Layla M. writes that the only sentiment shared by Syrians is one of collective loss — of both a secure past and a meaningful future. The general feeling on the streets of Damascus is that the current system of governance is crumbling under the weight of civil war and economic sanctions.

Syrians have learned to anticipate bad things, writes Layla M. for Al-Monitor. A massive explosion hit the regime’s military headquarters last month, shattering a short-lived sense of normalcy and bringing back to Damascus a sense of anxiety and dread. 

The recent intensification of violence in Syria’s two main cities has practically brought commerce to a standstill. Business owners aren’t seeing the profits to inject back into the market; meanwhile, the protracted and dangerous state of Syria’s unrelenting crisis has made those with cash anxious to save it, further freezing economic conditions.

Unconventional weapons must be a top international priority, writes Mark Fitzpatrick. The risk of Syria’s chemical weapons being used is very real, and the prospect of them falling into the wrong hands is even more so, given the degree to which the stockpiles are dispersed and the number of fighters in Syria with links to al-Qaeda and other radical groups.

The inhabitants of Azaz — always an unruly lot known for smuggling, and in some cases, drug running — were in a celebratory mood as they showed off their “liberated” city. Still, in the bloody aftermath of the recent bombing, efforts to form new institiutions, like courts, remain a challenge. Justin Vela reports for Al-Monitor.