WEATHER ALERT
Syrian President Assad's Baath Party clinches control of parliament, election results show
Results of Syriaโs parliamentary elections show that President Bashar Assadโs Baath Party has won a majority of seats, as expected.
Syrian official who oversaw prison where alleged abuse took place arrested by US officials
A former Syrian military official who oversaw a prison where human rights officials say torture and abuse took place has been arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of immigration fraud.
Israeli drone strike along Lebanon-Syria border kills Syrian businessman close to the government
An Israeli drone strike on a car near the Lebanon-Syria border has killed a prominent Syrian businessman who was sanctioned by the United States and had close ties to the government of Syriaโs President Bashar Assad.
The Latest | An Israeli drone strike kills a prominent Syrian businessman with close ties to Assad
An Israeli drone strike on a car near the Lebanon-Syria border has killed a prominent Syrian businessman who was sanctioned by the United States and had close to Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.
Syrians vote for their next parliament, which may pave the way for Assad to extend his rule
Syrians have voted for members of a new parliament in an election that was expected to hold few surprises.
Prosecutors ask France's highest court to rule on validity of arrest warrant for Syria's president
French prosecutors have asked the country's highest court to rule on the validity of the international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad over complicity in war crimes during Syriaโs civil war.
Paris court upholds validity of France's arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad
The Paris appeals court has ruled that an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad issued by France for alleged complicity in war crimes during Syriaโs civil war is valid and remains in place.
Thousands of Iran-backed fighters offer to join Hezbollah in its fight against Israel
Iran-backed groups in the Middle East say thousands of their fighters are offering to come to Lebanon to join with the militant Hezbollah group in its battle with Israel.
Israeli airstrikes near Syria's Aleppo kill several, including an Iranian adviser, reports say
Syria's state media and Iranian media outlets are saying that Israeli airstrikes around the Syrian city of Aleppo killed several people, including an Iranian adviser.
First Syrian jet in over a decade transports Muslim worshippers to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage
For the first time in over a decade, 270 Syrians have traveled on a direct flight from Damascus to Saudi Arabia for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, according to the Syrian Transportation Ministry.
Landmark Paris trial of Syrian officials accused of torturing, killing a father and his son starts
The landmark trial of three former Syrian intelligence officials has begun at a Paris court for the alleged torture and killing of a French-Syrian father and son who were arrested over a decade ago, during the height of Arab Spring-inspired anti-government protests.
France is trying Syrian ex-officials for the torture and killing of a father and son. Here's why
A Paris court is seeking to determine this week whether top Syrian intelligence officials were responsible for the disappearance and deaths of a French-Syrian father and his son.
Iran's foreign minister accuses US of giving Israel 'green light' to attack consulate in Syria
Iranโs foreign minister has accused the United States of giving Israel the โgreen lightโ for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials, including two generals.
Turkish drones kill 3 in an attack on a local Christian militia in northeastern Syria, officials say
A Kurdish official and a Syrian opposition war monitor say Turkish drone strikes in northeastern Syria have killed at least three members of a local Christian force and wounded others including civilians.
State media say an Israeli strike kills 2 in a Damascus residential area. Another kills 2 in Lebanon
Syria's state TV says an Israeli strike that hit a residential area in the country's capital of Damascus has killed two people.
As Dubai prepares for COP28, some world leaders signal they won't attend climate talks
Dubai is preparing to host the COP28 climate talks as world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden and Pope Francis have signaled they will not be attending the negotiations.
Why Russia is engaged in a delicate balancing act in the Israel-Hamas war
The Israel-Hamas war has forced Russia into a delicate balancing act, with Moscow urging a quick end to the fighting without apportioning blame.
Canada and the Netherlands take Syria to top UN court. They accuse Damascus of widespread torture
Syria has boycotted a hearing at the UN's highest court, where the Netherlands and Canada are accusing Damascus of โinstitutionalizedโ use of torture.
Lots of dignitaries but no real fireworks โ only electronic flash โ as the Asian Games open
The opening ceremony of the Asian Games in China offered all the staples of a major international sports event.
Leaders of Syria and China announce strategic partnership as part of Asian Games diplomacy
China and Syria have announced the formation of a strategic partnership as Chinese leader Xi Jinping kicked off a series of diplomatic meetings ahead of the upcoming Asian Games.
Syrian President Bashar Assad is in China on his first visit since the beginning of war in Syria
Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in China on his first visit to the country since the start of Syriaโs 12-year conflict.
Dozens of Syrians are among the missing in catastrophic floods in Libya, a war monitor says
A war monitoring group says that dozens of Syrians who fled war at home are among the thousands killed and missing in the deadly flooding in Libya.
US-backed Kurdish fighters say battles with tribesmen in eastern Syria that killed dozens have ended
A U.S.-backed Syrian force has declared its operations in eastern Syria completed after almost two weeks of fighting with local tribesmen left dozens of people dead.
Fighting between rival US-backed groups in Syria could undermine war against the Islamic State group
The weeklong clashes between rival U.S.-backed militias in eastern Syria point to dangerous seams in the coalition that has kept a lid on the defeated Islamic State group for years.
