Damascus

FILE - In this file photo released on April 7, 2019, by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows vans queuing to fill their tanks with fuel, at a gas station in Daraa, south Syria. On Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, Syria’s petroleum ministry blamed U.S. sanctions for forcing it to cut by up to 24% its distribution of fuel and diesel because of delays in arrival of needed supplies. (SANA via AP, File)

Syria temporarily cuts supplies of fuel to meet shortages

Jan. 10, 2021 9:12 AM EST

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s petroleum ministry on Sunday blamed U.S. sanctions for forcing it to cut by up to 24% its distribution of fuel and diesel because of delays in arrival of needed supplies. The war-ravaged nation already is facing a severe economic crisis that has caused major shortages...

Russia and West clash over Syria chemical weapons sanctions

Jan. 6, 2021 12:40 AM EST

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Syria and close ally Russia clashed with the U.S. and other nations Tuesday over a Western initiative to suspend Syria’s voting rights in the global chemical weapons watchdog for failing to provide details of three chemical attacks in 2017 that investigators blamed on President...

Syrian army says Israeli strike near Damascus kills soldier

Dec. 30, 2020 12:05 PM EST

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Israeli jets fired missiles on targets near Damascus early Wednesday, killing one Syrian soldier and wounding three others, Syria’s military said. A Syrian military official said the attack took place after midnight in the Zabadani region in the Damascus countryside and that...

FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2011 file photo, a protestor faces riot police officers during a demonstration against the party of Tunisian ruler Ben Ali, in the center of Tunis, Tunisia. Ten years ago, an uprising in Tunisia opened the way for a wave of popular revolts against authoritarian rulers across the Middle East known as the Arab Spring. For a brief window as leaders fell, it seemed the move toward greater democracy was irreversible. Instead, the region saw its most destructive decade of the modern era. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

After Arab Spring, a decade of upheaval and lost hopes

Dec. 15, 2020 1:08 AM EST

CAIRO (AP) — Was it real? It’s all been erased so completely, so much blood has been shed and destruction wreaked over the past decade. The idea that there was a moment when millions across the Middle East wanted freedom and change so much that they took to the streets seems like romantic...

Iran's president vows to continue supporting Syria

Dec. 8, 2020 4:19 AM EST

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday his country will continue to support Syria, urging Damascus to confront Israel in the occupied Golan Heights. Rouhani's website said the remarks came during a meeting with visiting Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. "The Islamic...

FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 file photo, a thick blanket of early morning fog partially shrouds the skyscrapers of the Marina and Jumeirah Lake Towers districts of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Travel agencies in countries across the Middle East and Africa say the United Arab Emirates has temporarily halted issuing new visas to their citizens, a so-far unexplained ban on visitors amid both the coronavirus pandemic and as the UAE normalizes ties with Israel. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

Travel agents in Mideast, Africa say UAE is blocking visas

Nov. 27, 2020 12:47 PM EST

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Travel agencies in countries across the Middle East and Africa say the United Arab Emirates has temporarily halted issuing new visas to their citizens, a so-far unexplained ban on visitors amid both the coronavirus pandemic and the UAE's normalization deal with Israel. ...

Report: Syria claims Israeli attack on post south of capital

Nov. 24, 2020 6:20 PM EST

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's military said suspected Israeli warplanes struck locations south of the capital Damascus late Tuesday, causing only material damage, state-run media reported. The report, which quotes an unidentified military official, said the warplanes struck shortly before midnight south...