Alison Meuse
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An apparent chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held area of Syria claims the lives of dozens of civilians, including children. The White House blames the Syrian government.
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The U.S. considers deploying hundreds more American troops to Syria in the final phase of the war against ISIS — one that could reshape borders and relationships in the Middle East.
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A U.N. commission accuses Russian-backed Syrian forces and rebel factions of war crimes in Aleppo. Civilians "were increasingly left vulnerable to repeated violations by all sides," the report says.
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As Syrian forces advanced on rebel-held areas, many rebels and others fled to Syria's northern countryside. But that area could be next on the government's strategic map.
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Wounded fighters, their families and civilians boarded buses for evacuation from the besieged city of Aleppo, Syria. The shaky cease-fire appeared to be holding as the buses began the trip to Idlib
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Civilians in the rebel-held side of the city are fleeing for their lives, dodging crossfire along the front line to reach the regime-held part of the city. "It was all so sudden," one woman tells NPR.
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Beirut's lone communist inspired bar toasts the life of Fidel Castro.
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Revelers drink, dance and listen to music in the Syrian capital's Old City bars. "No one talks about the war anymore," a bartender says. "We got used to it."
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There are no tourists, and Damascenes have thinner wallets these days. But commerce still flows in the ancient Hamidiyeh bazaar in the Syrian capital, where the war feels very distant.
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The Syrian capital carries on with the rhythms of business as usual despite five years of war. NPR's Alison Meuse, who has been covering the war from Beirut, Lebanon, shares her impressions.