TOPICS

The Islamic State (ISIL) has been given one last chance to leave central Syria before the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) closes the 5 km gap between the Al-Raqqa and Homs governorates. With some of their forces already besieged in eastern Hama, the Islamic State cannot afford to have …

James Dorsey • In addition to stimulating an arms race it has actually revived momentum for unprecedented, albeit snail-paced social reforms, initially sparked by Qatar’s winning bid for the 2022 soccer World Cup. Those reforms break with policies among the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Saudi …

By Abdel Bari Atwan The surprises keep coming in Syria, one after the other. They reflect radical changes in the local, regional and international dynamics that have long governed the conflict ravaging the country. Following the Syrian Arab Army’s recovery of the town of as-Sukhna in the governorate …

TEHRAN (FNA)- Officials in Ankara have reportedly halted their financial support for Syria’s National Coalition (Syria’s dissidents), an Arab media outlet disclosed. The Arabic-language Rai al-Youm quoted sources in the National Coalition disclosing that Turkey has not made its monthly payment of $320,000 to the dissidents. In the …

US special operations forces are teaming with the Lebanese Army to coordinate a strike against Daesh from Lebanon as the paramilitary group Hezbollah is reportedly engaging Daesh from the Syrian flank, Haaretz reported Monday. A Pentagon spokesman confirmed that US Special Forces personnel were presently “providing training and …

By Shehab Al Makahleh • The agreement between the Syrian government and the armed opposition to cease hostilities in certain locations in Syria is seen as a principled success of the deal reached late June, that went into effect in July, on establishment of de-escalation zones in Eastern Ghouta …

The UAE, not an old state and not even a state in every sense of the word, was founded in the 1970s with the British support for small sheikhdoms and immigration of people from other parts of the Arab Peninsula. The 47-year-old state lies on the southern coasts …

As expected, the intra-Syrian agreement on a cessation of hostilities between the Syrian army and the armed factions in what was seen as a principled success of the deal could lead to ending the six-year war in Syria. Moscow explained that it was in contact with the American …

Philip Wen and Ben Blanchard • BEIJING (Reuters) – China loves peace but will never compromise on defending its sovereignty, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday while marking 90 years since the founding of the People’s Liberation Army. China has rattled nerves around Asia and globally with its increasingly assertive stance …