damascus

Italian Foreign Minister Meets Syria’s New Leader in Damascus

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met Syria's new ruler Ahmad al-Shareh in Damascus Friday, state media said, in the latest such visit from a European diplomat since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. State news agency SANA did not give further details about Tajani and Shareh's discussions, just over a month after Islamist-led rebels seized ...

Qatar in Talks to Fund Syria Public Wage Hikes

Qatar is weighing a plan to provide Syria's new rulers with funds to increase public sector salaries, a diplomatic source said Thursday, as the interim government in Damascus seeks to rebuild state institutions. "Discussions are taking place, but an agreement is yet to be concluded," the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity because ...

37 Killed in North Syria Clashes Between pro-Turkey, Kurdish forces

Battles between Turkish-backed groups, supported by air strikes, and Kurdish-led forces killed 37 people on Thursday in Syria's northern Manbij region, a war monitor said. The latest reported fighting comes despite the United States saying Wednesday that it was working to address Turkey's concerns in Syria to dissuade the NATO ally from ...

Syria: Another Captagon Lab Discovered in Damascus

A newly uncovered Captagon production facility in Damascus showcases the scale of Syria’s drug trade. With an estimated annual revenue of over $10 billion, this drug has become the country’s top export, fueling a shadow economy and criminal networks to the benefit of the Assad clan.

Iran President Urges Israeli Withdrawal from Syrian Territory

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday called for the withdrawal of Israel from Syrian territory following the fall of long-time Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad. His remarks came during a visit to Tehran by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani where discussions covered topics such as trade, cooperation, and recent developments in ...

Syria Awaits Two Energy Ships from Turkey and Qatar

Syria's electricity chief said Tuesday that two power ships were being sent from Turkey and Qatar to increase supply after the United States eased sanctions following Bashar al-Assad's fall. More than 13 years of civil war hammered Syria's infrastructure, including power stations and energy pipelines, leading to power outages that can drag on for ...

International Flights Resume at Damascus Airport

International flights resumed at Syria's main airport in Damascus on Tuesday for the first time since Islamist-led rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad last month, AFP journalists said. A Syrian Airlines flight bound for Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, took off at around 11:45 am (0845 GMT), marking the first international commercial ...

'Protect Our People': Armed Syrian Volunteers Watch Over Damascus

Every night, Damascus residents stand guard outside shops and homes armed with light weapons often supplied by Syria's new rulers, eager to fill the security vacuum that followed the recent takeover. After Islamist-led rebels ousted former president Bashar al-Assad in early December, thousands of soldiers, policemen and other security officials ...

Blinken to Meet Europeans on Syria Pathway

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his European counterparts Thursday in Rome on Syria, as the West looks to engage the new Islamist-led leadership. Blinken will "meet with European counterparts to advocate for a peaceful, inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition", a State Department statement said as he visited ...

New Syria Foreign Minister Begins First Visit to UAE

Syria's new foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani landed in the United Arab Emirates Monday on his first visit to the country since rebels toppled president Bashar al-Assad last month, official news agency SANA said. "Shibani, accompanied by defense minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab, has arrived in the United Arab ...

Syria Monitor Reports Blasts at Arms Depots Near Damascus

A Syria war monitor said explosions on Sunday rocked an area near Damascus housing weapons depots used by the toppled government of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the blasts in Kisweh, south of the Syrian capital, may be the result of an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military, which has struck many ...