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Trump’s Middle East tour begins with Syria looming as strategic opportunity
President Donald Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for his first major overseas trip since retaking office, hoping to secure major deals on trade and diplomatic breakthroughs across the Middle East.
The president might have an unexpected and willing partner in Syria’s new president who could offer him a huge diplomatic win.
«This is a historic opportunity, and it would be a shame if the U.S. lost it,» Natasha Hall, senior fellow with the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told Fox News Digital.
President Trump seems open to renewed relations with Syria, including the possibility of lifting crippling sanctions imposed under the previous regime of Bashar al-Assad.
ISLAMIST GROUP RUNNING SYRIA HAS MIXED RECORD OVER GOVERNANCE IN PROVINCE, RULED WITH ‘IRON FIST’
President Donald Trump, left, walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a welcoming ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 13, 2025. (Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS)
«We may take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start,» President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.
The president added that «we want to see if we can help them out» and that a determination on Syria sanctions will be made at some point.
«Syria now, for the first time, has a government in power that is not only no longer reliant on Iran to survive but is quite hostile to Iran, and so that would be a big opportunity lost if the U.S. didn’t step up,» Hall added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, pictured here, hold a press conference after their meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkiye, on Feb. 4, 2025. (Mehmet Ali Ozcan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a non-profit helping to bring democracy to Syria, recently met with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus.
Moustafa exclusively told Fox News Digital that the two spoke for over three hours about a potential breakthrough in U.S.-Syrian relations, which have been severed since 2011 following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, which led to the deaths of over 500,000 people.
Moustafa and others are pushing for a meeting between al-Sharaa and President Trump during his visit to the Gulf this week. For Syria’s new government, this will be their opportunity to persuade the new administration to do business with a country coming out of a devastating 14-year civil war and mend ties with a leader who was once aligned with the Islamic State and al Qaeda.
«Syria’s objectives are quite clear on why they would want to meet President Trump in Saudi Arabia, to make headway on some of these core issues of cooperation and to alleviate any of the concerns the White House may have. And some of the things they’ve been trying to do is to show that they can be cooperative on intelligence issues, on business, and talking about companies seeking to do business in Syria,» CSIS’ Hall said.
SYRIA’S NEW REGIME HITS HEZBOLLAH TARGETS IN LEBANON OVER CLAIMS ITS FIGHTERS WERE EXECUTED
Yet others urge caution. «Right now, Sharaa is not restricting political and civil liberties, but he’s an authoritarian by nature.» former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told Fox News Digital.
Ford, who was the last U.S. ambassador in Damascus, was pulled from the embassy in October 2011 after the Syrian uprising turned violent. Ford led the effort to put al-Sharaa on the terrorist list in 2012 and said, although he is pragmatic, he is leading an extremely weak government.
«He doesn’t control all of Syria yet. The government in Damascus that he leads is not very strong, and it will take time to reassert all of its authority over Syria,» Ford said.
Ford does not believe al-Sharaa will pursue terrorism as he did in the past, but while there have been some promising developments since taking power, the U.S. must keep its expectations relatively low.
«Syria is so weak, militarily and economically, with lots of internal political divisions. Therefore, it’s not going to be in a position to sign huge arrangements with the U.S.,» Ford cautioned.
A senior official in the Syrian Foreign Ministry told Fox News Digital that President al-Sharaa emphasizes «that the new Free Syria seeks to establish a strong strategic relationship with the United States, one grounded in mutual interests and shared partnership.»
People wave guns in the air as they gather to celebrate the fall of the Syrian regime in Umayyad Square on Dec. 8 in Damascus, Syria. (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)
The senior official added that «Damascus sees U.S. President Donald Trump as the leader most capable of achieving peace in the Middle East,» noting that Syria hopes to become an active and influential ally to Washington on regional issues.
Moustafa also met with members of the National Security Council and conveyed the Syrian president’s desire for a new partnership.
The National Security Council did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
The new Syrian leader has already shown a willingness to cooperate on some key issues important to the U.S. The new Syrian government has cooperated with U.S. intelligence agencies and foiled several ISIS plots to attack Damascus. Syrian intelligence services also arrested ISIS commander Abu al-Harith al-Iraqi in February.
TRUMP TARGETS MASSIVE INVESTMENTS IN FIRST MIDDLE EAST TRIP
President Donald Trump speaks as he welcomes the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles NFL football team to the South Lawn of the White House on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Moustafa also said that al-Sharaa was worried about the massive buildup of Iranian-backed militias along the Iraqi side of the Syrian border. This is a worry for the U.S. as well as the Trump administration, he said, as it has been looking to reengage with Iran to curb its nuclear program.
In al-Sharaa’s eyes, the deal of the century would bring peace to Syria and its neighbors, including Israel. Moustafa added the deal would keep China, Russia and Iran out and allow U.S. troops to go home in the right way.
