We should be wary of placing too much hope on the outcome of the most recent Astana talks, as the three previous rounds in the Kazakh capital produced little results, Walid al-Bunni writes
Some U.N. members remain skeptical of plan as Security Council prepares to meet in closed session to debate specifics of the deal, Saudi-owned newspaper reports
Rebel leader Abou Ammar says the international community’s disregard for Tehran and Moscow’s role in Syria will result in an expansion of the conflict beyond Syria’s borders, Alsouria Net writes
Saudi-owned Al-Hayat reports rebel delegation approves plan but chooses to walk out of negotiations in protest at Assad regime’s continued bombardment of opposition areas
Media adviser to Turkey’s president threatens to hit Americans patrolling the southern border days after U.S. forces arrived in the Kurdish region of northern Syria, Qatari-owned Al-Arabi Al-Jadid reports
Serving as a battleground for countless foreign and ideological belligerents, the greatest danger facing Syria is the fragmentation and polarization of its society, Walid al-Bunni writes
The flooding of the labor market in southern Turkish cities has resulted in widespread exploitation of Syrian refugees, who sometimes work for $3 a day, opposition outlet writes
Large numbers of Syrians and Turks are supporting theater work performed in Arabic in the southern Turkish province of Urfa, as artists strive to encourage a space for peace amid hatred and ignorance, Enabl Baladi reports
Loyalist commentator Maysoon Yousef accuses Syria’s southern neighbor Jordan of participating in a U.S.-Israeli plot to annex southern parts of Syria in order to hold leverage over the Assad regime in future peace negotiations
‘We as Syrians abroad undergo many situations that show how low the bar is for other people’s expectations of us.’ Enab Baladi speaks with four refugees living in Germany and Turkey about the common misconceptions of Syrians voiced by locals on a day to day basis
Assad’s top political and media advisor speaks to Lebanese television, framing the U.S. strike in the scope of CIA efforts to punish Damascus, claiming that the attack on the base came in the wake of victories by government forces against terror groups, state media reports
U.N. envoy tells reporters in Switzerland that cease-fire guarantors Russia, Turkey and Iran worked actively to ensure the success of a possible political settlement during trilateral meetings in Tehran, state news media reports
Opposition members and activists decry the forced relocation of thousands of civilians from the “four Syrian towns” as part of a negotiation deal to release kidnapped Qatari businessmen, Paula Istih writes for Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat
Kurdish-Arab alliance readies for the takeover of ISIS’ self-styled capital in Syria’s northeast, as the Western-backed forces look to completely cut off Raqqa from surrounding areas before its liberation, Saudi-owned Al-Hayat reports
With many beginning their work in coordination councils around the country, large numbers of activists have upskilled in a move aimed at providing professional coverage of the Syrian crisis in a place where most foreign outlets cannot, opposition outlet Enab Baladi writes
Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat explains that many opposition factions are still deciding whether to participate in the talks in the Kazakh capital, claiming that some parties believe Russia isn’t pulling its weight in enforcing the cease-fire deal
Government outlet SANA reports on a closed-door meeting between the three guarantors of a nationwide cease-fire which came into effect on Dec. 30 last year
Critics claim Ankara’s plans to erect a massive security wall extending the entire border with Syria have resulted in numerous violations of sovereignty, as witnesses call out Turkey for possible land grab, opposition outlet Sada al-Sham writes
Legal expert says Lebanese security agencies are ‘selectively’ deporting and refusing to issue residence permits to certain refugees who come from specific areas of Syria, while those who are at risk claim state agencies are enacting a deliberate policy to make life hard for Syrians to encourage their flight, opposition website Enab Baladi writes
Trump had to send a message to all parties supporting Assad that he won’t just resort to Syrian talks but will be part of the joint offensives in Syria, Tariq Alhomayed writes
