US President Joe Biden on Monday (Indian time) appeared to mistake Syria for Libya at news conference after G7 summit in the UK. He appeared to make the mistake twice.

He was describing how the US and Russia can work together for the welfare of people of Libya (instead of Syria). In Syria, both US and Russia are involved in a decade-long civil conflict.

The 78-year-old gaffe-prone Biden was attending his first G7 summit as a US president.

Biden will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Geneva on Wednesday (June 16).

During his participation in the G7 Summit, Biden kept the heat up on Russia and China who he said were throwing up 'new challenges'

"I think that there is a growing recognition over the last couple of years that we have new challenges," Biden told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at bilateral talks ahead of the main summit.

"We have Russia that is not acting in a way that is consistent with what we had hoped, as well as China," he said.

"I want to make it clear: NATO is critically important for US interests in and of itself. If there weren't one, we'd have to invent it," he said.

NATO trained its guns on China and Russia as well.&nbsp;

"Until Russia demonstrates compliance with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities, there can be no return to 'business as usual'," the summit's final statement said.

"China's stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to Alliance security," a summit statement said.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden on Monday (Indian time) appeared to mistake Syria for Libya at news conference after G7 summit in the UK. He appeared to make the mistake twice.

US President Joe Biden on Monday (Indian time) appeared to mistake Syria for Libya at news conference after G7 summit in the UK. He appeared to make the mistake twice. He was describing how the US and Russia can work together for the welfare of people of Libya (instead of Syria). In Syria, both US and Russia are involved in a decade-long civil conflict. The 78-year-old gaffe-prone Biden was attending his first G7 summit as a US president. Biden will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Geneva on Wednesday (June 16). During his participation in the G7 Summit, Biden kept the heat up on Russia and China who he said were throwing up 'new challenges' "I think that there is a growing recognition over the last couple of years that we have new challenges," Biden told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at bilateral talks ahead of the main summit. "We have Russia that is not acting in a way that is consistent with what we had hoped, as well as China," he said. "I want to make it clear: NATO is critically important for US interests in and of itself. If there weren't one, we'd have to invent it," he said. NATO trained its guns on China and Russia as well. "Until Russia demonstrates compliance with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities, there can be no return to 'business as usual'," the summit's final statement said. "China's stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to Alliance security," a summit statement said. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden mixes up Syria and Libya at G7 news conference

At least 13 people were killed and several wounded in two separate artillery attacks on the northern Syrian town of Afrin on Saturday, local medical sources and Turkey's government said. 
 
The first attack struck a residential area, while the second hit a hospital shortly afterwards, civil defence sources said. Video footage on social media showed casualties amid the ruins of the Al Shifa hospital. 
 
Ankara condemned the missile attack it said was launched by the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, though the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US-backed militia force spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG, said it was not responsible. 
 
The Turkish defence ministry, which has a large military presence in the Syrian area, also put the death toll at 13 and said 27 were injured. 
 
The governor's office in Turkey's Hatay province, bordering Afrin, said it was investigating the incident in which it said missiles were fired from the Tel Rifat area controlled by the Syrian government. 
 
Turkey regards the YPG as a terrorist group tied to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) inside its own borders, and has staged incursions into Syria in support of Syrian rebels to push it from the Turkish frontier. 
 
Ankara now has thousands of troops in the last rebel enclave in Syria. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

At least 13 people were killed and several wounded in two separate artillery attacks on the northern Syrian town of Afrin on Saturday, local medical sources and Turkey's government said.

At least 13 people were killed and several wounded in two separate artillery attacks on the northern Syrian town of Afrin on Saturday, local medical sources and Turkey's government said. The first attack struck a residential area, while the second hit a hospital shortly afterwards, civil defence sources said. Video footage on social media showed casualties amid the ruins of the Al Shifa hospital. Ankara condemned the missile attack it said was launched by the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, though the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US-backed militia force spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG, said it was not responsible. The Turkish defence ministry, which has a large military presence in the Syrian area, also put the death toll at 13 and said 27 were injured. The governor's office in Turkey's Hatay province, bordering Afrin, said it was investigating the incident in which it said missiles were fired from the Tel Rifat area controlled by the Syrian government. Turkey regards the YPG as a terrorist group tied to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) inside its own borders, and has staged incursions into Syria in support of Syrian rebels to push it from the Turkish frontier. Ankara now has thousands of troops in the last rebel enclave in Syria. (With inputs from agencies)

Syrian hospital hit in artillery attacks on Afrin, at least 13 killed

Syria's military sites were struck by Israeli missiles again on Tuesday night, according to Syrian media.

According to Syria's national news agency, SANA, the Syrian army claimed to have shot down some Israeli missiles. 
 
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According to Sana, Israeli planes entered from Lebanon's airspace after "explosions in Damascus." 
 
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There were no reports of casualties or property damage, according to the news agency.

The airstrikes targeted an area "close to Damascus's international airport, as well as a Syrian air force battalion in the Dumayr region", around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Damascus, where "explosions took place at arms depots", according to the Observatory. 
 
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"Airstrikes also took place in the south of Homs province" while "explosions were felt in the provinces of Hama and Latakia" in the north and northwest respectively.

"The strikes have led to human losses in Homs, where rescue teams have been despatched to the targeted sites," the Observatory said, without giving a toll.

Israeli attacks were also reported in the northwestern province of Latakia and the central province of Homs, according to witnesses.

(With inputs from agencies)

Syria's military sites were struck by Israeli missiles again on Tuesday night, according to Syrian media. According to Syria's national news agency, SANA, the Syrian army claimed to have shot down some Israeli missiles.

Syria's military sites were struck by Israeli missiles again on Tuesday night, according to Syrian media. According to Syria's national news agency, SANA, the Syrian army claimed to have shot down some Israeli missiles. Also Read | Hamas fighters display weapons in Gaza after truce with Israel According to Sana, Israeli planes entered from Lebanon's airspace after "explosions in Damascus." Also read | Israelis should 'go back' to Europe, US: Iran's Quds Force There were no reports of casualties or property damage, according to the news agency. The airstrikes targeted an area "close to Damascus's international airport, as well as a Syrian air force battalion in the Dumayr region", around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Damascus, where "explosions took place at arms depots", according to the Observatory. Also read | 'Blatant anti-Israel obsession': Netanyahu denounces war crime probe by UN "Airstrikes also took place in the south of Homs province" while "explosions were felt in the provinces of Hama and Latakia" in the north and northwest respectively. "The strikes have led to human losses in Homs, where rescue teams have been despatched to the targeted sites," the Observatory said, without giving a toll. Israeli attacks were also reported in the northwestern province of Latakia and the central province of Homs, according to witnesses. (With inputs from agencies)

Shot down missiles fired by Israel, activated air defence: Syria

The Syrian war has killed almost&nbsp;half a million people, a new tally on Tuesday claimed. According to Syrian Observatory, which functions out of the UK, the decade-long war has killed 494,438 since it began in 2011.

The monitor added over 100,000 deaths to the toll which were recently confirmed. The previous toll was confirmed by the Observatory in March 2021, which put the number of deaths at 388,000. The monitor added 105,015 deaths after using its network of ground sources, AFP reported.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/thousands-take-to-the-street-of-idlib-to-denounce-syria-presidential-elections-387772/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"The overwhelming majority of these deaths occurred between the end of 2012 and November 2015," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP on the updated toll.

Out of the recent fatalities, over 42,000 are civilian deaths. The monitor added that most of them were killed in Syrian prisons under torture.

A lull in fighting has allowed organisations to update their tallies. "It provided us with a window to document tens of thousands of cases for which we lacked evidence," Rahman further said.

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Currently, violence levels in the country are at their lowest since the beginning of the conflict as government forces have reconquered large parts of the country. With new figures, the total civilian deaths stand at 159,774. Syrian government forces and allied militias account for majority of deaths.

In addition, the monitor noted 57,567 deaths in government prisons and detention centres since 2011. This is way higher than the previous estimate of 16,000 which was reported in March.

168,326 deaths were reported among Syrian soldiers. 68,393 jihadists, mostly members of the Islamic State have also been killed in the conflict, along with 79,844 other rebels.

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The Syrian war has killed almost half a million people, a new tally on Tuesday claimed. According to Syrian Observatory, which functions out of the UK, the decade-long war has killed 494,438 since it began in 2011.

The Syrian war has killed almost half a million people, a new tally on Tuesday claimed. According to Syrian Observatory, which functions out of the UK, the decade-long war has killed 494,438 since it began in 2011. The monitor added over 100,000 deaths to the toll which were recently confirmed. The previous toll was confirmed by the Observatory in March 2021, which put the number of deaths at 388,000. The monitor added 105,015 deaths after using its network of ground sources, AFP reported. "The overwhelming majority of these deaths occurred between the end of 2012 and November 2015," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP on the updated toll. Out of the recent fatalities, over 42,000 are civilian deaths. The monitor added that most of them were killed in Syrian prisons under torture. A lull in fighting has allowed organisations to update their tallies. "It provided us with a window to document tens of thousands of cases for which we lacked evidence," Rahman further said. Also read: Qatar sees no reason for normalising ties with Syria, says foreign minister Currently, violence levels in the country are at their lowest since the beginning of the conflict as government forces have reconquered large parts of the country. With new figures, the total civilian deaths stand at 159,774. Syrian government forces and allied militias account for majority of deaths. In addition, the monitor noted 57,567 deaths in government prisons and detention centres since 2011. This is way higher than the previous estimate of 16,000 which was reported in March. 168,326 deaths were reported among Syrian soldiers. 68,393 jihadists, mostly members of the Islamic State have also been killed in the conflict, along with 79,844 other rebels. Also read: Europe’s dilemma: Take in Islamic State families, or leave them in Syria?

