Lebanon’s Aoun to meet Trump at White House, hoping to generate pressure on Israel
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will make his first trip to the White House this week to present a plan to US President Donald Trump on how to disarm Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and secure Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon. Aoun, who served as the commander of Lebanon’s US-backed ar»»»
Damascus court hears witnesses in trial of former grand mufti
DAMASCUS: A Damascus criminal court has heard testimony from prosecution witnesses during the second session of the trial of Ahmad Hassoun, Syria’s former grand mufti, who faces charges including inciting violence and justifying killings during the rule of the ousted Assad regime. The Fourth Crimin»»»
Why Israel-Türkiye relations have now hit rock bottom
In late June, Israel’s government moved to formally recognise the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottomans, ending decades of official hesitation. Needless to say, it does nothing for Israeli-Turkish relations, which have nosedived in recent years, with major disagreements over Gaza being a p»»»
Syria seizes advanced weapons that were bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah – Ya Libnan
Share: File photo of Hezbollah flag: Several countries designated Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed, Lebanon-based militia , as a “terrorist” organization.The designation covers the entirety of the group, both the political and military wings . Syrian authorities say they intercepted a shipment includi»»»
Syrian authorities seize another 200,000 captagon pills
LONDON: Authorities in Syria seized a further 200,000 captagon pills on Thursday. They were confiscated by the country’s Drug Enforcement Administration during a raid on a criminal network in the southern province of Daraa, along the border with Jordan. Six balloons used to smuggle drugs across the»»»
Germany and Syria launch committee to aid latter’s economic recovery and reconstruction
LONDON: The first session of a Syrian-German Joint Committee to assist Syria’s recovery took place in Damascus on Thursday. It was co-chaired by Asaad Al-Shaibani, the foreign minister of the Syrian Arab Republic, and Geza Andreas von Geyr, German minister of state at the Federal Foreign Office. Th»»»
Syria foils attempt to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah from Iraq, state news agency says
DUBAI: Syrian authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle in a shipment of advanced weapons and missiles over the border from Iraq, the state news agency SANA reported on Thursday, citing an Interior Ministry source, who said preliminary investigations showed the shipment was intended for Leba»»»
Kuwait Airways operates 1st flights to Damascus in 14 years
LONDON: Kuwait Airways on Wednesday operated the first direct flights between Damascus and Kuwait City in 14 years. It follows the first flight to Syria by Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways, which landed in late June at Aleppo International, the country’s second-largest airport after Damascus. The Civil Avi»»»
Syria arrests Assad-era chemical weapons chief over sarin attacks
LONDON: Syrian authorities arrested Ahmad Habib Ali, a former colonel in the Bashar Assad regime, for his involvement in sarin gas attacks between 2013 and 2017 during the country’s civil war. The Interior Ministry said that Ali oversaw the production and storage of chemical weapons, including sari»»»
Report: Trump tells Netanyahu to move forces out of Syria and Lebanon
U.S. President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call last Thursday that Israel should start redeploying its forces out of Syria and urged him to do the same in Lebanon, U.S. and Israeli officials told U.S. news portal Axios. A U.S. official said Trump told »»»
Trump tells Netanyahu to move forces out of Syria and Lebanon, Axios – Ya Libnan
Share: President Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in 2025 President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Thursday that Israel should start redeploying its forces out of Syria and urged him to do the same in Lebanon, ac»»»
Jordan hosts drug-combating meeting with Saudi, UN and Arab officials
LONDON: Security and government officials from Jordan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon participated in a regional meeting in Amman to discuss ways to combat synthetic drugs that are affecting communities in the Middle East. The three-day meeting was held on Monday b»»»
Northern Syria faces persistent food crisis despite improved harvest, monitor says
LONDON: Parts of the northern Syrian Arab Republic continue to face crisis-level food insecurity despite an improved harvest, with conditions expected to spread to the western governorate of Latakia by October, a global food security monitor said on Monday. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network,»»»
Syrian-American business forum debuts in Damascus amid push for investment
LONDON: The first Syrian-American Business Forum was held in Damascus on Monday, as the country seeks to rebuild its economic ties with the world and attract foreign investment. Organized by the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Syrian-American Business Council, the event at the Dama Rose Ho»»»
No applause or standing ovation greeted President Ahmad Al Sharaa as he opened Syria's new parliament, in contrast with parliamentary sessions during the Assad era.
