Marriages and other glad occasions in Syria are often celebrated by firing shots in the air. But after nearly 14 years of war, people want the guns to go silent.

The episode initially raised concerns because it happened near a synagogue, but the police say it was unrelated to antisemitism.

© Billy Hickey for The New York Times

China urged Cambodia and Thailand to end their border war in July. But weeks earlier, it had sent rockets and artillery shells to Cambodia, Thai intelligence documents show.