Syrian war has killed nearly half a million people since 2011, new tally finds

Qatar has no plans to normalise ties with Syria, the Gulf state's foreign minister said, after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth term in office last week in an election derided by the opposition and the West as a farce. 
 
Qatar was among several regional states including Saudi Arabia that backed rebels in Syria's decade-old civil war. Some like the United Arab Emirates have sought to normalise ties after Assad regained control of most of the country. 
 
"So far we see nothing on the horizon for a political solution acceptable to the Syrian people ... the (regime's) approach and conduct has not changed," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told UK-based Al Araby television in an interview aired on Friday. 
 
"There is no motivation for us to re-establish ties with the Syrian regime at this time," Sheikh Mohammed said. "The Syrian regime is committing crimes against its people." 
 
Syria's government said that Wednesday's election shows the country is functioning normally despite the war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced 11 million. 
 
Gulf Arab states downgraded or shut missions in Damascus in 2012 over attacks by the government on protests at the start of the conflict. 
 
The UAE re-opened its mission to Damascus in late 2018 in a bid to counter the influence of non-Arab actors like Iran, which along with Russia backs Assad, and Turkey, which backs rebels. 
 
The UAE has a charge d'affaires in Syria. Oman, one of the rare Arab countries that had maintained diplomatic ties with Damascus, sent an ambassador in 2020. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Qatar has no plans to normalise ties with Syria, the Gulf state's foreign minister said, after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth term in office last week in an election derided by the opposition and the West as a farce.

Qatar has no plans to normalise ties with Syria, the Gulf state's foreign minister said, after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth term in office last week in an election derided by the opposition and the West as a farce. Qatar was among several regional states including Saudi Arabia that backed rebels in Syria's decade-old civil war. Some like the United Arab Emirates have sought to normalise ties after Assad regained control of most of the country. "So far we see nothing on the horizon for a political solution acceptable to the Syrian people ... the (regime's) approach and conduct has not changed," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told UK-based Al Araby television in an interview aired on Friday. "There is no motivation for us to re-establish ties with the Syrian regime at this time," Sheikh Mohammed said. "The Syrian regime is committing crimes against its people." Syria's government said that Wednesday's election shows the country is functioning normally despite the war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced 11 million. Gulf Arab states downgraded or shut missions in Damascus in 2012 over attacks by the government on protests at the start of the conflict. The UAE re-opened its mission to Damascus in late 2018 in a bid to counter the influence of non-Arab actors like Iran, which along with Russia backs Assad, and Turkey, which backs rebels. The UAE has a charge d'affaires in Syria. Oman, one of the rare Arab countries that had maintained diplomatic ties with Damascus, sent an ambassador in 2020. (With inputs from agencies)

Qatar sees no reason for normalising ties with Syria, says foreign minister

Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Friday congratulated Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on winning a fourth term in office, it said in a statement.

"We hope that upcoming years will be a great opportunity for Syria to return to playing its natural and leading role globally and regionally," it said.

Assad won the election on Thursday with a majority of 95.1 per cent.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Friday congratulated Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on winning a fourth term in office, it said in a statement. "We hope that upcoming years will be a great opportunity for Syria to return to playing its natural and leading role globally and regionally," it said.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Friday congratulated Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on winning a fourth term in office, it said in a statement. "We hope that upcoming years will be a great opportunity for Syria to return to playing its natural and leading role globally and regionally," it said. Assad won the election on Thursday with a majority of 95.1 per cent.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah congratulates Syria's Assad on election victory

Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed to defeat his enemies no matter how many battles he faces, saying on Friday, he feels empowered after being re-elected for a fourth seven-year term.&nbsp;

Assad was elected in a predictable landslide on Thursday. The presidential vote was described as illegitimate and a sham by the West and his opponents.&nbsp;

In a nine-minute televised victory speech, Assad said the public had challenged enemies of Syria, and those questioning the election's legitimacy by turning out in large numbers to vote for him, calling it a 'fighting spirit'.&nbsp;

"People choosing me to serve for the next constitutional period is a great honour for me," a bespectacled Assad said. "I am certain that with this fighting spirit, we will be able to defeat all our enemies no matter how many the battles are or how hard the road is."&nbsp;

Syria's parliament speaker, Hammoud Sabbagh, announced the final results late on Thursday, saying Assad garnered 95.1% of the vote. He said turnout stood at 78.6%, in an election that lasted for 17 hours on Wednesday with no independent monitors.&nbsp;

Syria observers said the official number of participants in the vote 'over 14 million' appeared to exceed the number of Syrians living in government-held areas.&nbsp;

In a country ravaged by a 10-year-old conflict, areas controlled by rebels or Kurdish-led troops did not hold the vote. At least 8 million people, mostly displaced, live in those areas in northwest and northeast Syria. Over 5 million refugees 'mostly living in neighbouring countries' have largely refrained from casting their ballots. Syria's pre-war population stood at 23 million.&nbsp;

Assad's victory comes as the country is still devastated by the conflict. Fighting has subsided but the war is not over. An economic crisis is worsening and over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line, while the local currency is in a free fall.&nbsp;

Assad, close associates and government officials are facing widening Western sanctions, added to already existing ones that have escalated as the war unfolded. European and US governments blame Assad and his aides for most of the war's atrocities.&nbsp;

For the third straight day, there were celebrations on Friday in Damascus in rallies that appeared to be organised. They featured demonstrators raising Syrian flags and pictures of Assad, chanting: 'God, Syria, and Bashar only’. They rallied on election day, after the results, and on Friday before Assad's speech.&nbsp;

The election is likely to offer little change to conditions in Syria. While Assad and his allies 'Russia and Iran' may be seeking a new seal of legitimacy for a president in office since 2000, his re-election is likely to deepen the rift with the West, driving him closer to Russian and Iranian backers as well as China. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed to defeat his enemies no matter how many battles he faces, saying on Friday, he feels empowered after being re-elected for a fourth seven-year term.

Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed to defeat his enemies no matter how many battles he faces, saying on Friday, he feels empowered after being re-elected for a fourth seven-year term. Assad was elected in a predictable landslide on Thursday. The presidential vote was described as illegitimate and a sham by the West and his opponents. In a nine-minute televised victory speech, Assad said the public had challenged enemies of Syria, and those questioning the election's legitimacy by turning out in large numbers to vote for him, calling it a 'fighting spirit'. "People choosing me to serve for the next constitutional period is a great honour for me," a bespectacled Assad said. "I am certain that with this fighting spirit, we will be able to defeat all our enemies no matter how many the battles are or how hard the road is." Syria's parliament speaker, Hammoud Sabbagh, announced the final results late on Thursday, saying Assad garnered 95.1% of the vote. He said turnout stood at 78.6%, in an election that lasted for 17 hours on Wednesday with no independent monitors. Syria observers said the official number of participants in the vote 'over 14 million' appeared to exceed the number of Syrians living in government-held areas. In a country ravaged by a 10-year-old conflict, areas controlled by rebels or Kurdish-led troops did not hold the vote. At least 8 million people, mostly displaced, live in those areas in northwest and northeast Syria. Over 5 million refugees 'mostly living in neighbouring countries' have largely refrained from casting their ballots. Syria's pre-war population stood at 23 million. Assad's victory comes as the country is still devastated by the conflict. Fighting has subsided but the war is not over. An economic crisis is worsening and over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line, while the local currency is in a free fall. Assad, close associates and government officials are facing widening Western sanctions, added to already existing ones that have escalated as the war unfolded. European and US governments blame Assad and his aides for most of the war's atrocities. For the third straight day, there were celebrations on Friday in Damascus in rallies that appeared to be organised. They featured demonstrators raising Syrian flags and pictures of Assad, chanting: 'God, Syria, and Bashar only’. They rallied on election day, after the results, and on Friday before Assad's speech. The election is likely to offer little change to conditions in Syria. While Assad and his allies 'Russia and Iran' may be seeking a new seal of legitimacy for a president in office since 2000, his re-election is likely to deepen the rift with the West, driving him closer to Russian and Iranian backers as well as China. (With inputs from agencies)

Syria's Assad says reelection empowers him to defeat enemies 

Bashar al-Assad has been re-elected for a fourth term as president of war-ravaged Syria, official results showed on Thursday, despite Western accusations the polls were "neither free nor fair".

The controversial vote extending Assad's stranglehold on power was the second since the start of a decade-long civil conflict that has killed more than 388,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country's infrastructure.