Dubai: Syria's newly formed People's Assembly convened for its inaugural session on Sunday, with lawmakers listening in silence as President Ahmad Al Sharaa delivered his opening address, without the applause or standing ovations that routinely accompanied speeches by former president Bashar Al Ass»»»
Syrian transitional parliament holds first session
DAMASCUS: Syria’s transitional parliament began its first session on Sunday, state television reported, tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution and laying the groundwork for democracy after decades of authoritarian rule. Syria’s new authorities dissolved the country’s rubber-stamp legis»»»
Russia eyes mid-July start for commercial logistics hub at Syrian port, officials say
DUBAI: Russia hopes by mid-July to have a commercial logistics hub up and running in one of two berths at the naval base it leases in the Syrian port of Tartous, while keeping a military presence at the other, Syrian officials told Reuters. The hub will handle a wide range of Russian goods includin»»»
Syria uncovers explosives cache linked to Damascus bombing cell
DAMASCUS: Syrian security forces have uncovered a secret cache of explosives linked to the militant cell responsible for the July 7 bombings in Damascus, the Interior Ministry said on Friday, adding that investigations were continuing to identify any remaining hideouts connected to the network. In »»»
What France hopes to gain from re-engaging with Syria
LONDON: French President Emmanuel Macron has become the first European head of state to visit Damascus since the fall of President Bashar Assad in late 2024, marking another pivotal step in Syria’s emergence from years of diplomatic isolation. With Syria’s political transition still fragile, observ»»»
How top Syrian diplomat Asaad al-Shaibani’s road to Damascus is shaking the Mideast
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani’s diplomatic motorcade hit the road shortly after his appointment. From Riyadh to Beirut, Washington to Moscow, Shaibani has been at the forefront of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s bid to open a new chapter in Mideast history. But the rebel official-turned-dip»»»
How Türkiye went from problem child to power broker in NATO
When NATO’s 36th summit opened at the Bestepe Presidential Complex on July 7, the official agenda read like every other alliance gathering of the past few years: defense spending targets, support for Ukraine, industrial capacity, adaptation to new threats. But for the host nation, the meeting was n»»»
France returns 23 Syrian treasures after 15 years as Macron visits Damascus
France has finally returned 23 Syrian archaeological treasures that remained in the country for about 15 years after being loaned for an exhibition. Their return coincided with French President Emmanuel Macron's landmark visit to Damascus — the first by a major Western leader since the ouster of Ba»»»
Syria arrests ISIS-linked suspects over Damascus bombings during Macron visit
Syrian authorities said on Thursday they had arrested several suspects accused of carrying out a series of bombings in Damascus, including attacks during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit this week. The Interior Ministry said security forces dismantled the entire cell, while an official blam»»»
Cell behind Damascus bombings in custody, Syria says
DAMASCUS: Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab said the cell responsible for what he called “terrorist” bombings that targeted Damascus on Tuesday was now in custody, Syrian TV reported on Thursday. Khattab said authorities would reveal the identities of the cell’s members, their roles an»»»
Trump’s idea for Syria to confront Hezbollah risks reopening wounds, analysts say
LONDON: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared to soften his June suggestion that Syria could take on Hezbollah in Lebanon instead of Israel, but the idea continues to stir alarm because of Syria’s long history of interference in Lebanese affairs. During a meeting with Syria’s interim pres»»»
OPCW restores Syria’s rights and privileges with broad international support
The Hague, July 9 (SANA) The Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Thursday adopted by consensus a decision restoring the rights and privileges of the Syrian Arab Republic under the Chemical Weapons Convention, in a move reflecting broad internation»»»