Syria

Read recent Syrian news stories and current events on Newser.com

Stories 1521 - 1540 | << Prev   Next >>

Dueling Memorials Shake Beirut
Dueling Memorials Shake Beirut
Feb 14, 2008 8:16 AM CST

Dueling Memorials Shake Beirut

Thousands gather to honor Hariri, Mughniyeh

(Newser) - Tension is high and security tight across Beirut today as thousands gathered for two opposing memorials—one marking the third anniversary of the assassination of anti-Syrian PM Rafiq al-Hariri, the other a funeral for top Hezbollah commander Imad Moghniyeh. More than 8,000 army and international troops are trying to...

Top Hezbollah Militant Killed
Top Hezbollah Militant Killed
Feb 13, 2008 7:34 AM CST

Top Hezbollah Militant Killed

FBI was offering $25 million for man suspected in TWA incident

(Newser) - A notorious Hezbollah commander was killed by a car bomb late last night in Damascus, the group said today, ending his reign of high-profile terror attacks that included the 1985 TWA hijacking, the 1992 Israeli embassy bombings, and the killing of more than 200 Americans in Lebanon in the 1980s....

US to Admit More Iraqi Refugees
US to Admit More Iraqi Refugees
Feb 5, 2008 3:47 AM CST

US to Admit More Iraqi Refugees

Speeds up glacial pace of resettlement

(Newser) - The State Department plans to admit 12,000 Iraqi refugees into the US by September, despite resettling only 375 so far this year, CNN reports. Ambassador James Foley, charged with the task of accelerating resettlement, vowed to reporters that the pace will pick up in the coming months. The US...

Deadly Violence Erupts in Beirut
Deadly Violence Erupts in Beirut
Jan 28, 2008 5:02 AM CST

Deadly Violence Erupts in Beirut

Riots, gun battles in Hezbollah districts

(Newser) - Street protests over power cuts erupted yesterday into deadly violence in Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut with several people killed or wounded—some by sniper fire—as youths torched cars. The Lebanese army mobilized to stop the violence from spreading to Sunni and Christian neighborhoods, reports AFP.  Fears of more...

Beirut Car Bomb Kills 7
Beirut Car Bomb Kills 7
Jan 25, 2008 4:43 AM CST

Beirut Car Bomb Kills 7

Police captain among victims in Christian suburb of Lebanese capital

(Newser) - At least seven people are dead and more injured after what appeared to be a car bomb ripped through a Christian suburb of Beirut this morning. Lebanese TV showed footage of a black crater surrounded by burning, mangled vehicles. One of the victims was a captain in the country's police...

US Makes Canadian Torture List
US Makes Canadian Torture List
Jan 18, 2008 6:40 AM CST

US Makes Canadian Torture List

'Torture awareness' manual for diplomats includes US, Syria, Israel, Iran

(Newser) - The US, along with China, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, and Israel, is listed in an official Canadian foreign ministry document of countries where prisoners are at risk of torture, the BBC reports. The "torture awareness" training manual classifies as torture some US interrogation techniques, including forced nudity, isolation, and sleep...

Beirut Blast Rips US Car, Kills 4
Beirut Blast Rips US Car, Kills 4
Jan 15, 2008 10:20 AM CST

Beirut Blast Rips US Car, Kills 4

At least 19 wounded in latest in spate of attacks on Western targets

(Newser) - An explosion blasted a US embassy car just north of Beirut today, killing at least four in a predominantly Christian neighborhood, CNN reports. It was unclear whether the car was the target of the blast or tripped a roadside bomb. The driver of the US vehicle was injured, as were...

Syria Rebuilds Mystery Structure
Syria Rebuilds Mystery Structure
Jan 12, 2008 11:56 AM CST

Syria Rebuilds Mystery Structure

New building goes up on suspected nuclear site bombed by Israel

(Newser) - Syria appears to be rebuilding on the site of a suspected nuclear reactor Israeli bombers destroyed in September, the New York Times reports. The new building, shown in satellite photographs to have the same footprint, is not expected to be a reactor, but there are concerns that it could cover...

Tech Sales to China Raise Red Flags

Weapons experts say imports could upgrade military—or be sold

(Newser) - Chinese companies linked to the People’s Liberation Army were cleared to import sensitive high-tech equipment from the US after the Bush administration eased restrictions blocking the sale of technology with military applications, the New York Times reports. One company has ties to arms sales to Iran and Syria, claims...