The parliamentary speaker announced Thursday that Assad garnered 95.1 per cent of the votes cast, trouncing two virtually unknown challengers.

Standing against him were former state minister Abdallah Salloum Abdallah and Mahmud Merhi, a member of the so-called "tolerated opposition", long dismissed by exiled opposition leaders as an extension of the regime.

On the eve of the election, the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy said the poll was "neither free nor fair", and Syria's fragmented opposition has called it a "farce".

But few doubted that the 55-year-old Assad, an ophthalmologist by training, would be re-elected.

In the last multi-candidate poll in 2014, Assad won 88 per cent of the vote.

Huge election posters glorifying Assad had mushroomed across the two-thirds of the country under his control in the lead-up to Wednesday's poll.

Before the election results were announced, tens of thousands of Syrians gathered Thursday in various cities to celebrate, waving Syrian flags and carrying pictures of Assad, state media reported.

The festivities broke out after the election committee, quoted by local TV, said "the ballot counting process has been completed in the majority of Syrian provinces".

"Tens of thousands of people in Tartus province gathered at the city's seafront to celebrate" Assad's expected win, according to state news agency SANA.

Some danced and beat drums, footage broadcast by Syrian television showed.

Thousands of other Syrians rallied in the coastal city of Latakia and in Umayyad Square in the capital Damascus, which along with Tartus and Latakia are bastions of the regime.

Celebrations were also underway in Aleppo and in Sweida, in Syria's south, where a crowd gathered in front of city hall, state media said.&nbsp;

Houwayda al-Nidal, a 52-year-old doctor, told AFP that Assad's victory "carries two messages".

The first is that of a leader who has won the war and will lead the reconstruction, he said, and "the second is intended for foreigners to show who will lead the political talks after the end of the fighting on the ground."

Economy in free fall

The election was held Wednesday in government-held areas, and state media showed long queues forming outside polling stations, which remained open five hours past the planned closing time.

The vote took place amid the lowest levels of violence since the war erupted in 2011 -- but with the economy in free fall.

More than 80 per cent of the population live in poverty, and the Syrian pound has plunged in value against the dollar, causing skyrocketing inflation.

Assad's campaign slogan, "Hope through work", evoked the colossal reconstruction needed to rebuild the country, requiring billions of dollars in funding.

He was first elected by referendum in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled Syria for 30 years.

The UN's Syria envoy, Geir Pedersen, noted the polls were not held under the political transition called for by Security Council Resolution 2254 which provides for free and fair elections.

"What is required is a Syrian-led and -owned political solution, facilitated by the United Nations and backed by constructive international diplomacy," he said.

In rebel-held northwestern Syria, home to three million people, hundreds took to the streets to protest on Wednesday, an AFP correspondent said.

They carried posters saying: "No legitimacy for Assad and his elections."

Bashar al-Assad has been re-elected for a fourth term as president of war-ravaged Syria, official results showed on Thursday, despite Western accusations the polls were "neither free nor fair".

Bashar al-Assad has been re-elected for a fourth term as president of war-ravaged Syria, official results showed on Thursday, despite Western accusations the polls were "neither free nor fair". The controversial vote extending Assad's stranglehold on power was the second since the start of a decade-long civil conflict that has killed more than 388,000 people, displaced millions and battered the country's infrastructure. The parliamentary speaker announced Thursday that Assad garnered 95.1 per cent of the votes cast, trouncing two virtually unknown challengers. Standing against him were former state minister Abdallah Salloum Abdallah and Mahmud Merhi, a member of the so-called "tolerated opposition", long dismissed by exiled opposition leaders as an extension of the regime. On the eve of the election, the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy said the poll was "neither free nor fair", and Syria's fragmented opposition has called it a "farce". But few doubted that the 55-year-old Assad, an ophthalmologist by training, would be re-elected. In the last multi-candidate poll in 2014, Assad won 88 per cent of the vote. Huge election posters glorifying Assad had mushroomed across the two-thirds of the country under his control in the lead-up to Wednesday's poll. Before the election results were announced, tens of thousands of Syrians gathered Thursday in various cities to celebrate, waving Syrian flags and carrying pictures of Assad, state media reported. The festivities broke out after the election committee, quoted by local TV, said "the ballot counting process has been completed in the majority of Syrian provinces". "Tens of thousands of people in Tartus province gathered at the city's seafront to celebrate" Assad's expected win, according to state news agency SANA. Some danced and beat drums, footage broadcast by Syrian television showed. Thousands of other Syrians rallied in the coastal city of Latakia and in Umayyad Square in the capital Damascus, which along with Tartus and Latakia are bastions of the regime. Celebrations were also underway in Aleppo and in Sweida, in Syria's south, where a crowd gathered in front of city hall, state media said. Houwayda al-Nidal, a 52-year-old doctor, told AFP that Assad's victory "carries two messages". The first is that of a leader who has won the war and will lead the reconstruction, he said, and "the second is intended for foreigners to show who will lead the political talks after the end of the fighting on the ground." Economy in free fall The election was held Wednesday in government-held areas, and state media showed long queues forming outside polling stations, which remained open five hours past the planned closing time. The vote took place amid the lowest levels of violence since the war erupted in 2011 -- but with the economy in free fall. More than 80 per cent of the population live in poverty, and the Syrian pound has plunged in value against the dollar, causing skyrocketing inflation. Assad's campaign slogan, "Hope through work", evoked the colossal reconstruction needed to rebuild the country, requiring billions of dollars in funding. He was first elected by referendum in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled Syria for 30 years. The UN's Syria envoy, Geir Pedersen, noted the polls were not held under the political transition called for by Security Council Resolution 2254 which provides for free and fair elections. "What is required is a Syrian-led and -owned political solution, facilitated by the United Nations and backed by constructive international diplomacy," he said. In rebel-held northwestern Syria, home to three million people, hundreds took to the streets to protest on Wednesday, an AFP correspondent said. They carried posters saying: "No legitimacy for Assad and his elections."

No surprises as Syria's Assad re-elected for 4th term

When Belgium said in March that it would repatriate some women who had joined the Islamic State group, along with their children, Jessie Van Eetvelde welcomed the decision with relief — even though she knows it will likely mean time in prison.

She and her two children have been living for at least two years in detention camps in Syria. Her dream, she says, is to have her children, whose father fought for the Islamic State, attend school in Belgium. For that, she is ready to pay the price of having joined the militant group in 2014, if Belgium will take her back.

“Maybe they realized that those who want to go back are sorry and want a second chance,” Van Eetvelde, 43, said recently in a WhatsApp voice message.

Many European countries have balked at allowing the return of people linked to the Islamic State, yet some, like Belgium and Finland, are now heeding the advice of security experts and rights groups who say that repatriations are the safest option.

“Europe has long criticized the U.S. for Guantánamo Bay, but now you have a Guantánamo in the desert,” said Chris Harnisch, a former State Department counterterrorism official who organized the repatriation of American citizens in 2019 and 2020.

Two years after the Islamic State lost its last territorial foothold in Syria, more than 200 women from 11 European countries and their 650 children are living in two Syrian camps, Al Hol and Roj, according to figures compiled by Thomas Renard, a researcher at the Egmont Institute, a Brussels-based think tank.

Although the Europeans represent a small fraction of the 60,000 people being held in the camps, who are mostly Iraqis and Syrians, European governments are facing increasing pressure to bring the adults back to face trial amid an argument that the countries’ inaction violates their commitment to human rights.

Security experts, rights groups and lawyers of those who went to Islamic State territories acknowledge that European governments face legitimate security concerns, along with political dynamics in countries fearful of terrorist attacks. But a growing number of government and intelligence officials say that leaving European citizens in Syria comes with greater risks, including that they could join terrorist groups that target Europe.

Countries like the United States, Kazakhstan and Turkey have repatriated many of their own citizens to prosecute them and, in some cases, reintegrate them into society.

The Kurdish leadership in the region that oversees the camps has not prosecuted the women, whose roles under the Islamic State’s rule often remain unclear. And because the administration is not internationally recognized, any prosecutions would still not get them out of their legal limbo.

Most European countries say that they have no legal obligation to help their citizens in the camps and that adults who joined the Islamic State should be prosecuted in Iraq and Syria.

Yet Belgium’s justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said his government would organize the repatriations of 13 women and their 27 children within months after the country’s intelligence services reported that the Islamic State was gaining power in the camps. He said the authorities had received “clear advice” that bringing the women and children to Belgium was the safest option.

An internal European Union document this year described the Hol camp as a “mini-caliphate.”

“A returnee will always present a risk, some of them low, some of them very high,” Renard said, adding that returnees could potentially radicalize inmates in prison or attempt attacks. “Yet the consequences of nonrepatriation are increasingly outweighing those risks.”

Rights groups say that the children have done nothing wrong and are suffering from disease, malnutrition and sexual assault. Hundreds have died, and dozens of coronavirus cases have been reported in the camps, according to the nongovernmental organization Save the Children.

There is also concern about teenage boys who traveled to Islamic State territories as younger children with their European-born mothers and are at higher risk of radicalization. They are being left behind as countries take in only younger children.

Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that European governments were “creating tiers of children.” She said, “The most desirable are the orphans — the least desirable are the teenage boys.”

