This is Beirut, 2025-11-10 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, 2025-11-09 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, 2025-11-06 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, 2025-10-31 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, 2025-10-30 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, 2025-10-23 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, 2025-10-22 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, 2025-10-21 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.
Maroun Chahine, 2025-10-20 15:10 - Reading : less than a minute
Damascus Syria Synagogues Jews
In the heart of the Old City, the Faranj synagogue reopens after decades. Prayers, ceremonies and gatherings bring life back to a long-forgotten community. This symbolic return marks a historic turning point for Syria and reflects the revival of a community erased for generations.
This is Beirut, 2025-10-18 20:15 - Reading : less than a minute
Lebanon Damascus Russia Refugees
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani said Saturday that Damascus aims to “correct” its relationship with Lebanon and guarantee a “dignified return” for Syrian refugees, in comments broadcast on Syrian state television. Al-Shaibani, appointed earlier this year, said his government is “working to address the effects of the previous ...
This is Beirut, 2025-10-17 13:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus United States Syria FDS Kurds Army
The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, has announced a “preliminary agreement” with the Syrian government to integrate SDF fighters into a unified military structure within the Syrian army, according to Al Hadath. In an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on Thursday, Abdi discussed what could be a ...
This is Beirut, 2025-10-16 12:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
A blast targeting a bus in Syria's eastern province of Deir Ezzor on Thursday killed at least five defense ministry personnel, an official from the ministry told AFP. "An explosive device detonated as a bus carrying oil facility guards affiliated with the defense ministry passed by, killing five of them and wounding 13 others, including civilian ...