Yet critics warn a potential deal with the United States is not without its obstacles.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, then jihadist group’s chief Abu Mohamed al-Jolani, checks the damage following an earthquake in the village of Besnaya in Syria’s rebel-held northwestern Idlib province at the border with Turkey, on February 7, 2023. Since becoming the country’s leader, Jolani is now known as Ahmad al-Sharaa. (OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)
Al-Sharaa led the Islamist rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to victory over the Assad dictatorship in December. He had a $10 million bounty for his capture that was lifted in February amidst the administration’s efforts to talk to the new Syrian government.
CHRISTIAN WATCH GROUP RISES UP TO PROTECT COMMUNITY AMID GROWING VIOLENCE IN SYRIA
HTS is still a designated foreign terrorist organization, which complicates doing business in Syria.
«The question at hand is whether to believe that a change in behavior, following the fall of the regime, translates into a more permanent change in character, ideology, and governance,» Caroline Rose, director of The New Lines Institute, told Fox News Digital.
A protester holds a placard with a photo of Ahmed al-Shara (Colani) and the words «It doesn’t matter if he wears a turban or a tie, a murderer is a murderer» during the demonstration. (Murat Kocabas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Rose, who recently traveled to Syria, noted that while HTS has been incrementally breaking away from affiliations with terrorist organizations and has adopted some moderate elements over time, there are still doubts that this will «stick,» particularly with recent sectarian tensions.
«Skeptics of lifting restrictions on Syria immediately fear that any move could be too premature and could risk the U.S.’ credibility among its regional counterparts,» Rose added.
Since becoming president, al-Sharaa has formed a transitional government composed of close allies from the HTS rebel group and a mix of technocrats, former opposition leaders, civil society activists and even some former members of the Assad government.
The temporary constitution signed by al-Sharaa in March guarantees basic freedoms such as freedoms of opinion, expression and the press. It also protects women’s rights and promises equal rights for all Syrians regardless of ethnicity, religious sect or gender, yet it still leaves the country under Islamist rule during the transitional process.
There remain some concerns over the power concentrated in the hands of the president. The president can unilaterally declare a state of emergency and suspend basic rights if national security is threatened.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, greets the then-Syrian President Bashar Assad in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 25, 2019. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP, File)
The vast powers granted to the executive in the new constitution is a reminder for many Syrians of the authoritarian past many suffered at the hands of the Assad regime for over 50 years.
Although there is a new sense of optimism within Syrian society about its future, civil peace and security remain elusive.
Deadly sectarian clashes in March launched by remnants of the former Assad regime in Syria’s coastal region led to the deaths of 200 members of the security forces. Forces allied with the government and armed civilians responded with brute force. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that these groups were responsible for the deaths of at least 396 people.
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Tensions have also escalated with Syria’s Druze population as well, highlighting the delicate balance of Syria’s complex ethnic divides and the new authority’s ability to control various armed factions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
El “efecto Proust”, llamado así en honor al escritor francés Marcel Proust, ilustra cómo una simple experiencia sensorial puede detonar recuerdos profundos y vívidos. Según investigaciones difundidas por National Geographic, la atención consciente a los estímulos del entorno no solo permite evocar escenas del pasado, sino que también fortalece la memoria a largo plazo.
La ciencia actual respalda la idea de que entrenar los sentidos —vista, oído, olfato, gusto y tacto— puede optimizar la forma en que el cerebro organiza, retiene y recupera la información.
La relación entre percepción sensorial y memoria se basa en la arquitectura cerebral. Al captar una imagen, un sonido o un aroma, se activa una red de señales electroquímicas en la corteza cerebral. Andrew Budson, profesor de neurología en la Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, explicó a National Geographic que estos impulsos llegan al hipocampo, donde se integran estímulos visuales, auditivos, olfativos, emocionales y cognitivos en una experiencia coherente.
La amígdala añade una capa emocional a esa información, y otras estructuras del hipocampo la etiquetan para su almacenamiento a largo plazo. “Una de las formas en que una memoria puede ser marcada como importante es si estuvo asociada a una sensación intensa, como un olor fuerte o una imagen hermosa”, señaló Budson.
Susanne Jaeggi, profesora de psicología en Northeastern University, destacó que las vivencias multisensoriales —las que involucran varios sentidos al mismo tiempo— facilitan el recuerdo posterior. Este tipo de experiencias generan un “engrama de memoria”, una huella cerebral que abarca múltiples zonas neuronales.
“Todos aprendemos mejor cuando tenemos una experiencia multisensorial, porque literalmente almacenamos esa memoria en múltiples áreas del cerebro”, afirmó Budson.
