Coalition media office quotes HNC head as saying the Assad regime shifted focus of the talks to countering terrorism as a way to avoid discussing a political transition, adding that Moscow’s efforts to ensure a peace deal will not succeed while it supports the government on the ground
As the battle for Raqqa city draws closer, a rebel spokesperson laments Kurdish domination of upcoming operations, also predicting that American forces will remain in Raqqa for years at the airbase they seized from ISIS last week, Alsouria Net writes
Circumventing a formal economy that does little to lift them out of poverty, citizens have adapted to new, innovative and sometimes dangerous methods to supplement a lost livelihood in times of financial hardship, Souriatna explains
With a recent surge in mutual kidnappings in Daraa and Suweida reaching a tipping point, culminating in the recent torture and murder of a young man, community leaders are being urged to intervene to end the strife before it threatens to unravel the southern region
Opposition figure and Syrian personality says he has tasked delegations at Geneva with providing their take on four key issues, including governance, the constitution, elections and security, also adding that meetings with Kurdish and women’s groups were successful
Coalition media office quotes HNC head as saying opposition will not accept any participation from Assad or his inner circle at any point during a transitional period in Syria
Opposition figure Abdul Azim confirms to Zaman al-Wasl that delegates at the ongoing negotiations in the Swiss city have proposed a power-sharing model as part of a possible political transition
As ISIS prepares for urban warfare, Kurdish YPG boasts of superior fighting forces ahead of the looming battle for ISIS’ stronghold in Syria, as residents and U.S. defense officials voice skepticism over the likelihood the battle will be swift and decisive
Turkish deputy prime minister announces between 20,000 and 22,000 families have been identified to obtain citizenship, opposition website Alsouria Net reports, adding that about 35,000 refugees have so far returned to their homes in northern Syria after Turkish-backed forces cleared the area of ISIS militants
High Negotiations Committee representative Hariri says talks with U.N. envoy in the Swiss city were ‘fruitful’ and elaborated on the particulars of a transitional body and its structure, the opposition’s media office reports
Assad tells a Tunisian delegation that political parties can help fight terrorism through progressive pan-Arab projects that help preserve Arab identity and culture, state news media reports
Head of government delegation calls the Astana talks a major achievement, as the issue of terrorism was resolved satisfactorily with the world acknowledging its existence in Syria
Syrian regime not receptive to de Mistura’s proposed visit to Syria as the next round of talks in Geneva approach
Syrian government censured the US-South Korean military alliance against North Korea, while praising North Korea’s steadfast resistance
Jaafari, while highlighting the success of the third round of Astana talks, blames Turkey for the absence of the opposition delegation
Deputy Governor of Tartous was forced to resign after he allegedly used an investigation into the work of regime-loyalist Al-Batoul association as grounds for extorting money from the UNICEF-supported all-women organization
PYD self-administration in the Kurdish areas of Syria declares intention of vetting all “unlicensed” political parties, a step in the direction of outlawing opposition parties in the self-administration areas, Kurdish National Council sources claim
In an agreement with the regime, the opposition fighters, in the face of regime’s continuous bombardment of al-Waer and loss of civilian life, were forced to leave the area
In a meeting with a European Union delegation, Assad berates the adverse polices adopted by EU countries toward Syria, blaming Western media outlets for distorting the truth of the events and spreading terrorism in the country and region
Assad says U.S. forces in Syria are ‘invaders’ and he has yet to see ‘anything concrete’ emerge from President Donald Trump’s vow to prioritize the fight against ISIS. Below is the full interview as published by SANA.
