🚨 Dear @newlinesmag.bsky.social readers, A letter from our Middle East and Newsletters Editor, @kshaheen.bsky.social : newlinesmag.com/become-a-mem...
Kareem Shaheen
@kshaheen.bsky.social
Middle East Editor, Newsletters Editor @newlinesmag. Former Guardian Mideast correspondent. Gamer dad.
The uprising in Iran has left neighborhoods destroyed and thousands dead, while the government refuses to explain what happened. Diaspora politics and state repression will shape what comes next. Kourosh Ziabari reports for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/spotlight/ir...
Iran’s Protest Movement and Diaspora Politics
The uprising has left the country reeling from the deaths and destruction — and has exposed deep divisions
newlinesmag.com
Up to 300,000 Syrians remain missing a year after Assad’s fall. White Helmets and a new national commission are exhuming bodies, mapping grave sites and building records in a search that will take years. Our latest essay in @newlinesmag.bsky.social.
🎥Watch now: Was the U.S. operation that removed Nicolás Maduro really about Venezuela’s vast oil reserves? Our Politics Editor @dannypostel.bsky.social examines the ideological forces that may be driving the Trump admin’s policy. youtube.com/shorts/LCACc...
Is it really about oil?
YouTube video by New Lines Magazine
youtube.com
My 6 yo is currently performing an 18-part dance number involving the use of 2 living room throws and it’s so silly and honestly the best way to start 2026 for me
Controversy surrounding Riyadh’s comedy festival says more about its critics than it does the Saudis, writes @kshaheen.bsky.social, revealing “a superiority complex steeped in stereotypes about Arab societies and their political structures.”
Saudi Arabia and the Tired 'Whitewashing' Trope
Riyadh’s comedy festival and the Electronic Arts megadeal aren’t image laundry so much as a domestic culture pivot, and our scolding says more about us than about the kingdom
newlinesmag.com
Man all these people upset about the Riyadh comedy fest should campaign for their comedians to boycott American venues because of everything their government is up to including abetting Israel’s genocide.
Dear @support.blizzard.com , your new Brewfest mount in the game is called the Barrel Bomber, which is a weapon used extensively in the Syrian war, and its use has been deemed a war crime. Would you consider changing it?
If you weren't raptured today feel free to send us story pitches @newlinesmag.bsky.social
This is honestly one of the most extraordinary pieces of journalism I've had the pleasure of editing
Kareem Shaheen@kshaheen.bsky.social · 11mo agoA Syrian air force colonel who once dropped barrel bombs across the country now hides in Baghdad with multiple fake IDs. In a confessional profile, he recalls missions, bribery and betrayals. Kamal Shahin reports for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/reportage/co...
A Syrian air force colonel who once dropped barrel bombs across the country now hides in Baghdad with multiple fake IDs. In a confessional profile, he recalls missions, bribery and betrayals. Kamal Shahin reports for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/reportage/co...
Confessions of a Syrian Barrel Bomber
A colonel in Bashar al-Assad’s air force recounts his role in the campaigns that devastated his country, and his escape after the regime’s fall
newlinesmag.com
Man if you told me 2-3 years ago Dembele would be a contender let alone win the Ballon d'Or I'd never have believed it. Not sure it's even a comeback story, just one of extraordinary perseverence.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 11mo agoFrom @theathleticfc.bsky.social: Ousmane Dembele won the 2025 Ballon d'Or Monday evening in Paris. This is the story of how he became the best soccer player in the world at Paris Saint-Germain.
I tried to write a tribute for Anas al-Sharif, but my words failed me and I was left with just this. Never forget. The Murder of Gaza’s Mockingbird @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/spotlight/th...
The Courage and Death of Anas al-Sharif
The Palestinian journalist’s life was devoted to truth and dignity, and his death lays bare Israel’s impunity in Gaza
newlinesmag.com
How do you rebuild an economy soaked in blood? In post-Assad Syria, a committee is striking quiet deals with oligarchs. Billions are at stake, and so is justice. @kshaheen.bsky.social and @hhassan.bsky.social report for @newlinesmag.bsky.social. newlinesmag.com/spotlight/ba...
Balancing Fairness and Stability in Syria’s Political Transition
The new government says deals with Assad-era cronies are a form of justice that protects economic recovery and provides no immunity for past abuses
newlinesmag.com
We spoke to the Syrian government about Reuters’ recent investigation about reported deals with Assad-era business cronies & tycoons. New, exclusive details by @kshaheen.bsky.social and me in @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/spotlight/ba...