El llamado efecto Proust describe la evocación espontánea de recuerdos autobiográficos a partir de un estímulo sensorial. Como relató el autor francés, el sabor de una magdalena mojada en té lo transportó a su infancia.
National Geographic lo ejemplificó con escenas cotidianas: el sonido de una canción antigua o el aroma de lápices recién afilados pueden activar recuerdos escolares con gran nitidez.
Los expertos consultados coincidieron en que no es necesario depender del azar para activar esta capacidad. Al prestar atención activa a los sentidos en momentos relevantes, se favorece una codificación más sólida de la experiencia.
La visión es el sentido dominante en el procesamiento cerebral. Jonathan Schooler, profesor en la Universidad de California Santa Barbara, indicó que “somos muy orientados visualmente; es fácil evocar una imagen en la mente, pero difícil recordar un olor”. Budson apuntó que la visión involucra los lóbulos occipital, parietal y temporal, y ocupa una amplia porción del cerebro.
Un estudio de 2023, publicado en Current Biology, demostró que la memoria visual se basa en códigos neuronales que evolucionan, permitiendo aplicar experiencias pasadas a situaciones nuevas. Tomar nota visual de elementos cotidianos —como una lista de compras— mejora la retención, incluso si se pierde el soporte físico.
National Geographic aconseja ejercitar la observación: concentrarse en colores, formas y texturas de un entorno o una obra artística puede aumentar la precisión del recuerdo visual.
Aunque la memoria auditiva suele considerarse menos duradera que la visual, existen notables variaciones según el contexto. Una investigación publicada en Psychological Research (2021) halló que los músicos presentan ventajas al retener patrones sonoros complejos, como variaciones tonales o rítmicas.
Jaeggi indicó que el grado de interés personal afecta lo que se recuerda. Así, la música asociada a momentos emocionales tiene más posibilidades de permanecer en la memoria.
Entrenar el oído —por ejemplo, al identificar instrumentos individuales en una pieza musical— ayuda a mejorar la memoria de trabajo, la atención y la percepción auditiva, sobre todo en personas con pérdida leve de audición.
El olfato tiene una relación privilegiada con la memoria y las emociones. Rachel Herz, neurocientífica de la Brown University, señaló a National Geographic que “ningún otro sistema sensorial está tan vinculado al núcleo neural de la emoción, el aprendizaje y la memoria como el olfato”. La corteza olfativa se sitúa junto a la amígdala y el hipocampo, lo que facilita este vínculo.
Un estudio japonés de 2021 mostró que ciertos aromas —como el tatami, la flor de osmanthus o el incienso— desencadenaron recuerdos detallados en los participantes. Otra investigación, publicada en Memory, confirmó que las señales olfativas superan a las visuales al momento de recuperar escenas de la infancia.
Herz recomendó dedicar unos minutos diarios a oler objetos cotidianos y reflexionar sobre los recuerdos que evocan. Además, una revisión de 2023 concluyó que el entrenamiento olfativo contribuye a una mejor cognición y salud cerebral con el paso del tiempo.
La memoria gustativa permite evocar sabores específicos tras cierto tiempo. Las señales recogidas por las papilas gustativas se procesan en la corteza cerebral y se vinculan a respuestas emocionales a través de la amígdala.
Pamela Dalton, del Monell Chemical Senses Center, aclaró que gran parte de la percepción del sabor se debe al olfato. Aunque se dice que entre el 75% y el 95% del gusto proviene de este sentido, la cifra varía entre estudios. Lo que sí es claro es que el olfato es crucial para la degustación.
Una publicación en Nature (2022) reveló que adultos que practicaron ejercicios de evocación gustativa mejoraron su capacidad para identificar sabores básicos. Los expertos proponen probar distintos alimentos, enfocarse en sus matices y verbalizar la experiencia. Budson sugirió, como práctica, distinguir los componentes de un vino durante una cata.
La memoria táctil permite conservar información sobre la textura, forma o temperatura de los objetos. Budson explicó que estas sensaciones se procesan en los lóbulos parietales, muy cercanos a las áreas del movimiento, lo que facilita la integración entre acción y percepción. Esto permite, por ejemplo, manejar objetos sin necesidad de verlos.
Según National Geographic, el entrenamiento táctil —como manipular arroz, arcilla o agua— mejora la atención sostenida y la memoria de trabajo.
Tomar nota de las sensaciones físicas también contribuye a decisiones cotidianas, como elegir ropa más cómoda o materiales agradables al tacto.
Los especialistas consultados coinciden en que la clave para mejorar la memoria radica en la atención consciente a los sentidos. Schooler recomendó ejercicios de meditación que primero se centren en la respiración y luego incorporen la percepción visual, auditiva u olfativa.
Herz lo sintetizó así: “Cuanta más atención prestes a cualquier cosa —y la atención es multisensorial—, más se reforzará la información que estás codificando en tu cerebro”.
