about how civic solidarity networks and grassroots organizing in Minneapolis...
www.youtube.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:15 PM
On my latest, for @newlinesmag.bsky.social
🚨 Dear @newlinesmag.bsky.social readers,
A letter from our Middle East and Newsletters Editor, @kshaheen.bsky.social :
newlinesmag.com/become-a-mem...
A letter from our Middle East and Newsletters Editor, @kshaheen.bsky.social :
newlinesmag.com/become-a-mem...
February 6, 2026 at 5:22 PM
🚨 Dear @newlinesmag.bsky.social readers,
A letter from our Middle East and Newsletters Editor, @kshaheen.bsky.social :
newlinesmag.com/become-a-mem...
A letter from our Middle East and Newsletters Editor, @kshaheen.bsky.social :
newlinesmag.com/become-a-mem...
After Turkey’s devastating 2023 earthquakes, residents and environmental groups warned that the improper disposal of toxic waste could endanger lives:
Toxic Earthquake Waste Endangers Lives in Turkey
Cleanup and reconstruction efforts in the country’s beleaguered cities risk poisoning survivors and the environment
newlinesmag.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:05 PM
After Turkey’s devastating 2023 earthquakes, residents and environmental groups warned that the improper disposal of toxic waste could endanger lives:
📽️How does civic solidarity in Minneapolis echo the French Resistance? A new video from North Africa Editor @erinclarebrown.bsky.social looks at the recent essay by @diane2v.bsky.social, showing history doesn’t need to repeat itself to remain instructive:
Minneapolis Protests Sound a Lot Like the French Resistance
Our North Africa Editor Erin Clare Brown looks at an essay by Diane de Vignemont about how civic solidarity networks and grassroots organizing in Minneapolis...
www.youtube.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:00 PM
📽️How does civic solidarity in Minneapolis echo the French Resistance? A new video from North Africa Editor @erinclarebrown.bsky.social looks at the recent essay by @diane2v.bsky.social, showing history doesn’t need to repeat itself to remain instructive:
Reposted by New Lines Magazine
Ho scritto di come la politica di Giappone e Corea del Sud stia adottando un registro sempre più "MAGAficato". Le parole d'ordine sono le stesse, come è altrettanto uguale la retorica violenta anti-immigrazione.
Molto felice di questo mio primo contributo per @newlinesmag.bsky.social
Molto felice di questo mio primo contributo per @newlinesmag.bsky.social
How MAGA-Inspired Politics Are Reshaping Japan and South Korea
A culture war playbook honed by American conservatives is finding new life in East Asia
newlinesmag.com
February 5, 2026 at 9:40 AM
Ho scritto di come la politica di Giappone e Corea del Sud stia adottando un registro sempre più "MAGAficato". Le parole d'ordine sono le stesse, come è altrettanto uguale la retorica violenta anti-immigrazione.
Molto felice di questo mio primo contributo per @newlinesmag.bsky.social
Molto felice di questo mio primo contributo per @newlinesmag.bsky.social
Reposted by New Lines Magazine
‘Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt That Decided History’, by David B. Green for @newlinesmag.bsky.social.
Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt That Decided History
One of the most important and least remembered events in the history of Arab-Zionist relations has recently been brought to life on the page and screen
newlinesmag.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:17 AM
‘Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt That Decided History’, by David B. Green for @newlinesmag.bsky.social.
NEW: After decades of shifting alliances that failed to deliver stability, Saudi Arabia now has a “zero-conflict” regional policy. It is this that is paradoxically creating tension with the UAE and Israel, writes @alamer.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/essays/saudi...
Saudi Arabia’s Break With Interventionism
The kingdom’s recent ‘zero-conflict’ approach to its neighbors follows decades of shifting alliances that failed to bring stability
newlinesmag.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:43 PM
NEW: After decades of shifting alliances that failed to deliver stability, Saudi Arabia now has a “zero-conflict” regional policy. It is this that is paradoxically creating tension with the UAE and Israel, writes @alamer.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/essays/saudi...