Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the past seven days
Over a few brutal days in March, as sectarian violence and revenge killings tore through parts of Syria, two friends from different communities tried to find a way to survive. Ghaith Abdul-Ahad followed their story and looked more widely about the violence that still stalks Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
Boosted by huge investment from the Trump administration, the US Department of Homeland Security is seeking to recruit 10,000 new agents. In an attempt to convince more people to sign up, it is undertaking a concerted, albeit scattergun, social media campaign to attract new recruits. Johana Bhuiyan explored the Uncle Sam memes and patriotic videos aimed at three key demographics: former military and law enforcement; legal professionals; gen Z and early-career professionals.
“Becoming a parent,” wrote Stuart Heritage, “can be one of the richest, most rewarding things you can ever experience.”
“That said,” he added, “it’s a qualified reward, because to be a parent is often to be forced into joining the school WhatsApp group. In theory, a community of like-minded peers who understand that it takes a village to raise a child. In reality, a vortex of petty drama, pointless competition and outright hostility.”