The advocacy group Reprieve says that many women in the camps were trafficked, raped and forced into marriage and domestic servitude.

Yet in several European countries, repatriations remain out of the question, said a French intelligence official who requested anonymity to discuss the topic. Part of the hesitancy, security analysts say, is that repatriated women could receive light or no prison sentences.

Britain has stripped British citizenship from nearly 20 women who joined the Islamic State, in some cases taking them to court to prevent their return. France has turned down numerous calls for repatriation, even as some of the women staged a monthlong hunger strike. The Netherlands and Sweden said that they might take in children, but without their mothers.

Van Eetvelde, a former cashier who was born near Antwerp in northern Belgium, traveled to Islamic State territory with her husband in 2014. Now in the Roj camp, she hopes for a return to Belgium for herself and her children, who are 3 and 5.

She remains mostly cut off from the world, and even her lawyer, Mohamed Ozdemir, said he had been unable to communicate with her in recent months. Cellphones are not allowed, so Van Eetvelde communicated with The New York Times through voice messages sent via the phone of another woman in the camp whom The Times reached through the woman’s family and lawyer.

In January, a Belgian court convicted her in absentia of taking part in the activities of a terrorist organization, Ozdemir said. The court sentenced her to five years in prison.

Van Quickenborne said that any of the women wanting to return to Belgium would have to prove that they mean no harm to the country. “If they have not distanced themselves from ISIS ideology, they will remain on site,” he said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State.

That repatriation plan is likely to put pressure on neighboring France, which has Europe’s largest contingent of citizens in the camps and in prisons in Iraq and Syria. Yet as France reels from years of terrorist attacks, the government has opposed calls to repatriate people who left to wage jihad.

Although France has taken in 35 children from the camps on a case-by-case basis, 100 women with French citizenship and their 200 children remain mostly in the Roj camp, according to Jean-Charles Brisard, director of the Paris-based Center for the Analysis of Terrorism.

France was due to repatriate at least 160 of them in early 2019, according to intelligence documents brought to light by the newspaper Libération that spring and seen by The Times this year. But the situation in the camps became too volatile, the French intelligence official said, and the plan was abandoned.

“We thought it was going to happen, and that the dominoes could have started to fall with other European countries,” said Harnisch, the former U.S. counterterrorism official. “But the French government pulled the plug at the eleventh hour.”

Now, a growing number of European countries are taking action.

In Denmark, authorities said this month that they would repatriate three women and 14 children. Germany and Finland repatriated five women and 18 children in December, and a spokesman for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said last month that the country was working “at full speed” to take in children from the camps whose mothers are German citizens.

In Britain, Conservative lawmakers called for the repatriation of some British citizens, arguing that prosecuting them in the country would be safer than leaving them in the camps.

The parents of one French woman in the camps have brought a case against France in the European Court for Human Rights over the repatriation of her and her children. And three French lawyers asked the International Criminal Court to consider whether the country’s policy makes President Emmanuel Macron complicit in war crimes.

A French woman who went on hunger strike in the Roj camp said that there was no running water and that many people there had respiratory problems. (The Times is not publishing her name, because she says she has received death threats from Islamic State supporters who oppose their return to France.) “It’s very difficult to see doctors and dentists — there are no medicines,” she said, adding that the Frenchwomen wanted to return “to be tried, to be jailed.”

Jussi Tanner, a diplomat from Finland who is in charge of his country’s repatriations, said the women and children’s return was not a matter of “if, but of when and how.”

“Repatriating them as quickly as we can is better from a security point of view rather than pretending that the problem goes away when we look away,” he said. “You can leave them there, but they will return anyway.”

When Belgium said in March that it would repatriate some women who had joined the Islamic State group, along with their children, Jessie Van Eetvelde welcomed the decision with relief — even though she knows it will likely mean time in prison.

When Belgium said in March that it would repatriate some women who had joined the Islamic State group, along with their children, Jessie Van Eetvelde welcomed the decision with relief — even though she knows it will likely mean time in prison. She and her two children have been living for at least two years in detention camps in Syria. Her dream, she says, is to have her children, whose father fought for the Islamic State, attend school in Belgium. For that, she is ready to pay the price of having joined the militant group in 2014, if Belgium will take her back. “Maybe they realized that those who want to go back are sorry and want a second chance,” Van Eetvelde, 43, said recently in a WhatsApp voice message. Many European countries have balked at allowing the return of people linked to the Islamic State, yet some, like Belgium and Finland, are now heeding the advice of security experts and rights groups who say that repatriations are the safest option. “Europe has long criticized the U.S. for Guantánamo Bay, but now you have a Guantánamo in the desert,” said Chris Harnisch, a former State Department counterterrorism official who organized the repatriation of American citizens in 2019 and 2020. Two years after the Islamic State lost its last territorial foothold in Syria, more than 200 women from 11 European countries and their 650 children are living in two Syrian camps, Al Hol and Roj, according to figures compiled by Thomas Renard, a researcher at the Egmont Institute, a Brussels-based think tank. Although the Europeans represent a small fraction of the 60,000 people being held in the camps, who are mostly Iraqis and Syrians, European governments are facing increasing pressure to bring the adults back to face trial amid an argument that the countries’ inaction violates their commitment to human rights. Security experts, rights groups and lawyers of those who went to Islamic State territories acknowledge that European governments face legitimate security concerns, along with political dynamics in countries fearful of terrorist attacks. But a growing number of government and intelligence officials say that leaving European citizens in Syria comes with greater risks, including that they could join terrorist groups that target Europe. Countries like the United States, Kazakhstan and Turkey have repatriated many of their own citizens to prosecute them and, in some cases, reintegrate them into society. The Kurdish leadership in the region that oversees the camps has not prosecuted the women, whose roles under the Islamic State’s rule often remain unclear. And because the administration is not internationally recognized, any prosecutions would still not get them out of their legal limbo. Most European countries say that they have no legal obligation to help their citizens in the camps and that adults who joined the Islamic State should be prosecuted in Iraq and Syria. Yet Belgium’s justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, said his government would organize the repatriations of 13 women and their 27 children within months after the country’s intelligence services reported that the Islamic State was gaining power in the camps. He said the authorities had received “clear advice” that bringing the women and children to Belgium was the safest option. An internal European Union document this year described the Hol camp as a “mini-caliphate.” “A returnee will always present a risk, some of them low, some of them very high,” Renard said, adding that returnees could potentially radicalize inmates in prison or attempt attacks. “Yet the consequences of nonrepatriation are increasingly outweighing those risks.” Rights groups say that the children have done nothing wrong and are suffering from disease, malnutrition and sexual assault. Hundreds have died, and dozens of coronavirus cases have been reported in the camps, according to the nongovernmental organization Save the Children. There is also concern about teenage boys who traveled to Islamic State territories as younger children with their European-born mothers and are at higher risk of radicalization. They are being left behind as countries take in only younger children. Letta Tayler, a senior counterterrorism researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that European governments were “creating tiers of children.” She said, “The most desirable are the orphans — the least desirable are the teenage boys.” The advocacy group Reprieve says that many women in the camps were trafficked, raped and forced into marriage and domestic servitude. Yet in several European countries, repatriations remain out of the question, said a French intelligence official who requested anonymity to discuss the topic. Part of the hesitancy, security analysts say, is that repatriated women could receive light or no prison sentences. Britain has stripped British citizenship from nearly 20 women who joined the Islamic State, in some cases taking them to court to prevent their return. France has turned down numerous calls for repatriation, even as some of the women staged a monthlong hunger strike. The Netherlands and Sweden said that they might take in children, but without their mothers. Van Eetvelde, a former cashier who was born near Antwerp in northern Belgium, traveled to Islamic State territory with her husband in 2014. Now in the Roj camp, she hopes for a return to Belgium for herself and her children, who are 3 and 5. She remains mostly cut off from the world, and even her lawyer, Mohamed Ozdemir, said he had been unable to communicate with her in recent months. Cellphones are not allowed, so Van Eetvelde communicated with The New York Times through voice messages sent via the phone of another woman in the camp whom The Times reached through the woman’s family and lawyer. In January, a Belgian court convicted her in absentia of taking part in the activities of a terrorist organization, Ozdemir said. The court sentenced her to five years in prison. Van Quickenborne said that any of the women wanting to return to Belgium would have to prove that they mean no harm to the country. “If they have not distanced themselves from ISIS ideology, they will remain on site,” he said, using an alternative name for the Islamic State. That repatriation plan is likely to put pressure on neighboring France, which has Europe’s largest contingent of citizens in the camps and in prisons in Iraq and Syria. Yet as France reels from years of terrorist attacks, the government has opposed calls to repatriate people who left to wage jihad. Although France has taken in 35 children from the camps on a case-by-case basis, 100 women with French citizenship and their 200 children remain mostly in the Roj camp, according to Jean-Charles Brisard, director of the Paris-based Center for the Analysis of Terrorism. France was due to repatriate at least 160 of them in early 2019, according to intelligence documents brought to light by the newspaper Libération that spring and seen by The Times this year. But the situation in the camps became too volatile, the French intelligence official said, and the plan was abandoned. “We thought it was going to happen, and that the dominoes could have started to fall with other European countries,” said Harnisch, the former U.S. counterterrorism official. “But the French government pulled the plug at the eleventh hour.” Now, a growing number of European countries are taking action. In Denmark, authorities said this month that they would repatriate three women and 14 children. Germany and Finland repatriated five women and 18 children in December, and a spokesman for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said last month that the country was working “at full speed” to take in children from the camps whose mothers are German citizens. In Britain, Conservative lawmakers called for the repatriation of some British citizens, arguing that prosecuting them in the country would be safer than leaving them in the camps. The parents of one French woman in the camps have brought a case against France in the European Court for Human Rights over the repatriation of her and her children. And three French lawyers asked the International Criminal Court to consider whether the country’s policy makes President Emmanuel Macron complicit in war crimes. A French woman who went on hunger strike in the Roj camp said that there was no running water and that many people there had respiratory problems. (The Times is not publishing her name, because she says she has received death threats from Islamic State supporters who oppose their return to France.) “It’s very difficult to see doctors and dentists — there are no medicines,” she said, adding that the Frenchwomen wanted to return “to be tried, to be jailed.” Jussi Tanner, a diplomat from Finland who is in charge of his country’s repatriations, said the women and children’s return was not a matter of “if, but of when and how.” “Repatriating them as quickly as we can is better from a security point of view rather than pretending that the problem goes away when we look away,” he said. “You can leave them there, but they will return anyway.”

