Latest Syria government News

Restoration lags for Syria's famed Roman ruins at Palmyra and other war-battered historic sites

Jun. 02, 2023 02:14 AM EDT

PALMYRA, Syria (AP) — At the height of the Islamic State group's rampage across Syria, the world watched in horror as the militants blew up an iconic arch and temple in the country’s famed Roman ruins in Palmyra. Eight years later, IS has lost its hold but restoration work on the...

Blast in east Lebanon kills 5 in base controlled by Palestinian faction, Israel denies role

May. 31, 2023 08:59 AM EDT

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A blast early Wednesday at a military base controlled by a Syria-backed Palestinian faction in eastern Lebanon killed five Palestinian militants and wounded 10 others, according to two Palestinian officials with the group. The faction said an Israeli...

UN: Staggering 15.3 million Syrians, nearly 70% of population, need aid

May. 30, 2023 16:41 PM EDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — For the first time in Syria’s 12-year war, people in every district are experiencing some degree of “humanitarian stress,” and a staggering 15.3 million — nearly 70% of the population — need humanitarian aid, the United Nations said Tuesday. A U.N....

Today in History: May 30, Joan of Arc burned at the stake

May. 30, 2023 00:03 AM EDT

Today in History Today is Tuesday, May 30, the 150th day of 2023. There are 215 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 30, 1989, student protesters in Beijing erected a “Goddess of Democracy” statue in Tiananmen Square (the...

With new mandate secured, Turkey's Erdogan likely to continue engaging with both West and Russia

May. 29, 2023 15:38 PM EDT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — After securing a strong new mandate in a runoff presidential election, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan could temper some positions that have irritated his NATO allies. But observers predicted that the country's longtime strongman leader is unlikely to depart from his policy...

What 5 more years of Erdogan's rule means for Turkey

May. 29, 2023 13:49 PM EDT

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won reelection in a runoff Sunday, following a nail-biter first round two weeks earlier. Having secured another five years, Erdogan now faces a host of domestic challenges in a deeply divided country, from a battered economy to pressure for...

Syrian state media: Suspected Israeli airstrikes target Damascus

May. 28, 2023 18:44 PM EDT

BEIRUT (AP) (AP) — Airstrikes attributed to Israel targeted Syria's capital city late Sunday, the first such strikes in nearly a month, Syrian state media reported. Syrian air defenses responded to the strikes in the vicinity of Damascus and shot down some of them, state news...

Facing pushback from Lebanese officials, UN walks back plan to give aid to Syrian refugees in USD

May. 27, 2023 07:59 AM EDT

BEIRUT (AP) — The United Nations announced Saturday that it will suspend a plan to begin making aid payments to Syrian refugees in crisis-wracked Lebanon in dollars, after pushback from Lebanese officials. Lebanon has been in the throes of a severe financial crisis since 2019, with...

As Turkey heads to runoff presidential race, domestic issues loom large

May. 27, 2023 02:52 AM EDT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has parlayed his country’s NATO membership and location straddling Europe and the Middle East into international influence, is favored to win reelection in a presidential runoff Sunday, despite a host of domestic issues. ...

Today in History: May 27, Queen Mary's maiden voyage

May. 27, 2023 00:03 AM EDT

Today in History Today is Saturday, May 27, the 147th day of 2023. There are 218 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 27, 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, unanimously struck down the...