AFP 2024-12-15 20:35 - Reading : less than a minute
Fez, the cultural heart of Morocco, is home to a UNESCO-listed medina that offers a rich glimpse into the country’s history and craftsmanship. Spanning 280 hectares, it is one of the best-preserved old cities in the Arab-Muslim world. Within its walls, you’ll find centuries-old mosques, traditional madrassas and the Choura tannery, still ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 20:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The Israeli government on Sunday approved a plan to double the population of the occupied and annexed Golan Heights, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the prime minister's office said. The government had "unanimously approved" the 40 million shekel ($11 million) "plan for the demographic development of the Golan... in light of the ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 20:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Russia's foreign ministry said it has evacuated some of its diplomatic staff from Syria Sunday, a week after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. "On December 15, the withdrawal of part of the personnel of the Russian (diplomatic) representation in Damascus was carried out by a special flight of the Russian Air Force from the Hmeimim airbase" in Syria, ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 19:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Israel Hamas Press Freedom Gaza Palestine
An Israeli airstrike on Gaza killed Al Jazeera journalist Ahmed al-Louh on Sunday, the Qatar-based network reported. The strike targeted the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Al Jazeera's Arabic-language website. The Israeli military, when contacted by AFP for comment, stated that it is "looking into the reports." Since the ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 19:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that the British government has had “diplomatic contact” with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian rebel group that played a key role in toppling the Assad regime. While Lammy emphasized that HTS remains a proscribed terrorist organization, he noted that diplomatic contact is still possible. ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 17:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Algeria France Morocco Boualem Sansal
Algeria's foreign ministry has summoned the French ambassador to reprimand him for what it described as efforts to destabilize the country, several Algerian media outlets reported on Sunday. The ambassador, Stéphane Romatet, was "informed of the firm disapproval of the highest Algerian authorities in response to numerous French provocations and ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 16:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
International Court of Justice International Criminal Court Israel Palestine Ireland Diplomacy
Israel's Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that it would be closing its embassy in Ireland, citing the Dublin government's "extreme anti-Israeli policies," further straining already tense relations between the two nations. Diplomatic ties between Ireland and Israel have deteriorated following a series of actions, including Ireland's ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 16:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Saudi Arabia Tehran USA Economic Sanctions Iran
Iran announced the closure of offices and schools in many provinces across the country on Sunday due to a cold snap and energy shortages, according to state media. Iran is an energy giant, with the world's second-largest reserves of natural gas, according to the US Energy Information Administration. However, the country has been forced to ration ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 16:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
"We need to see justice and accountability for crimes, and it must go through a credible justice system. We must ensure that no acts of revenge take place," Geir Pedersen said upon his arrival in Damascus. Assad fled Syria last weekend following an 11-day rebel offensive led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), marking the ...
Elie Ziadé 2024-12-15 15:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Turkey HTS Bashar al-Assad Syria
The fall of Bashar al-Assad took everyone by surprise, almost no one saw it coming. Yet, it was met with joy. Scenes of celebration across Syria, as well as in countries hosting millions of Syrian nationals and refugees, along with the shared joy of other populations — notably in Lebanon — reflect the harsh rule that the Assad dynasty had ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 12:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Turkey is ready to provide military support to Syria's new Islamist-led government set up by rebels who overthrew Bashar al-Assad if it requests it, Defense Minister Yasar Guler said on Sunday. He said the new leadership should be given "a chance" and that Turkey was "ready to provide the necessary support if the new ...
This is Beirut 2024-12-15 11:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
The citizens of Damascus largely celebrated the fall of Bashar al-Assad's hated regime with joy, after 13 long years of brutal civil war. But the city's drinking holes did have one concern. The rebel army that overthrew the former leader was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group which some drinkers feared would forbid the sale of ...