Europe’s dilemma: Take in Islamic State families, or leave them in Syria?

Bashar Al-Assad is set to extend his rule over Syria after an election widely perceived to be rigged. What will a fourth Assad term mean for Syria? Why is Assad bothering with the pretense of democracy? Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Fourth Assad term certain as Syrians vote

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Idlib in north western Syria to denounce the ongoing Presidential elections held on Wednesday. Protesters called the election farcical and illegitimate.

Thousands take to the street of Idlib to denounce Syria Presidential elections

Polling stations have opened on Wednesday across Syria for the presidential election where Bashar al-Assad is almost guaranteed to win for a fourth term, in a war-battered country mired in economic crisis.

War-ravaged Syria heads to polls, votes guaranteed to bring Al-Assad back

Polling stations opened on Wednesday across Syria in a presidential election that is set to usher Bashar al-Assad into a fourth term in office.&nbsp;

The government says the election shows Syria is functioning normally despite a decade-old war, but the opposition and Western nations view it as merely rubber-stamping Assad's grip on power. Assad is running against two obscure candidates.&nbsp;

In Damascus University's Faculty of Arts, hundreds of students lined up to vote, with several buses parked outside.&nbsp;

"We came to elect president Bashar al-Assad...without him Syria would not be Syria," Amal, a nursing student, said.&nbsp;

"With our blood and soul, we sacrifice our lives for you Bashar," other students chanted ahead of the opening of the polling station.&nbsp;

Assad first took power in 2000 on the death of his father Hafez, who had ruled for 30 years before that.&nbsp;

Assad's rule has been defined by a decade-long war that erupted after peaceful protests against his authoritarian rule in 2011. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven 11 million from their homes, about half the country's population.&nbsp;

The other two candidates in the election are former deputy cabinet minister Abdallah Saloum Abdallah, and Mahmoud Ahmed Marei, head of a small, officially sanctioned opposition party.&nbsp;

The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States said in a statement on Tuesday, criticising leader Bashar al-Assad, that the elections would not be free or fair. &nbsp;

Polling stations opened on Wednesday across Syria in a presidential election that is set to usher Bashar al-Assad into a fourth term in office. The government says the election shows Syria is functioning normally despite a decade-old war, but the opposition and Western nations view it as merely rubber-stamping Assad's grip on power.

Polling stations opened on Wednesday across Syria in a presidential election that is set to usher Bashar al-Assad into a fourth term in office. The government says the election shows Syria is functioning normally despite a decade-old war, but the opposition and Western nations view it as merely rubber-stamping Assad's grip on power. Assad is running against two obscure candidates. In Damascus University's Faculty of Arts, hundreds of students lined up to vote, with several buses parked outside. "We came to elect president Bashar al-Assad...without him Syria would not be Syria," Amal, a nursing student, said. "With our blood and soul, we sacrifice our lives for you Bashar," other students chanted ahead of the opening of the polling station. Assad first took power in 2000 on the death of his father Hafez, who had ruled for 30 years before that. Assad's rule has been defined by a decade-long war that erupted after peaceful protests against his authoritarian rule in 2011. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven 11 million from their homes, about half the country's population. The other two candidates in the election are former deputy cabinet minister Abdallah Saloum Abdallah, and Mahmoud Ahmed Marei, head of a small, officially sanctioned opposition party. The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States said in a statement on Tuesday, criticising leader Bashar al-Assad, that the elections would not be free or fair.

Syrians go to the polls in election that Assad is set to win 

In a camp for Syrian refugees in east Lebanon, Mohammad and his three sisters fear they will be out of school for a third consecutive year because remote learning is out of reach.

'I want to study': Lebanon crisis cancels school for many

Syrian authorities are working on extinguishing a fire that erupted in its main Homs refinery in the west of the nation, state media said on Sunday.

The fire erupted in a distillation unit due to a leak in a pumping station, it said without elaborating.

State television showed live footage of fire engulfing parts of the refinery with black smoke plumes in the distance as firefighters tackled the flames.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="London firefighters tackle flames at 19-storey tower block">London firefighters tackle flames at 19-storey tower block</a>

There was a large fire and blast at Homs in January this year involving a nearby crude oil loading station and dozens of trucks that transport petroleum products across the country.

Both Homs refinery and Banias on the Mediterranean coast have faced supply shortages in recent months due to erratic supplies of Iranian crude oil to the sanctions-hit country that relies mainly on Tehran for its energy needs.

Syria has over the past year two years faced months of gasoline and fuel shortages, forcing it to ration supplies distributed across government-held areas and to apply several rounds of steep price hikes.

Syrian authorities are working on extinguishing a fire that erupted in its main Homs refinery in the west of the nation, state media said on Sunday. The fire erupted in a distillation unit due to a leak in a pumping station, it said without elaborating.

Syrian authorities are working on extinguishing a fire that erupted in its main Homs refinery in the west of the nation, state media said on Sunday. The fire erupted in a distillation unit due to a leak in a pumping station, it said without elaborating. State television showed live footage of fire engulfing parts of the refinery with black smoke plumes in the distance as firefighters tackled the flames. Also read | London firefighters tackle flames at 19-storey tower block There was a large fire and blast at Homs in January this year involving a nearby crude oil loading station and dozens of trucks that transport petroleum products across the country. Both Homs refinery and Banias on the Mediterranean coast have faced supply shortages in recent months due to erratic supplies of Iranian crude oil to the sanctions-hit country that relies mainly on Tehran for its energy needs. Syria has over the past year two years faced months of gasoline and fuel shortages, forcing it to ration supplies distributed across government-held areas and to apply several rounds of steep price hikes.

Syria says fire erupts in main Homs refinery: State media

Israeli&nbsp;airstrikes carried out overnight&nbsp;on&nbsp;targets in&nbsp;Syria's northwestern region of&nbsp;Latakia&nbsp;killed&nbsp;one civilian and wounded several other people, state media and a war monitor reported Wednesday.

The&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;authorities do not generally comment&nbsp;on&nbsp;such reports but they have previously confirmed carrying out dozens of raids in&nbsp;Syria, mostly against Iranian assets.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-strikes-syria-after-attack-near-secretive-nuclear-site-379276">Israel strikes Syria after attack near secretive nuclear site</a>

"The&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;attack&nbsp;left one civilian dead and six wounded, including a boy and his mother," a military source quoted by the official SANA news agency said.

State media said a plastics factory was among the sites hit in the raids, which struck the towns of Hifa in&nbsp;Latakia&nbsp;and Masyaf in the neighbouring province of Hama.

Syrian air defences were activated to counter the&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;missiles, with "some shot down", the report added, without mentioning any military casualties.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 14 fighters were wounded in strikes it said targeted government and allied pro-Tehran forces at several locations.

The Britain-based war monitor, which relies&nbsp;on&nbsp;an extensive network of sources&nbsp;on&nbsp;the ground, said arms depots were also targeted in the mountains&nbsp;on&nbsp;the border between&nbsp;Latakia&nbsp;and Hama provinces.&nbsp;

Latakia&nbsp;on&nbsp;the Mediterranean coast, a bastion of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite minority, has seen relatively few&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;strikes compared with other provinces.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahus-deadline-to-form-govt-in-israel-set-to-expire-at-midnight-with-no-sign-of-progress-382760">Netanyahu's deadline to form govt in Israel set to expire at midnight with no sign of progress</a>

In September 2018, Syrian air defences accidentally shot down a plane belonging to ally Russia, killing those&nbsp;on&nbsp;board, after being activated against nearby&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;missiles.

Israel rarely confirms specific strikes in&nbsp;Syria, but its military has said it hit some 50 targets in 2020 alone.