Syria protests spurred by economic misery stir memories of the 2011 anti-government uprising
Anti-government protests in southern Syria have entered their second week, with demonstrators waving the colorful flag of the minority Druze community, burning banners of President Bashar Assad, and at one point raiding several offices of his ruling party.
The Ukraine war, propaganda-style, is coming to Russian movie screens. Will people watch?
The Russian authorities have announced an endeavor to boost production of movies glorifying Moscowโs actions in Ukraine this year.
Members of US Congress make a rare visit to opposition-held northwest Syria
Three US Congress members have made a brief visit to opposition-held northwest Syria in the first known trip to the war-torn country by American lawmakers in six years.
Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin challenged the Kremlin in a brief mutiny
Yevgeny Prigozhin made his name as the profane and brutal mercenary boss who mounted an armed rebellion that was the most severe and shocking challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putinโs rule.
A decade after a sarin gas attack in a Damascus suburb, Syrian survivors lose hope for justice
A decade after a sarin gas attack killed hundreds and left thousands hurt in a Syrian suburb near the capital of Damascus, survivors say there has been no accountability for that attack or for other atrocities committed during the country's brutal conflict.
Protests rock government-held areas in southern Syria as economy crumbles
Syrian opposition activists say protests have broken out in two government-held provinces in the south amid widespread anger over increasing prices, the crash of the Syrian pound and the dwindling purchasing power of many people in the war-torn country.
Syrian president doubles public sector wages as national currency spirals downwards
Syriaโs president Bashar al-Assad has doubled public sector wages and pensions as the war-torn countryโs national currency spiraled further downwards, reaching a new low for the year.
Assad blames Erdogan for violence in Syria and insists on a pullout of Turkish troops
Syrian President Bashar Assad has slammed Turkey and blamed Ankara for the uptick in violence in his war-torn country.
The UN announces that a deal has been reached with Syria to reopen border crossing from Turkey
The United Nations has announced that an agreement has been reached with Syria to reopen the main border crossing from Turkey to its rebel-held northwest for six months.
Aid group official warns that impasse at the UN on border crossing puts 4.1 million Syrians at risk
The head of a leading aid group says an impasse at the United Nations over a border crossing with Syriaโs last rebel-held enclave is endangering 4.1 million Syrians living there.
Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria in the sixth incident this month
The U.S. says a Russian fighter jet fired flares and struck another American drone over Syrian airspace on Wednesday, continuing a string of harassing maneuvers that have ratcheted up tensions between the global powers.
They fled Syria's shattering civil war. Now, Syrian refugees in Jordan fear being forced to return
As Middle East countries begin to restore relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad, many Syrian refugees who fled civil war fear they will be forced to return to their homeland.
UN says the Damascus-proposed conditions for aid delivery to northwest Syria are 'unacceptable'
The United Nations agency responsible for overseeing humanitarian aid has described conditions placed by the Syrian government on aid deliveries from Turkey to northwest Syria as โunacceptable.โ.
Medical and aid groups in northwest Syria fear worse conditions if aid flow from Turkey stops
The United Nations Security Council's failure to renew the critical flow of international aid from Turkey into opposition-held northwestern Syria has rattled Syrians and social workers.
UN ends aid to northwest Syria from Turkey after Security Council fails to renew approval
The U.N. Security Council has failed to approve either of two rival resolutions authorizing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syriaโs rebel-held northwest from neighboring Turkey, officially ending the U.N. cross-border operation which had been vital to helping 4.1 million people.
Aid to Syria's rebel-held northwest from Turkey certain to continue โ but for 6 or 12 months?
The delivery of humanitarian aid to Syriaโs rebel-held northwest from neighboring Turkey is virtually certain to get a green light to continue from the U.N. Security Council.
Syria revokes BBC accreditation over alleges bias after report on high-level ties to drug trade
Syriaโs Information Ministry has revoked the BBCโs media accreditation over alleged bias.
UN aid enters Syrian rebel enclave from government territory in first such crossing since earthquake
A convoy carrying U.N. aid has entered Syria's last rebel-held enclave from government-held territory, the first such shipment to cross battle lines since February's deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.
Donor nations commit $10.3 billion for millions of Syrians at home and as refugees abroad
International donors have committed $10.3 billion in aid for millions of Syrians battered by war, poverty, and hunger.
As conditions for Syrians worsen, aid organizations struggle to catch the world's attention again
Aid agencies will struggle to draw the worldโs attention back to Syria at an annual donor conference hosted by the European Union in Brussels for humanitarian aid to Syrians.
US Navy commander: No real change in Russian military's conduct toward Western warships in east Med
A U.S. Navy commander says there is โno significant changeโ in the conduct of Russian aircraft and warships toward Western naval and air assets in the eastern Mediterranean as Moscowโs war in Ukraine grinds on.
Arab foreign ministers welcome Syria's return to the Arab League ahead of Jeddah summit
Arab foreign ministers in Saudi Arabia have welcomed Syria back to the Arab League, and called for a cease-fire in conflict-hit Sudan ahead of the organization's annual summit taking place in the kingdom.
