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Douma city in the Damascus countryside after the fall of Assad, December 14 2024

I spoke to some of the first Syrian exiles who returned following the fall of the Assad regime. Many prefer to wait and see how things pan out, but a few came back at the first opportunity to help support the country through its transition. thetimes.com/world/middle-e…

Editing a dispatch from Latakia on the hours leading up to Assad's fall, this is a quote from a 1st lieutenant in the SAA: “Our commanding officers vanished, leaving us to fend for ourselves. I’ll never forget one of my soldiers - a conscript from Aleppo - who told me his family

SCOOP — Syria’s central bank has nearly 26 tons of gold in its vault, worth about $2.2 billion at the current price, four sources say. That’s the same amount as before the war. Four sources say it was not touched. But dollar reserves have dropped from about $18.5 billion before

Jolani affirms rights for minorities, rails against HTS’s terrorism designation, and promises that the country will not be used as a launchpad for attacks against Israeli in his first interview since taking control with Samer Al-Atrush thetimes.com/world/middle-e…

So stunned that my pic of this burning of Assad has made The Times and The Sunday Times "defining photos of the year". Thanks to Edmund Bower for telling me, & to the The Irish Times for putting it on their front page last week. #Syria thetimes.com/culture/photog…

BREAKING: NSO Group liable for #Pegasus hacking of WhatsApp users. Big win for spyware victims. Big loss for NSO. Bad time to be a spyware company. Landmark case. Huge implications. 1/ 🧵

This didn't really makes waves but Syria's National Dialogue Conference, previously reported to be taking place Jan 4- 5, will now take place closer to the end of the month. Officials say “preparations are ongoing and procedures must be put in place.”

Basically, the Lebanese government, headed by Najib Mikati, approved sending an Arab citizen (Abdul Rahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi) to a country of which he's not a citizen (UAE), ultimately leading to his indefinite detention for holding an opinion. CRIMINAL.

Two record numbers Egypt reached in 2024: Exports: $40 billion. A record number that surpasses respective revenues from remittances, tourism and suez canal Egypt attracted a record 15.7 million tourists in 2024, surpassing the previous year's record of 14.9 million. Quite an

BREAKING: Lebanon says extends suspension of flights to and from Iran, via AFP News Agency.

As a former BBC News (UK) journalist, I’m appalled at the decision to remove ‘How to Survive in a War Zone’. I covered Gaza for months & Palestinians were routinely scrutinised more than Israelis. Would the BBC dare to remove a doc featuring an Israeli minister’s relative? 1/3

I have been subjected to a torrent of insults and abuse—this time from many within the so-called "revolutionary" circles. In the past, the most virulent attacks came from supporters of Assad, ISIS, and the SDF. However, the insults I now face feel even harsher, as they come from

#Lebanon president Aoun told visiting German FM: Israel has refused to leave the five "strategic” hills where Israeli troops are still deployed beyond a Feb. 18 deadline for full withdrawal and is still detaining a number of Lebanese prisoners. Aoun added Israel is obstructing

PIF has ordered deep cuts across its projects, some up to 60%, slowing development and triggering layoffs. It has demanded 20% spending reductions across subsidiaries incl. 50 development companies. Brilliant reporting from Megha Merani for AGBI agbi.com/giga-projects/…

The value of construction contracts issued in Saudi Arabia has plummeted this year along with the oil price. Experts say the Saudi construction sector, that has grown to become the biggest in the region, faces a slowdown. AGBI agbi.com/analysis/const…

Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Jordan and Qatar have all issued statements denouncing the Israeli attack on Iran, accusing Israel of undermining international laws and norms.

Markets have taken a hit but have not yet entered crisis mode in response to the Israel-Iran conflict. Should the war escalate, however, Arab Gulf countries will find it difficult to mitigate the impact. My story with Valentina Pasquali for AGBI agbi.com/analysis/marke…

Gulf markets have not yet taken fright, but the dangers facing regional economies are real and could prove difficult to mitigate, should the conflict escalate, analysts say. From Edmund Bower with some input from myself - AGBI agbi.com/analysis/marke…

Following the US's strike on Iran, incidents of GPS jamming in the Arabian Gulf jumped by 60% to 1,600 in a single day. It caused a collision of two ships on Tuesday. Risk of accidents remains high as conflict continues. Megha Merani AGBI agbi.com/analysis/oil-a…