Sarkozy Breaks Off Syria Talks
Sarkozy Breaks Off Syria Talks
Dec 31, 2007 4:30 AM CST

Sarkozy Breaks Off Syria Talks

Stop blocking progress in Lebanese presidential stalemate, French prez warns

(Newser) - France has lost patience with Syria and has cut off mediation talks until Damascus stops obstructing the election of a new president in Lebanon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced yesterday. Lebanon has been without a president since November and the Syrian-backed parliamentary opposition has been accused of blocking the election...

Syrian Expats Return Home Seeking Fortune

Looser economic regulations are creating lucrative opportunities

(Newser) - Many Syrians who long ago moved to the US are returning to their homeland to pursue business opportunities. New laws are loosening regulations on private investment and foreign exchange, creating lucrative targets for people with available funds and previous experience with Syria's bureaucracy. The Christian Science Monitor looks at an...

Iraq Invites Refugees Home, but Home Is Gone

350K displaced in Iraq; US military begs Baghdad to build new housing

(Newser) - Baghdad shocked Washington and the UN last month by inviting home 1.4 million refugees from Syria, the Washington Post reports. The UN warned against it, saying exiles would face poverty, but Iraq started a bus line to transport them back. Many found their homes looted and neighborhoods redrawn along...

Lebanon Backs General as Prez Candidate

Government moves to break deadlock

(Newser) - The Lebanese government is attempting to clear a deadlock over who will run the nation by approving Lebanon's army chief as a presidential candidate. Gen. Michel Suleiman has provisional support from both the right-wing Christian ruling party and the Hezbollah-led opposition. His selection would require a constitutional amendment endorsed by...

Iraq Staggered by Flood of Returning Refugees

Nation unprepared for needy hordes

(Newser) - Better security in Baghdad has produced a dangerous and largely unforeseen problem: what to do with an influx of refugees streaming back from Syria and elsewhere now that it's safe to return. Many find their former homes have been occupied and the stranded refugees have few places to turn for...

Moscow May Host Talks for Israel, Syria

Sequel to Annapolis would tackle dispute over Golan Heights

(Newser) - Russia and the US are hatching a possible follow-up to the Annapolis Mideast summit in Moscow next year; the meeting would be aimed at launching peace negotiations between Israel and Syria, the Washington Post reports. Both sides signaled enthusiasm about reviving talks, centered on the dispute over the Golan Heights,...

6,000 Iraqi Sunnis Vow to Aid US
6,000 Iraqi Sunnis Vow to Aid US
Nov 29, 2007 7:44 AM CST

6,000 Iraqi Sunnis Vow to Aid US

Iraqi civilian forces help decrease violence as refugees return home

(Newser) - Almost 6,000 Sunni Arab civilians in Iraq turned against Al-Qaeda yesterday and signed a pact to help US forces police possible insurgent escape routes. As insurgents seek to gain a foothold in the semi-autonomous north, American officials hailed the alliance, which is the Iraq war’s largest single volunteer...

Syria Headed for Annapolis Talks
Syria Headed for Annapolis Talks
Nov 25, 2007 1:53 PM CST

Syria Headed for Annapolis Talks

US gets full wish-list of Arab states to attend Israel-Palestine talks

(Newser) - Syria said today it will attend this week’s Israel-Palestine peace conference in Annapolis, a US victory in convincing every major Arab state—16 in all—to show, the AP reports. The US hopes such broad participation will help these talks succeed where previous efforts failed. Syria wants to discuss...

Saudis Will Attend Mideast Summit
Saudis Will Attend Mideast Summit
Nov 23, 2007 11:23 AM CST

Saudis Will Attend Mideast Summit

But there won't be any 'theatrical shows' of affection for Israel

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia will attend next Tuesday’s Arab-Israeli summit in Maryland, Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said today, but he won't be shaking hands with any Israelis, the BBC reports. Prince Saud said at a meeting of the Arab League that the Saudis were reluctant to go, but since the...

Thousands Returning to Safer Baghdad
Thousands Returning to Safer Baghdad
Nov 21, 2007 12:34 PM CST

Thousands Returning to Safer Baghdad

Driven by better security and lack of funds to stay in Syria

(Newser) - Iraqi refugees are returning to Baghdad by the thousands, convinced that security has dramatically improved, reports the Times of London. The Iraqi embassy in Damascus has even organized a secure convoy to escort Iraqis home next Monday and has posted signs offering free bus and train rides home. “There...

Dozens Invited to Mideast Peace Talks

White House presses Saudi Arabia and Syria, Olmert bolsters Abbas

(Newser) - The negotiating table may be packed Nov. 27 in Annapolis, when the Mideast peace conference brings together not only Israelis and Palestinians, but upwards of 40 other countries and institutions invited yesterday. The White House's priority is to persuade Saudi Arabia and Syria to attend the talks, to bolster the...

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