Returning to the Arab fold, Syria's president invited to UAE-hosted COP28 climate
Syriaโs embattled President Bashar Assad has received an invitation to attend the upcoming COP28 climate talks in Dubai later this year, even as the yearslong war in his country over his rule grinds on.
Arab ministers to meet over Syria's return to Arab league
Officials say diplomats from Arab nations are planning an emergency meeting in Cairo over the weekend about fighting in Sudan and Syria's potential return to the Arab League.
Regional talks on Syria's fate kick off in Jordanian capital
Regional leaders are meeting in Jordan to discuss Syriaโs return to the Arab fold and a Jordanian proposal to reach a โpolitical solutionโ to the Syrian conflict.
Iran urges Lebanese sides to reach agreement over president
Iranโs foreign minister says Tehran wants Lebanon's rivals to reach an agreement to elect a new president in the crisis-hit country that has been without a head of state October.
Moscow hosts more Turkey-Syria rapprochement talks
Russiaโs defense minister has hosted his counterparts from Iran, Syria and Turkey for talks as part of the Kremlinโs efforts to help broker a rapprochement between the Turkish and Syrian governments.
No consensus on Syrian Arab League return after Saudi summit
After meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss Syriaโs political fate, a group of regional leaders promised to continue talks to reach a political solution to the Syrian conflict.
Syria, Saudi Arabia move toward restoring embassies, flights
Syria and Saudi Arabia say they have started procedures to reopen embassies and resume flights between the two countries for the first time in more than a decade.
Putin, Assad discuss rebuilding Syria, regional issues
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted Syrian leader Bashar Assad for talks in the Kremlin that focused on rebuilding Syria after a devastating civil war and efforts to stabilize the region.
Saudi deal with Iran worries Israel, shakes up Middle East
News of the rapprochement between long-time regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran sent shock waves through the Middle East and dealt a symbolic blow to Israel's prime minister.
Countries that could be impacted by renewed Iran-Saudi ties
A deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic ties has wide-reaching effects across the Middle East and reduces the chance of armed conflict between regional rivals.
UN appeals for $397 million to help Syrian quake survivors
The United Nations chief has launched a $397 million appeal to help nearly 5 million survivors of last weekโs devastating earthquake in rebel-held northwest Syria who have received very little assistance.
Rising toll makes quake deadliest in Turkey's modern history
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that more than 35,000 people have died in Turkey as a result of last weekโs earthquakes, making it the deadliest such disaster since the countryโs founding 100 years ago.
UN says Syria agrees to open 2 new crossings for quake aid
The United Nations says Syriaโs president has agreed to open two new crossing points from Turkey to the countryโs rebel-held northwest to deliver desperately needed aid and equipment for millions of earthquake victims.
Days after quake, aid trucks reach northwest Syrian enclave
A small convoy has crossed from Turkey into Syriaโs rebel-held northwest with desperately needed medicines, blankets, tents and U.N. shelter kits, the first aid to reach the enclave, three days after the devastating earthquake struck the region, killing thousands.
Syria slams chemical watchdog report on 2018 attack
Syria has dismissed the global chemical weapons watchdog's statement that said investigators found โreasonable grounds to believeโ Syriaโs air force dropped two cylinders of chlorine gas in 2018 on the rebel-held town of Douma.
Brutality of Russia's Wagner gives it lead in Ukraine war
Fierce battles in eastern Ukraine have thrown a new spotlight on a private Russian military group led by a rogue millionaire with longtime links to Russiaโs President Vladimir Putin.
Watchdog blames Syria's air force for deadly chlorine attack
An investigation by the global chemical weapons watchdog established there are โreasonable grounds to believeโ Syriaโs air force dropped two cylinders containing chlorine gas on the city of Douma in April 2018, killing 43 people.
Rights group: Turkey forces hundreds to return to Syria
A leading human rights group says hundreds of Syrian men and boys have been detained, beaten and forcibly returned to their country by Turkish authorities over a six-month period.
General who led Syrian bombing is new face of Russian war
Gen. Sergei Surovikin has become the face of Russiaโs new military strategy in Ukraine, which includes unleashing a barrage of strikes against the country's infrastructure.
Europe praises, Belarus scorns Nobel for rights defenders
Officials in Europe praised the awarding of this yearโs Nobel Peace Prize to activists standing up for human rights and democracy in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, but authorities in Belarus are scorning the move.
Queen's death triggers media bonanza in works for decades
Plans by news organizations that have been in place for years โ even decades โ to cover the death of Queen Elizabeth II were triggered and tested when the event took place.
State media: Israel strike on Syria airport kills 5 soldiers
Syria's state-run news agency reports that an Israeli strike has hit Damascus International Airport and other areas south of the Syrian capital, killing five soldiers.
Market blast in north Syria kills 15 people, wounds dozens
A Syrian opposition war monitor and a paramedic group say a rocket attack on a crowded market in a town held by Turkey-backed opposition fighters killed 15 people and wounded dozens.