Paris, France -- French judicial authorities have issued arrest warrants for ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and six other top former officials over the bombardment of a rebel-held city in 2012 that killed two journalists, lawyers said Tuesday. Marie Colvin, 56, an American working for The Sunday Times of Britain,...
Syrian war monitor says 17 dead in clashes in Tartus province
17 people were killed Wednesday in clashes in Tartus province after security forces sought to arrest an officer under deposed leader Bashar al-Assad. "14 members of the General Security force" of Syria's new authorities were killed,
European countries suspend Syrian asylum decisions after Assad’s fall
While Berlin and other governments said they were watching the fast-moving developments in the war-ravaged nation, Vienna signaled it would soon deport refugees back to Syria.Syrians rally against poor economic conditions in government-held areas
Beirut, Lebanon - Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets again on Monday in Syria's southern city of Sweida, local media and an activist reported, as dire living conditions stoke discontent in regime-held areas. Days of rare protests have erupted in the south after the government lifted fuel subsidies last week,...
New Middle East forum aims to combat drug smuggling
The forum was agreed during talks between Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus earlier this month as regional concern mounts over an influx of the banned stimulant captagon from Syria. Jordanian security forces have tightened border controls in recent years and occasionally announce thwarted...
Work underway to normalize relations between Syria and Turkey: Russian envoy
Tehran, Iran-- Hectic efforts are underway for the restoration of ties between Syria and Turkey and also to pave way for a meeting between the Syrian and Turkish presidents. According to the Special envoy of the Russian president in Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, intense work is underway to normalize relations between...
Syria cancels BBC’s accreditation over ‘misleading reports’
In a rare move against an international media organization, the Syrian government has cancelled the BBC's accreditation over what it termed "misleading reports." According to the country's information ministry, the cancellation was brought about by the "broadcaster's failure to adhere to professional standards and its insistence on providing biased and...President Assad and Jordan’s foreign minister discuss refugees, drug smuggling
The focus of the discussion between the two was war refugees and a crackdown on cross-border smuggling, according to Jordan's foreign ministry. The diplomat's visit comes amid an increasing regional engagement with the Assad regime, peaking with Syria's return to the Arab League after years of isolation since Syria's war...Eyes on Bashar al-Assad as Arab summit kicks off in Saudi
The summit in Saudi Arabia comes at a time when the world's biggest oil exporter is flexing its diplomatic muscle across the Middle East and beyond. It follows a frenetic stretch of high-stakes diplomacy triggered by the kingdom's surprise Chinese-brokered rapprochement deal with Iran announced in March.
Syrians in rebel-held Idlib rally against Arab-Assad detente
"We came to send a message to the whole world that with this normalization, you will gain Bashar al-Assad the criminal, and you will lose the Syrian people," said Abdel Salam Mohammed Yussef, who heads a camp for displaced people.
Bashar al-Assad receives delegation from Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union
Damascus, Syria--Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad received today a delegation from the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union, participating in the thirty-fourth meeting of the Arab Parliamentary Union, which concluded yesterday in Baghdad. The delegation included Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council, and the speakers of parliaments in Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Libya...
