US-Israeli strikes on Iran have grounded at least 37 flights between Hong Kong and the Middle East, with flag carrier Cathay Pacific suspending its Dubai services until Thursday. Cathay also announced on Monday that it would suspend its Riyadh flights until Tuesday amid the developing situation in the region. The carrier said customers booked to…
Thousands of people flocked to the western German city of Bonn on Saturday to demonstrate against the situation in northern Syria. Around 15,000 demonstrators gathered in Bonn’s Hofgarten park for a pro-Kurdish rally under the slogan “The situation in Syria,” police said. According to a statement, several hundred police officers were on site “to accompany…
Several signs pointed to Israel’s close relationship with the Kurdish community. One read “Israel loves Kurdistan,” while others went further, openly calling for military action against the regime. Around 50 protesters gathered outside the US embassy on Wednesday night, their voices rising in protest against what they described as Washington’s inaction in the face of…
After days of fighting, the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on Sunday to bring Kurdish authorities under the control of Damascus. A deal under which Kurdish forces abandoned long-held territory in Syria to the Syrian government could pave the way for Turkey to advance its stalled effort to end its…
Hongkongers hold the world’s 15th most powerful passport, up three places from last year, according to an index measuring visa-free access. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport offers visa-free access to 171 destinations, according to this year’s Henley Passport Index released last week. Singapore retained the top ranking for the third consecutive year, granting…
The United States on Friday launched airstrikes against dozens of Islamic State (IS) targets across central Syria in retaliation for a deadly attack on US personnel, officials said. USSecretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a Christmas service at the Pentagon.(AFP) Defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the strikes targeted “ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons…
In the last year, Israel averaged nearly two daily attacks on Syria and grabbed more land in the occupied Golan Heights. It has been one year since a lightning offensive by allied rebel groups led to the fall of Damascus, ending the al-Assad dynasty’s 54-year reign. Yet, as the regime collapsed, Israel seized on the…
Syria’s Asaad al-Shaibani meets with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi as Damascus pushes to bolster international ties. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has pledged to deepen collaboration on “counterterrorism” with China on his first visit to Beijing since the toppling of former President Bashar al-Assad last year. Al-Shaibani and Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed on Monday…
new video loaded: How Syria’s President Transformed His Image Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara’s meeting with President Trump in Washington signifies a new turn for al-Shara, a former Islamist rebel leader who was once designated by the United States as a terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head. Our reporter Christina Goldbaum describes the…
Avi Gold’s visit to Syria stands out for the unexpected affection he received from locals, including a special encounter with one of Damascus’s last Jews. Jewish globe-trotter Avi Gold said that in a recent trip to Syria, rather than experiencing any hostility, he encountered people who expressed affection for the Jewish people and Israel. Gold,…