Loyal no more: Syrians Turn from Once-Omnipotent Baath Party

This is Beirut 12/12 19:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Damascus HTS Baath Syria Bashar al-Assad

Maher Semsmieh turned in his rifle on Thursday at an office of Syria's Baath party, more than 60 years after its oppressive rule in Syria began, and days after it ended. "We are no longer Baathists," Semsmieh, 43, said with a smile of relief, four days after Islamist-led rebels toppled the Baathist government of president Bashar al-Assad. "We ...

US Official Sullivan Says 'Got the Sense' Israel PM Ready for Gaza Deal

This is Beirut 12/12 19:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Benjamin Netanyahu USA Hostages

Visiting US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared prepared to negotiate a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza and a ceasefire. "We're now looking to close a hostage release deal and a ceasefire (in Gaza). It's time to finish the job and bring all of the hostages ...

ExplainerThe Deadly Legacy of the Assad Regime

Paul Guillot 12/12 19:04 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Bashar el-Assad Syria Chemical weapons Israel

More than a decade after the start of the Syrian conflict, concerns about chemical weapons remain. Despite Damascus officially joining the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 2013 and efforts to destroy its arsenal, multiple indicators suggest the presence of undeclared residual stockpiles. Recent developments — including Israeli airstrikes, ...

NATO Chief Calls for Defense Surge to Avoid 'Big War' with Russia

This is Beirut 12/12 17:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Europe Ukraine United States Nato Russia

NATO chief Mark Rutte issued a stark warning Thursday to "turbo-charge" defense spending, saying European nations were not prepared for the threat of future war with Russia. "We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years," Rutte said in a keynote address in Brussels, his first major speech since taking office as NATO ...

UN General Assembly demands immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Gaza

This is Beirut 12/12 16:29 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hamas Israel UN Security Council ceasefire

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, a symbolic gesture rejected by the United States and Israel. The resolution -- adopted by a vote of 158-9, with 13 abstentions -- urges "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," and ...

Kurdish Administration Says Adopts Syria's Independence Flag

This is Beirut 12/12 16:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Syria Kurds flag Bachar al-Assad

The semi-autonomous Kurdish administration that holds swathes of Syria's northeast said Thursday it will adopt the three-starred independence flag used by the opposition, after rebels toppled longtime president Bashar al-Assad. The Kurdish authority said in a statement it has "decided to raise the Syrian (independence) flag on all councils, ...

Syria’s New Leadership Suspends Constitution During Three-Month Transition

This is Beirut 12/12 14:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Syria’s new leadership will "freeze the Constitution and Parliament" during a three-month transitional period, Obaida Arnaout, the political affairs spokesperson for the new government, told AFP on Thursday. "A legal and human rights committee will be formed to review the Constitution and propose amendments," he explained. The current ...

Renewed Hope for a Gaza Truce: Talks Gain Momentum in Doha

This is Beirut 12/12 12:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Israel truce Qatar

Israeli Mossad chief David Barnea met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha on Wednesday to discuss a potential deal. This meeting is part of a renewed mediation effort after months of deadlock. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated in a phone call on Wednesday with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin ...

Iran must face new "realities" in Syria, says Revolutionary Guards

This is Beirut 12/12 12:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus Hezbollah Turkey

Iran must face new "realities" in Syria following the regime's fall, said Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guards, on Thursday. Iran had been a close ally of President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia. For decades, Syria has been a cornerstone of the land bridge between Iran and Hezbollah, a member of its anti-Israeli "axis of ...

Bulgaria and Romania to Join Schengen Zone on January 1, 2025

This is Beirut 12/12 11:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

European Union

EU states on Thursday cleared Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the borderless Schengen zone from the start of next year, officials said. "It is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania," said Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency. The two countries, both members ...

Gaza: Over 67 Dead, Including Children and Aid Workers, in Israeli Strikes

This is Beirut 12/12 11:22 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Gaza Rafah

The Gaza Civil Defense reported that 33 people, including several children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday night, shortly after the United Nations General Assembly called for an immediate ceasefire in the war-torn Palestinian territory. Israeli warplanes targeted two houses near the Nuseirat refugee camp (central Gaza) and in ...

Syria: Israeli Strikes Hit Latakia and Tartous

This is Beirut 12/12 10:40 - Reading : less than a minute

Israel Syria

Israeli airstrikes targeted military installations in Syria, belonging to the army of the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, an NGO said on Wednesday. Among the "military sites" targeted were "the port of Latakia" and warehouses in Tartous. "Israeli fighter jets continue to destroy what remains of Syria's military arsenal, for the fourth ...