Israel says it is trying to prevent Iran, which has been one of the Syrian government's key allies in the decade-old civil war, from gaining a permanent military foothold&nbsp;on&nbsp;its doorstep.

Thousands of Shiite militia recruited from a variety of countries but whose first allegiance is to Iran have been deployed across&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;in support of the government.

The war in&nbsp;Syria, which began when the government bloodily repressed pro-democracy demonstrations 10 years ago, has left more than 388,000 people dead.

Israeli airstrikes carried out overnight on targets in Syria's northwestern region of Latakia killed one civilian and wounded several other people, state media and a war monitor reported Wednesday.

Israeli airstrikes carried out overnight on targets in Syria's northwestern region of Latakia killed one civilian and wounded several other people, state media and a war monitor reported Wednesday. The Israeli authorities do not generally comment on such reports but they have previously confirmed carrying out dozens of raids in Syria, mostly against Iranian assets. Also read | Israel strikes Syria after attack near secretive nuclear site "The Israeli attack left one civilian dead and six wounded, including a boy and his mother," a military source quoted by the official SANA news agency said. State media said a plastics factory was among the sites hit in the raids, which struck the towns of Hifa in Latakia and Masyaf in the neighbouring province of Hama. Syrian air defences were activated to counter the Israeli missiles, with "some shot down", the report added, without mentioning any military casualties. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 14 fighters were wounded in strikes it said targeted government and allied pro-Tehran forces at several locations. The Britain-based war monitor, which relies on an extensive network of sources on the ground, said arms depots were also targeted in the mountains on the border between Latakia and Hama provinces. Latakia on the Mediterranean coast, a bastion of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite minority, has seen relatively few Israeli strikes compared with other provinces. Also read | Netanyahu's deadline to form govt in Israel set to expire at midnight with no sign of progress In September 2018, Syrian air defences accidentally shot down a plane belonging to ally Russia, killing those on board, after being activated against nearby Israeli missiles. Israel rarely confirms specific strikes in Syria, but its military has said it hit some 50 targets in 2020 alone. Israel says it is trying to prevent Iran, which has been one of the Syrian government's key allies in the decade-old civil war, from gaining a permanent military foothold on its doorstep. Thousands of Shiite militia recruited from a variety of countries but whose first allegiance is to Iran have been deployed across Syria in support of the government. The war in Syria, which began when the government bloodily repressed pro-democracy demonstrations 10 years ago, has left more than 388,000 people dead.

Israel air raid kills one in Syria coastal region: Report

Syria's constitution court on Monday cleared two candidates who will stand against President Bashar al-Assad in upcoming presidential elections in the war-torn country. One of the candidates is a former minister while the other is a member of Damascus tolerated opposition in the country.

Constitution court's president declared the candidature in a press conference broadcast.

The Assad-appointed body approved only three out of 51 applications to stand in the May 26 ballot, among them the 55-year-old president himself, widely expected to win a fouth mandate.

Abdallah Salloum Abdallah, a state minister from 2016 to 2020, had been approved to run for president.

The third candidate was named as Mahmoud Marei, a member of the so-called "tolerated opposition" long described by exiled opposition leaders as an extension of the regime.

All 48 other applications were ruled out for "failing to meet constitutional and legal requirements", the court president said without elaborating.

They have until May 7 to appeal.

Applicants needed to win support from 35 Members of Parliament each of whom was allowed to back just one candidate.

Exiled opposition members are de facto ruled out by an electoral law that stipulates candidates must have lived in Syria continuously for at least the past decade.

The election will be the second since the start of a decade-long conflict that has killed over 388,000 people and forced more than half of Syria's pre-war population from their homes.

Damascus has invited lawmakers from allied countries such Russia, Iran, China, Venezuela and Cuba to observe the electoral process.

In New York, Western members of the UN Security Council, led by the United States, France and Britain, on Wednesday rejected the outcome of the May 26 poll in advance, a position denounced by Russia as "unacceptable".

(With inputs from agencies)

Syria's constitution court on Monday cleared two candidates who will stand against President Bashar al-Assad in upcoming presidential elections in the war-torn country.

Syria's constitution court on Monday cleared two candidates who will stand against President Bashar al-Assad in upcoming presidential elections in the war-torn country. One of the candidates is a former minister while the other is a member of Damascus tolerated opposition in the country. Constitution court's president declared the candidature in a press conference broadcast. The Assad-appointed body approved only three out of 51 applications to stand in the May 26 ballot, among them the 55-year-old president himself, widely expected to win a fouth mandate. Abdallah Salloum Abdallah, a state minister from 2016 to 2020, had been approved to run for president. The third candidate was named as Mahmoud Marei, a member of the so-called "tolerated opposition" long described by exiled opposition leaders as an extension of the regime. All 48 other applications were ruled out for "failing to meet constitutional and legal requirements", the court president said without elaborating. They have until May 7 to appeal. Applicants needed to win support from 35 Members of Parliament each of whom was allowed to back just one candidate. Exiled opposition members are de facto ruled out by an electoral law that stipulates candidates must have lived in Syria continuously for at least the past decade. The election will be the second since the start of a decade-long conflict that has killed over 388,000 people and forced more than half of Syria's pre-war population from their homes. Damascus has invited lawmakers from allied countries such Russia, Iran, China, Venezuela and Cuba to observe the electoral process. In New York, Western members of the UN Security Council, led by the United States, France and Britain, on Wednesday rejected the outcome of the May 26 poll in advance, a position denounced by Russia as "unacceptable". (With inputs from agencies)

Syria: Bashar al-Assad will face two 'rivals' in presidential elections

Vaccine rollout began in the rebel-held part of northern Syria and residents received Covid vaccines on Saturday, said AFP. Authorities in Idlib and northern Aleppo received an initial batch of 53,800 AstraZeneca Covid-19 jabs on April 21, under the Covax programme for poorer nations.

In Idlib, a doctor was the first to receive the vaccine at Ibn Sina children's hospital, one of the city's biggest medical facilities.

Yasser Najib, the head of a committee running the vaccine drive, said the first doses would go to medical staff at Ibn Sina and the national hospital in Azaz, in northern Aleppo.

He said that by Monday the campaign would reach "all medical facilities, including those in the camps" on the border with Turkey, which shelter hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

Humanitarian workers are also among the first to be inoculated. This will be followed by the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

The committee said it had set up more than 90 mobile teams to administer the vaccines.

The campaign covers both areas of northwestern Syria controlled by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and border regions of northern Aleppo province held by Turkish and pro-Turkish forces.

The area, which hosts some four million people, has recorded over 21,000 cases of Covid-19 including 641 deaths.

"The aim... is to vaccinate 20 percent of the population of northwestern Syria, so around 855,000 people," said Najib.

Last month, Damascus received an initial batch of 203,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses, out of 912,000 it is set to receive for distribution in government and Kurdish-dominated parts of Syria.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization is hoping a fifth of Syria's population will be vaccinated by the end of the year.

Syria's civil war has killed more than 388,000 people and displaced millions at home and abroad since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

(With inputs from agencies)

Vaccine rollout began in the rebel-held part of northern Syria and residents received Covid vaccines on Saturday, said AFP. Authorities in Idlib and northern Aleppo received an initial batch of 53,800 AstraZeneca Covid-19 jabs on April 21, under the Covax programme for poorer nations.

Vaccine rollout began in the rebel-held part of northern Syria and residents received Covid vaccines on Saturday, said AFP. Authorities in Idlib and northern Aleppo received an initial batch of 53,800 AstraZeneca Covid-19 jabs on April 21, under the Covax programme for poorer nations. In Idlib, a doctor was the first to receive the vaccine at Ibn Sina children's hospital, one of the city's biggest medical facilities. Yasser Najib, the head of a committee running the vaccine drive, said the first doses would go to medical staff at Ibn Sina and the national hospital in Azaz, in northern Aleppo. He said that by Monday the campaign would reach "all medical facilities, including those in the camps" on the border with Turkey, which shelter hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Humanitarian workers are also among the first to be inoculated. This will be followed by the elderly and people with chronic diseases. The committee said it had set up more than 90 mobile teams to administer the vaccines. The campaign covers both areas of northwestern Syria controlled by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and border regions of northern Aleppo province held by Turkish and pro-Turkish forces. The area, which hosts some four million people, has recorded over 21,000 cases of Covid-19 including 641 deaths. "The aim... is to vaccinate 20 percent of the population of northwestern Syria, so around 855,000 people," said Najib. Last month, Damascus received an initial batch of 203,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses, out of 912,000 it is set to receive for distribution in government and Kurdish-dominated parts of Syria. The World Health Organization is hoping a fifth of Syria's population will be vaccinated by the end of the year. Syria's civil war has killed more than 388,000 people and displaced millions at home and abroad since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. (With inputs from agencies)

Residents in rebel-held northern Syria receive Covid vaccine

At least three people died when an Iranian tanker was attacked off Syria's coast Saturday, in the first assault of its kind since the war started a decade ago, a war monitor said.