National Geographic sugiere que la memoria no es un proceso aislado, sino el resultado de una interacción constante entre sentidos, emociones y atención. Incorporar ejercicios sensoriales en la vida diaria puede ser una vía eficaz para preservar y potenciar la memoria a lo largo del tiempo.
memoria,sentidos,aromas,neurociencia,recuerdos
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Zohran Mamdani’s win over former New York governor Andrew Cuomo represents a victory for the new guard, progressive wing of the Democratic Party, but his record in public service could leave much to be desired by Democrats who were hoping to see someone with substantial experience, like Cuomo, win the Democratic primary for New York City mayor.
«You have to know how to make government work, and if you have no experience whatsoever in making government work, if you have never really had a job, you are a two-time assembly person who has passed three bills — most assembly people pass three bills by mistake,» Cuomo said of Mamdani’s resume while speaking to reporters before he lost Tuesday night’s primary race. «You’ve missed more days at work in two weeks than I missed in 11 years [as governor]. You’ve never dealt with the City Council; you’ve never dealt with the Congress; you’ve never dealt with Donald Trump, but now you’re going to run New York City?»
After graduating from Bowdoin College in Maine with a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies, where Mamdani helped launch the school’s first Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, his resume, which was shared with the New York Times, shows «a patchwork of jobs» Mamdani worked for before joining the state assembly.
NEW YORK DEMOCRAT SAYS MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI ‘TOO EXTREME TO LEAD’
Zohran Mamdani shakes hands with a worker at a pizza place while campaigning for mayor. (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In 2014, Mamdani did a four-month stint as an organizer for the left-wing advocacy group MoveOn in Seattle. He subsequently spent two months organizing with another group out of Houston called TexPIRG, while working an ongoing tutoring gig as well.
In 2015, Mamdani began his post-grad foray into political campaign work, but it is unclear if these were paid jobs or simply volunteer opportunities. He first knocked on doors for City Council candidate Ali Najmi and also did campaign field work for Khader El-Yateem’s City Council campaign. Mamdani reportedly spent some time as a field organizer for Tiffany Caban’s District Attorney campaign around 2019 as well.
While committing time to these campaigns, Mamdani also reportedly worked as a music supervisor and «third assistant director» on a Disney film about an Indian chess prodigy that was directed by his mother, Mira Nair, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker. He was also given an on-screen cameo role in the film.
«I actually created a playlist for Mira, who also happens to be my mother—you know, nepotism and hard work goes a long way,» Mamdani quipped during a radio interview in 2016, around the time of the movie’s release.
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Zohran Mamdani with his mother, director Mira Nair, on the red carpet for her 2016 film «Queen of Katwe.» (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)
At that time, Mamdani was also reportedly pursuing a rap career, going by the moniker «Mr. Cardamom» and «Young Cardamom.» One of his songs was eventually featured on his mom’s movie.
Mamdani continued his rap aspirations until at least 2017, but according to the mayoral candidate’s recent tax returns that were reviewed by the New York Post, he still rakes in a minor amount of royalties on his music. As a member of the New York state Assembly, Mamdani earned a salary of around $131,000, while his royalties amounted to around $1,200 last year, the Post found.
Mamdani’s campaign work got more serious when he became campaign manager for Ross Barkan’s losing State Senate bid in 2018. Mamdani also spent time that year working at a foreclosure prevention community group called Chhaya, where he worked as a counselor for South Asian and Caribbean families facing potential foreclosure of their homes. Mamdani reportedly left after about a year to run for the New York State Assembly seat in Astoria, New York.
Mamdani’s experience in the state assembly has not escaped criticism either.
FLASHBACK: NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI VOWED TO ARREST NETANYAHU IF HE VISITED THE CITY
Mamdani sits in a green room in this June 12, 2025, photo. (Vincent ALBAN / POOL / AFP)
He reportedly missed 50% of the assembly’s votes in 2025 while focusing on his mayoral campaign, according to the New York Post. Meanwhile, during his entire three years in the New York State Assembly, Mamdani reportedly only ushered in three bills that eventually got passed into law, according to the New York Times.
While Mamdani’s public service experience may be lacking, according to critics, he has been praised for his ability to market himself digitally across social media and other online platforms, with the New York Times dubbing him «a TikTok savant» during a profile piece they did on him in March.
During a debate earlier this month among all the Democratic Party candidates running to be New York City’s next mayor, the candidates were asked if they had any regrets during their time working in politics.
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«I regret not running for mayor in 2021,» State Sen. Jessica Ramos responded. «I thought I needed more experience. But turns out you just need to make good videos.»
If Mamdani wins the general election, he would be the city’s youngest leader since 1917 at 34-years-of-age.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign repeatedly for comment on this story but never received a response.
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