This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 20:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani met with caretaker Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali and discussed the "transfer of power", the rebels said Monday, a day after toppling president Bashar al-Assad. Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, met Jalali "to coordinate a transfer of power that guarantees the provision of ...
Sana Richa Choucair, 2024-12-09 18:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The 54-year-old Assad regime collapsed following an 11-day swift rebel offensive, launched without bloodshed. The country seems to be surfing the waves of change like a sailboat that has suddenly changed course. "Free elections," "the will of the people," "cooperation"—a political discourse at odds with that of the man who was overthrown. On ...
This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 16:45 - Reading : less than a minute
Syria's central bank said Monday depositors' funds in the country's lenders were "safe" after rebels took the capital, and following chaotic scenes near some official institutions. "We assure our fellow citizens dealing with all operating banks that their deposits and funds at these banks are safe and have not been and will not be exposed to any ...
This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 16:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
The United Nations chemical watchdog OPCW said Monday it had warned Syrian authorities to make sure suspected stockpiles of chemical weapons were safe after the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. The OPCW said it had contacted Syria "with a view to emphasising the paramount importance of ensuring the safety and security of all chemical ...
Michael al-Andary, 2024-12-09 15:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Forces Palestine USA
Hezbollah appears to be pivoting its strategy from direct military confrontation with Israel to targeting journalists and opinion leaders in Lebanon. This shift was highlighted recently by the assault on journalist Daoud Rammal, who was attacked by suspected Hezbollah members while visiting his parent's grave in Doueir, located in the ...
This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 15:49 - Reading : less than a minute
Damascus syria war Bashar al-Assad
After the sudden and unexpected fall of President Bashar al-Assad, Syrians in Damascus express their relief and optimism for the future.
This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 13:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Any political transition in Syria following the fall of president Bashar al-Assad must include accountability for him and others behind crimes committed under his rule, the UN rights chief said Monday. "Any political transition must ensure accountability for perpetrators of serious violations and guarantee that those responsible are held to ...
This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Syrians flocked to the main square of the capital Damascus on Monday, AFP journalists saw, to mark what many regard as a long-awaited new dawn after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad. A lightning offensive spearheaded by Islamist rebels ousted Assad from power on Sunday, opening a new chapter in Syria's history after five decades of rule by ...
Michel Touma, 2024-12-09 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
A chapter of bloodshed and tyranny in Lebanon’s modern history has drawn to a close — a chapter defined by half a century of occupation and killing tyranny. However, today heralds a beacon of hope: an opportunity to seize this historic juncture and flip another equally somber page — the nearly century-long narrative of tumultuous and ...
This is Beirut, 2024-12-09 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Damascus Gulf Middle East United States
It took just 11 days for Syrian rebels to force Bashar al-Assad to flee the country and impose a new revision of the strategic map in the Middle East. The Syrian strongman had for nearly 14 years held off an uprising that many believed had been exhausted. But his downfall followed a series of battlefield convulsions for other allies of ...
This is Beirut, 2024-12-08 22:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Syria's rebel leader hailed a "historic" victory Sunday from a landmark Damascus mosque after his Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group headed a lightning offensive, snatching the capital from government control in less than two weeks. His speech came as Syria's president Bashar al-Assad fled -- for Moscow according to Russian news agencies -- ...
Ali A. Hamadé, 2024-12-08 20:55 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Damascus Turkey Bachar el-Assad
Sunday, December 8, marks a historic turning point for Syria and, more broadly, for the Middle East. The dictatorial regime of Bashar al-Assad has fallen! After decades of authoritarian rule, defined by brutal repression and years of devastating civil war, a new chapter of freedom is beginning to unfold. At dawn on Sunday, rebel forces took ...