"At least three Syrians were killed, including two members of the crew" in the attack that sparked a fire, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.&nbsp;

It was not clear who carried out the attack, the war monitor said. "We don't know if this was an Israeli attack," Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that "the Iranian tanker came from Iran and was not far from Banias port".

It was also not clear if a&nbsp;drone&nbsp;or a missile was used in the attack, the Observatory said.

State news agency SANA, quoting the oil ministry, said the fire erupted after "what was believed to be an attack by a&nbsp;drone&nbsp;from the direction of Lebanese waters". The flames were later extinguished.

In a report published last month that cited US and Middle East officials, the Wall Street Journal said Israel had targeted at least a dozen vessels bound for Syria and mostly carrying Iranian oil since late 2019.

Hundreds of Israeli air strikes have also struck Syria since the war began in 2011, mostly targeting Damascus regime allies from Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and Syrian government troops.

The Banias oil refinery is located in the regime-controlled coastal province of Tartus.&nbsp;"It's the first such attack on an oil tanker, but the Banias terminal has been targeted in the past," Abdel Rahman said.

Early last year, Damascus said divers had planted explosives on offshore pipelines of the Banias refinery, but the damage had not halted operations.&nbsp;And in February 2020, four oil and gas sites in the central province of Homs were attacked by armed drones, sparking fires and causing material damage.

Nuclear facility&nbsp;

Saturday's attack comes after a Syrian officer was killed and three soldiers wounded Thursday in strikes launched by Israel, after a missile was fired towards a secretive nuclear site in the Jewish state.

The Israeli army said at the time that a surface-to-air missile had been fired from Syria toward the southern Negev desert, where the Dimona nuclear reactor is located.

The exchange of fire came less than two weeks after Iran accused Israel of "terrorism" following an explosion at the Islamic republic's Natanz nuclear facility.

Israel is considered the leading military power in the Middle East, and is widely believed to possess its sole nuclear arsenal.&nbsp;It has never disclosed its atomic arsenal, but foreign experts say the Jewish state has between 100 to 300 nuclear warheads.&nbsp;

There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage on the Israeli side.

Israel has long sought to prevent bitter foe Iran from establishing itself in war-torn Syria.

Before Syria's war, the country enjoyed relative energy autonomy, but production has plummeted during the war, pushing the government to rely on importing hydrocarbons.

Western sanctions on oil shipping, as well as US punitive measures against Iran, have complicated these imports.

Pre-war production was 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in Syria.

But it stood at just 89,000 bpd in 2020, Syria's oil minister said in February, of which up to 80,000 came from Kurdish areas outside government control.

At least three people died when an Iranian tanker was attacked off Syria's coast Saturday, in the first assault of its kind since the war started a decade ago, a war monitor said.

At least three people died when an Iranian tanker was attacked off Syria's coast Saturday, in the first assault of its kind since the war started a decade ago, a war monitor said. "At least three Syrians were killed, including two members of the crew" in the attack that sparked a fire, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It was not clear who carried out the attack, the war monitor said. "We don't know if this was an Israeli attack," Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that "the Iranian tanker came from Iran and was not far from Banias port". It was also not clear if a drone or a missile was used in the attack, the Observatory said. State news agency SANA, quoting the oil ministry, said the fire erupted after "what was believed to be an attack by a drone from the direction of Lebanese waters". The flames were later extinguished. In a report published last month that cited US and Middle East officials, the Wall Street Journal said Israel had targeted at least a dozen vessels bound for Syria and mostly carrying Iranian oil since late 2019. Hundreds of Israeli air strikes have also struck Syria since the war began in 2011, mostly targeting Damascus regime allies from Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and Syrian government troops. The Banias oil refinery is located in the regime-controlled coastal province of Tartus. "It's the first such attack on an oil tanker, but the Banias terminal has been targeted in the past," Abdel Rahman said. Early last year, Damascus said divers had planted explosives on offshore pipelines of the Banias refinery, but the damage had not halted operations. And in February 2020, four oil and gas sites in the central province of Homs were attacked by armed drones, sparking fires and causing material damage. Nuclear facility Saturday's attack comes after a Syrian officer was killed and three soldiers wounded Thursday in strikes launched by Israel, after a missile was fired towards a secretive nuclear site in the Jewish state. The Israeli army said at the time that a surface-to-air missile had been fired from Syria toward the southern Negev desert, where the Dimona nuclear reactor is located. The exchange of fire came less than two weeks after Iran accused Israel of "terrorism" following an explosion at the Islamic republic's Natanz nuclear facility. Israel is considered the leading military power in the Middle East, and is widely believed to possess its sole nuclear arsenal. It has never disclosed its atomic arsenal, but foreign experts say the Jewish state has between 100 to 300 nuclear warheads. There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage on the Israeli side. Israel has long sought to prevent bitter foe Iran from establishing itself in war-torn Syria. Before Syria's war, the country enjoyed relative energy autonomy, but production has plummeted during the war, pushing the government to rely on importing hydrocarbons. Western sanctions on oil shipping, as well as US punitive measures against Iran, have complicated these imports. Pre-war production was 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in Syria. But it stood at just 89,000 bpd in 2020, Syria's oil minister said in February, of which up to 80,000 came from Kurdish areas outside government control.

Iranian Oil tanker off Syria coast hit in suspected drone attack, three Syrians killed

The Syrian government received the first batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday, a gift of 150,000 jabs to Damascus, Syrian and Chinese officials said.&nbsp;

The Chinese vaccines arrived in Damascus airport where they were received by Syria's Health Minister Hassan Ghabbash and China's ambassador to Damascus.&nbsp;

The Chinese batch comes a few days after more than 200,000 jabs were delivered to Syria through the United Nations-led platform, which provides vaccines to the needy. &nbsp;

The new jabs are likely to speed up the inoculation campaign in the war-torn country where a battered health sector has been overwhelmed by the pandemic, and where infections have been on the rise. &nbsp;

Syria was the last country in the Middle East and North Africa to receive the UN-supported jabs, the first batch arriving this week. &nbsp;

UN officials say the quantities are limited and have appealed for more funding and vaccines to help stem the spread of the virus in the country reeling from years of conflict and growing economic hardships.&nbsp;

The UN-provided AstraZeneca vaccines arrived on Wednesday and Thursday. They were part of the UN-led campaign aiming to vaccinate 20% of the country's population before the end of the year. Frontline workers, the elderly and those with chronic diseases were priority. &nbsp;

The Syrian government has registered nearly 22,000 infection cases, including over 1,500 deaths in areas under its control. &nbsp;

Ghabbash said China has been supporting Syria in the face of the pandemic, first with medical and technical expertise and now, with the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm. &nbsp;

"We appreciate this support that will enable the health ministry to fight the spread of this pandemic and to limit its health, social and economic impacts specially in those difficult times that Syria is going through," Ghabbash said at a press conference. &nbsp;

It is not clear how the Chinese vaccines will be distributed. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Syrian government received the first batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday, a gift of 150,000 jabs to Damascus, Syrian and Chinese officials said. The Chinese vaccines arrived in Damascus airport where they were received by Syria's Health Minister Hassan Ghabbash and China's ambassador to Damascus.

The Syrian government received the first batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday, a gift of 150,000 jabs to Damascus, Syrian and Chinese officials said. The Chinese vaccines arrived in Damascus airport where they were received by Syria's Health Minister Hassan Ghabbash and China's ambassador to Damascus. The Chinese batch comes a few days after more than 200,000 jabs were delivered to Syria through the United Nations-led platform, which provides vaccines to the needy. The new jabs are likely to speed up the inoculation campaign in the war-torn country where a battered health sector has been overwhelmed by the pandemic, and where infections have been on the rise. Syria was the last country in the Middle East and North Africa to receive the UN-supported jabs, the first batch arriving this week. UN officials say the quantities are limited and have appealed for more funding and vaccines to help stem the spread of the virus in the country reeling from years of conflict and growing economic hardships. The UN-provided AstraZeneca vaccines arrived on Wednesday and Thursday. They were part of the UN-led campaign aiming to vaccinate 20% of the country's population before the end of the year. Frontline workers, the elderly and those with chronic diseases were priority. The Syrian government has registered nearly 22,000 infection cases, including over 1,500 deaths in areas under its control. Ghabbash said China has been supporting Syria in the face of the pandemic, first with medical and technical expertise and now, with the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm. "We appreciate this support that will enable the health ministry to fight the spread of this pandemic and to limit its health, social and economic impacts specially in those difficult times that Syria is going through," Ghabbash said at a press conference. It is not clear how the Chinese vaccines will be distributed. (With inputs from agencies)

Syria gets donation of 150,000 COVID-19 shots from China

A government helicopter was shot down by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/syrian-army-advances-into-idlib-set-to-retake-rebel-bastion-279807">Syrian rebels</a> in the northwest, where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/250000-migrants-fleeing-from-syrias-idlib-towards-turkey-tayyip-erdogan-271660">Syrian troops</a> are fighting the last rebel stronghold. Following this was a government-sanctioned airstrike on a nearby city which reportedly killed 7 people.

Two crew members were killed when the helicopter was shot down and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-threatens-damascus-slams-moscow-over-idlib-massacre-280294">government forces</a> came closer to capturing the last rebel-held part of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria. This would extend President Bashar Assad's control over Syria for the first time since 2012.

