[Published here on April 18, 2018]
As its first parliamentary vote in nearly a decade approaches, Lebanon has been swept into campaign fever: posters on every corner, televised debates, and neighbours bickering over new electoral procedures.
As Syria rebels quit Douma, questions linger over detainees, activists | AFP
[Published here on April 13, 2018]
Damascus (Syria) (AFP) – As Syrian rebels evacuate their holdout town of Douma, hope is dwindling that four iconic activists and hundreds of others suspected to have been kidnapped there will be found alive.
Syrians in exile search for answers in leaked ‘wanted list’ | AFP
[Published here April 5, 2018]
Desperate to find out if they can ever return home, Syrians exiled by their country’s uprising-turned-war are scouring a leaked database of people reportedly wanted by the intelligence services. Typing in first, last and father’s names into the online list, Syrians abroad hold their breath to learn if a long-awaited visit to Damascus would land them in government prison or potentially far worse.
Broken by siege, Syria rebels face worse loss yet in Ghouta | AFP
[Published here April 4, 2018]
Beirut (AFP) – The expected loss of Eastern Ghouta will deal Syria’s fragmented rebels their biggest blow yet, leaving them unable to threaten President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus and increasingly subservient to competing global interests.
France-sanctioned firms deny ties to Syria chemical programme | AFP
[Published here on January 25, 2018]
Companies and nationals blacklisted by France for alleged links to Syria’s chemical weapons programme denied any wrongdoing on Thursday, telling AFP they were gearing up for a legal challenge.
Four years and one caliphate later, IS claims Idlib comeback | AFP
[Published here January 16, 2018]
The Islamic State group has been roundly defeated across much of Syria — which made it all the more surprising when it announced an official comeback in the country’s northwest last week.
Syrian boys caught in ‘vicious cycle’ of sex abuse, UN says | AFP
[Published here on December 7, 2017]
Beirut (AFP) – Syrian men and boys, in their war-torn country and abroad, have suffered “a vicious cycle” of sexual abuse with more devastating consequences than previously reported, the United Nations said Thursday.
In its new report, “We Keep it in our Heart,” the UN’s refugee agency said it had documented widespread sexual violence against Syrian males, including those seeking refuge.
