Bassam Abou Zeid, 13:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Washington France
France’s focus on Lebanon is closely aligned with that of its American and Saudi partners. French envoys in Beirut highlight active coordination with Washington and Riyadh on a range of critical issues, most notably the military situation in the south, Hezbollah’s disarmament, financial reforms—particularly the proposed fiscal gap law—and ...
Mario Chartouni, 13/11 13:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Damascus Saudi Arabia Washington
For the first time since 2019, Washington has eased sanctions on Damascus, granting a 180-day exemption under the Caesar Act to allow certain “humanitarian” and “civilian” transactions. The move, though temporary, carries clear political weight. It appears to be a test to see how far neighboring countries can reconnect with the Syrian ...
This is Beirut, 13/11 11:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
USA Damascus Hamas Hezbollah Iran
Syria will play an active role in assisting the United States in fighting armed groups including Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hamas and Hezbollah, US special envoy Tom Barrack said on Thursday. Islamist interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, himself a former jihadist, became the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since his country's ...
Mario Chartouni, 10/11 19:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Washington Donald Trump Damascus Hamas Hezbollah Syria
This Monday, Donald Trump is hosting Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House. It is a historic moment: never before has a Syrian president been officially received in Washington since the country gained independence in 1946. The event symbolizes the end of half a century of hostility between the two capitals. For a long time, Syria was one of the most ...
This is Beirut, 10/11 15:45 - Reading : less than a minute
In the suburbs of Damascus, hammering sounds still echo, but anger is rising. The new Syrian government has raised electricity prices up to sixty times, making power nearly unaffordable. Blackouts can last more than twenty hours, forcing many to depend on costly private generators. Street vendor Alaa Moussa says, “No one can pay. There’s no ...
Marc Saikali, 09/11 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Nawaf Salam Lebanon Damascus Hezbollah Tehran Syria
Sometimes symbolism says it all. On Monday, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will walk through the doors of the White House, a sight that would have seemed unthinkable a year ago. The world, it seems, has a soft spot for spectacular reinventions. Yesterday’s pariah has become today’s partner. Al-Sharaa, once a wanted man with a price on his ...
Paul Guillot, 06/11 16:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Nawaf Salam United Nations Donald Trump Damascus Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa
According to a draft obtained by The Associated Press, the U.S. is asking the Security Council to remove a set of sanctions imposed on Ahmad al-Sharaa and his Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab. The resolution could be put to a vote as early as Thursday. To pass, it must secure at least nine votes and avoid a veto from any of the five permanent ...
Natasha Metni Torbey, 31/10 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Baalbeck Damascus Hezbollah United Nations Baalbeck
Along the road from Zahleh to Hermel, portraits of former clan leaders, imams, and martyrs adorn the buildings, set among auto repair shops and fields of cannabis. In this fertile valley, crossed by the Orontes River and framed by the Anti-Lebanon mountains, the state’s presence gradually fades as the road stretches north. In the Bekaa, clan ...
This is Beirut, 30/10 13:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus United Nations Syrian Displaced Return
The seventh wave of voluntary returns of displaced Syrians was launched Thursday from the former offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Zahlé, in Lebanon’s Bekaa region. Convoys departed for several areas in Syria, including Homs, Aleppo, Damascus, and surrounding regions. The operation is part of a voluntary ...
Liliane Mokbel, 23/10 17:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Banks Damascus Syria economy
The Central Bank of Syria has given domestic banks a six-month deadline to fully provision their claims on the Lebanese banking sector, estimated at $1.6 billion, according to a circular cited by Reuters. The directive does not specify the exact nature of these claims – whether deposits, placements or financial investments – making their ...
This is Beirut, 22/10 20:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Syrian authorities said on Wednesday they had arrested a former military official accused of executing detainees at the infamous Saydnaya prison during the rule of former president Bashar al-Assad. In a statement, the interior ministry said the Damascus province's counter-terrorism branch arrested Major General Akram Salloum al-Abdullah. It said ...
This is Beirut, 21/10 13:30 - Reading : less than a minute
Nearly 12 million Captagon pills were seized in Al-Dumayr, near Damascus. The smuggling ring leader was arrested and the drugs will be destroyed. Despite ongoing crackdowns, Captagon – Syria’s main export during the civil war – continues to flood the region.