Sarah Martin, 22/06 16:35 - Reading : 8 minute(s)
Nestled on the cliffsides at the foothills of the Qalamoun mountains, Maaloula gazes out over the void. Behind the picturesque façade of its alleys and its millennia-old language lies a harsher reality: a language and culture under siege. A minority identity caught in the grip of centralizing nationalism, institutionalized othering and a century ...
Sarah Martin, 22/06 16:30 - Reading : 7 minute(s)
Damascus Middle East United States USA
Nestled on the mountainside of Syria’s Qalamoun range, the village of Maaloula clings to time as it does to stone. Its sand-colored houses blend into the rock, its winding alleys read like pages from an ancient tale and women greet you with “Shlomo,” a traditional Aramaic salutation. In the dry air of this Christian enclave, a language the ...
Marc Saikali, 19/06 08:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Bahrain Damascus Hezbollah Israel Palestine
For 45 years, Khomeini and his successor Ali Khamenei have sought to forge a Shia crescent stretching from Kabul to Beirut, passing through Baghdad, Damascus and Sana'a. This sweeping “revolutionary” project – religious, military and political – was built on the margins, fueled by communal suffering, billions in diverted public funds and ...
This is Beirut, 15/06 01:50 - Reading : less than a minute
Damascus Airport Airspace Beirut Jordan
According to several Lebanese media outlets, Lebanon’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has decided to suspend operations at Beirut’s international airport between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Any exception during this timeframe will require prior approval from the Lebanese aviation authorities. At Rafic Hariri International Airport, the ...
Alexandre Baz, 14/06 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Emmanuel Macron Damascus Gulf Turkey United States
Ahmad al-Sharaa, once a senior figure in the jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has emerged as a central player in post-Assad Syria. Since taking power in December 2024 in a country ravaged by 13 years of war, Sharaa has positioned himself as a pragmatic and reform-minded leader, both to foreign governments and Syria’s deeply ...
Michel Touma, 09/06 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Damascus Hezbollah Tehran Lebanon
Nine buildings were completely destroyed; nearly 70 others damaged; 115 homes reduced to rubble and more than 850 seriously affected; around 50 cars wrecked; and some 175 businesses damaged – this is the toll borne by residents of Beirut’s southern suburb following a wave of roughly twenty Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, June 5. The raids ...
This is Beirut, 05/06 12:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Visiting EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said Thursday that a 175 million euro package for war-torn Syria was a "clear message" of support for its reconstruction. Suica announced the package in Damascus Wednesday, saying it would focus on sectors including energy, education, health, and agriculture, helping rebuild Syria's ...
This is Beirut, 04/06 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Syrian singer Ishtar halted concerts when Islamist-led forces seized power nearly six months ago. She's now back on stage, but lingering fears have reshaped Damascus's nightlife scene. Performing an international repertoire to a packed venue in the capital's Old City, she told AFP that "some bars and restaurants were closed and others had ...
This is Beirut, 03/06 18:10 - Reading : less than a minute
Damascus stock exchange stock market Syria
Six months of silence come to an end as the stock exchange officially reopens. A sign of hope for Syria, but challenges lie ahead. Watch our full video for all the details.
This is Beirut, 03/06 11:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has in six months established himself internationally and had crippling sanctions removed, but still needs to rebuild national institutions, revive the economy and unite the fractured country. AFP looks at the main challenges facing Sharaa, whose Islamist-led coalition toppled longtime Syrian ruler ...
Michel Touma, 02/06 09:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Hezbollah Damascus Donald Trump Israel Joseph Aoun
Syrian authorities recently intercepted two large shipments of weapons and ammunition — just days apart — being smuggled into Lebanon as part of Iranian-led efforts to replenish Hezbollah’s military arsenal. Similar attempts had also been thwarted in recent weeks by security services loyal to the Damascus regime. The ongoing arms smuggling ...
This is Beirut, 29/05 19:26 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus USA Barbara Leaf Donald Trump Middle East
The US Special Envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, arrived in Damascus on Thursday, according to Syria’s official news agency SANA, marking a new stage in the normalization of relations between the two countries following the fall of Bashar al-Assad. He is currently meeting Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Shareh. Barrack, who also serves as the ...