Balancing Fairness and Stability in Syria’s Political Transition
The new government says deals with Assad-era cronies are a form of justice that protects economic recovery and provides no immunity for past abuses
newlinesmag.com
Why is Saudi Arabia hosting the Esports World Cup, with its $70 million prize pool, next month? @kshaheen.bsky.social writes in @newlinesmag.bsky.social about the kingdom’s quiet takeover of the gaming industry—and what it means for the Saudi government’s soft power.
Saudi Arabia’s High-Stakes Bet on Gaming
More than profits, the kingdom’s growing stake in global franchises like World of Warcraft is a strategic play for influence and soft power
newlinesmag.com
NEW: Missiles are still falling over Tehran and Tel Aviv. They have shattered long-standing taboos in the Middle East, write @kshaheen.bsky.social and Rasha Elass for @newlinesmag.bsky.social. newlinesmag.com/argument/the...
The Psychological Barrier Broken by Iran and Israel’s Missile Exchange
By crossing a former red line and engaging in direct conflict, Tel Aviv and Tehran may have set a dangerous precedent
newlinesmag.com
NEW: Why is Saudi Arabia hosting the Esports World Cup, with its $70 million prize pool, next month? @kshaheen.bsky.social writes in @newlinesmag.bsky.social about the kingdom’s quiet takeover of the gaming industry and what it means for the government’s soft power. newlinesmag.com/spotlight/sa...
Saudi Arabia’s High-Stakes Bet on Gaming
More than profits, the kingdom’s growing stake in global franchises like World of Warcraft is a strategic play for influence and soft power
newlinesmag.com
In Iraq’s Basra, age is a luxury. Residents live under a constant cloud of pollution from oil flares, leading to a surge in cancer cases, while the government colludes with oil companies to dismiss the crisis @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/reportage/bi...
Big Oil Is Fueling a Rise in Cancer in Iraq’s Basra
A New Lines investigation reveals the human cost of the petroleum industry, as officials and companies seek to hide an alarming surge in medical cases
newlinesmag.com
A spyware app distributed among thousands of Syrian military officers last year may have compromised Assad's military, gathering reams of sensitive data on deployments and military ranks. Open q who built it. Fascinating investigation in @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/reportage/ho...
How a Spyware App Compromised Assad’s Army
An investigation reveals how a cyberattack exploited soldiers' vulnerabilities and may have changed the course of the Syrian conflict
newlinesmag.com
Fascinating investigative piece: A hidden cyberattack involving spyware distributed among Syrian officers may have played a critical role in the sudden collapse of the Assad regime, reports Kamal Shahin for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/reportage/ho...
How a Spyware App Compromised Assad’s Army
An investigation reveals how a cyberattack exploited soldiers' vulnerabilities and may have changed the course of the Syrian conflict
newlinesmag.com
We have a couple of really incredible reporting stories out of Syria, including a fascinating investigation into the use of spyware against the army ahead of Assad's collapse on Monday, and this excellent investigation into the violence against the Druze: newlinesmag.com/spotlight/sy...
Syria’s Druze Are Wary in the Wake of Attacks
The voices of those who have experienced recent violence make clear the fear that is now eating away at the country’s hopes of unity
newlinesmag.com
The opening music of Clair Obscur evoked such emotional turmoil in me it made me want to start a videogame newsletter to talk about the art form and how we interact with it.
I’ll tolerate many things in this life but not Bruce Springsteen abuse
Mehdi Hasan@mehdirhasan.bsky.social · last yr.If this person sat next to you on a bus or train and started ranting about Bruce Springsteen in this way, you would get up and move to a different seat. In the United States, we have him the nuclear codes.
Voted today in my first free election. So proud and lucky to be able to cast my vote. Also #never51
How do you know if someone doesn’t like Dragon Age Veilguard? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.
What's next in #Syria. As @kshaheen.bsky.social said to me, "The tools of the War on Terror ... don’t fit this moment." Thanks for his insights & Aimen Dean (on the "Conflicted" podcast). A short @thestar.com column:
Michelle Shephard: What’s next for Syria? All eyes are on its complex new leader
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani says he has moved away from extremism and is ready to lead Syria.
thestar.com
A powerful article by @kshaheen.bsky.social @newlinesmag.bsky.social
Kareem Shaheen@kshaheen.bsky.social · 2y agoI’m not really worthy to write anything about beautiful Syria today but they asked me to and so I tried through tears to write some words that are inadequate but here they are anyway: Dawn in Damascus @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/spotlight/da...