Syrian troops have been on the offensive with support from Russia for weeks in Idlib province, where stands the last rebel stronghold. Parts of nearby Aleppo are also under fire, which has triggered a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-civilians-killed-as-syrian-government-presses-idlib-offensive-274750">humanitarian crisis</a> involving the mass displacement of 700,000 people. Reports from the UN indicate that Several hundred civilians have been killed.

Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/syrian-attack-in-idlib-kills-4-turkish-soldiers-278296">Syrian attack in Idlib kills 4 Turkish soldiers</a>

The deaths of 13 on both sides of the clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops worsened the conflict, and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-reinforces-troops-in-syrias-idlib-talks-with-russia-279554">prompted Turkey</a>, which supports the Syrian opposition, to send hundreds of vehicles into Idlib to prevent government forces from reaching the border areas with Turkey.

3.6 million Syrian refugees are currently <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-planes-pound-idlib-as-offensive-escalates-turkey-france-call-for-de-escalation-270092">situated in Turkey</a>, with more flowing into its border as the fighting continues. Backed by Turkish artillery, the fighting was concentrated near the village of Al-Nayrab as rebels reportedly tried to retake the village that they lost last week.

Insurgents shot down the government helicopter gunship, killing the two crew members on board. Followed this was an airstrike which&nbsp;reportedly killed 7 people and injured 24, half of whom were children. Syrian troops have reportedly secured the highway that links southern Syria with the northern city of Aleppo. M5, another name for the highway, is vital for the country's economy as well as for advancing reinforcements.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Syrian army advances in Idlib as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting</a>

Another victory for Assad is marked by the capture of this highway, as his forces have been progressing with leaps and bounds since 2015 with Russian airstrikes and Iran-backed fighters on the ground. Government forces have been capturing parts of the 450-kilometre highway for the past three years as it cuts through the country's four largest cities.

A government helicopter was shot down by Syrian rebels in the northwest, where Syrian troops are fighting the last rebel stronghold. Following this was a government-sanctioned airstrike on a nearby city which reportedly killed 7 people.

A government helicopter was shot down by Syrian rebels in the northwest, where Syrian troops are fighting the last rebel stronghold. Following this was a government-sanctioned airstrike on a nearby city which reportedly killed 7 people. Two crew members were killed when the helicopter was shot down and government forces came closer to capturing the last rebel-held part of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria. This would extend President Bashar Assad's control over Syria for the first time since 2012. Syrian troops have been on the offensive with support from Russia for weeks in Idlib province, where stands the last rebel stronghold. Parts of nearby Aleppo are also under fire, which has triggered a humanitarian crisis involving the mass displacement of 700,000 people. Reports from the UN indicate that Several hundred civilians have been killed. Watch: Syrian attack in Idlib kills 4 Turkish soldiers The deaths of 13 on both sides of the clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops worsened the conflict, and prompted Turkey, which supports the Syrian opposition, to send hundreds of vehicles into Idlib to prevent government forces from reaching the border areas with Turkey. 3.6 million Syrian refugees are currently situated in Turkey, with more flowing into its border as the fighting continues. Backed by Turkish artillery, the fighting was concentrated near the village of Al-Nayrab as rebels reportedly tried to retake the village that they lost last week. Insurgents shot down the government helicopter gunship, killing the two crew members on board. Followed this was an airstrike which reportedly killed 7 people and injured 24, half of whom were children. Syrian troops have reportedly secured the highway that links southern Syria with the northern city of Aleppo. M5, another name for the highway, is vital for the country's economy as well as for advancing reinforcements. Also Read: Syrian army advances in Idlib as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting Another victory for Assad is marked by the capture of this highway, as his forces have been progressing with leaps and bounds since 2015 with Russian airstrikes and Iran-backed fighters on the ground. Government forces have been capturing parts of the 450-kilometre highway for the past three years as it cuts through the country's four largest cities.

Syrian insurgents shot down government helicopter; airstrikes on Idlib followed

A Syrian officer was killed and three soldiers wounded Thursday in strikes launched by Israel after a missile was fired towards a secretive nuclear site in the Jewish state, a monitor said.

A Syrian officer was killed and three soldiers wounded Thursday in strikes launched by Israel after a missile was fired towards a secretive nuclear site in the Jewish state, a monitor said. Since the outbreak of Syria's civil war in 2011, Israel has routinely carried out aerial raids on the country, mostly targeting Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces as well as government troops. Also Read | Encrypted chat app Signal alleges flaws in Israeli surveillance provider Cellebrite's equipment Its latest salvo was launched in the early hours of Thursday after a missile was fired from Syria towards southern Israel, where the Dimona nuclear reactor is located. Sirens sounded in Abu Qrenat, a Bedouin village not far from the nuclear site, the Israeli military said, before it responded by striking multiple defence batteries across the border. The exchange of fire comes less than two weeks after Iran accused its arch-foe Israel of "terrorism" following an explosion at the Islamic republic's Natanz nuclear facility. "A surface-to-air missile was fired from Syria to Israel's southern Negev," the Israel Defense Forces tweeted. "In response, we struck the battery from which the missile was launched and additional surface-to-air batteries in Syria." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the Israeli retaliatory strikes killed a Syrian officer and seriously wounded three soldiers. "An officer with the rank of a lieutenant in the regime's forces was killed in the Israeli bombardments... targeting an air defence base in the Dmeir region east of the capital," it said. Syrian state news agency SANA said the Israeli fire came from the Golan Heights and was targeted "towards positions in the vicinity of Damascus". The strikes destroyed air defence batteries, the Observatory said. The Dmeir area, roughly 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of the Syrian capital, is believed to be home to weapons depots belonging to militias loyal to Iran, it added. SANA reported "some material losses" but said Syrian air defence batteries intercepted most of the missiles. Israel is considered the leading military power in the Middle East and is widely believed to possess its sole nuclear arsenal. It has never disclosed its atomic arsenal, but foreign experts say the Jewish state has between 100 to 300 nuclear warheads. There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage on the Israeli side. Nuclear Facility Israel is investigating its response to the incoming projectile. The army said an initial probe showed it did not intercept the surface-to-air missile. Israeli troops examined fragments of an exploded missile that reached the community of Ashalim, some 40 kilometres (45 miles) from Dimona. Soldiers were still searching for more pieces of the projectile in the late morning. Israel has long sought to prevent bitter foe Iran from establishing itself in war-torn Syria. Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system has thwarted hundreds of attacks from Syria and the Gaza Strip in the past decade. The Israeli army has carried out hundreds of strikes on its war-battered northern neighbour, but it has rarely publicly acknowledged them. The missile launch comes as tensions run high between Israel and Iran, which had vowed to avenge the April 11 attack of its Natanz uranium enrichment plant. Iran accused Israel of being behind the explosion that hit Natanz's electricity distribution. Israel did not claim responsibility for the incident, but unsourced media reports in the country attributed it to the Israeli security services carrying out a "cyber operation". The New York Times, quoting unnamed US and Israeli intelligence officials, said there had been "an Israeli role" in the attack. Israel strongly opposes a landmark 2015 agreement that gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its suspect nuclear programme. US President Joe Biden's administration is trying to revive the accord, which has been in tatters since his predecessor Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018. Israel says Iran is trying to build an atomic bomb, though the Islamic republic says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

Israel strikes Syria after attack near secretive nuclear site

A Syrian missile exploded in southern Israel. The incident triggered warning sirens near the secretive Dimona nuclear reactor.

Syrian missile lands near Israel's nuclear reactor

The Syrian government received more than 200,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine via the Covax programme Thursday, state media said, in the first such shipment to government-held territory. The delivery comes as Syria's war-ravaged medical sector grapples with a Covid-19 outbreak that has accelerated rapidly in recent months.

The health ministry "received the first batch of vaccines provided by the Covax platform, which consist of 203,000 doses," the official SANA news agency said. On Wednesday, the war-torn northwest of the country had received 53,800 AstraZeneca doses from Covax, the first such delivery to the country's last major opposition bastion. Covax is jointly led by the public-private alliance Gavi, the World HealthOrganization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. It has already sent vaccine doses to more than 100 countries and territories worldwide. In a joint statement, Gavi, WHO and the UN's agency for children UNICEF said Thursday's vaccine delivery marked "a great day of hope."

"The imminent roll-out of the vaccines will bring protection to health workers, who continue their lifesaving work amid the pandemic," the statement said. In recent weeks, the Syrian government has repeatedly sounded the alarm over soaring coronavirus rates. In mid-March, intensive care units dedicated to Covid-19 patients in Damascus hospitals reached full capacity, according to the health ministry. Thursday's delivery "gives hope for the people in Syria, whose lives have been shattered by a decade of conflict and the devastating impact of the pandemic," said WHO's Syria representative, Akjemal Magtymova.

According to the WHO, 912,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been earmarked for Syria in the first phase of vaccination in regime-controlled and semi-autonomous Kurdish areas. The aim is to vaccinate 20 per cent of the population by year's end. "Every health worker who will get vaccinated will be better protected to attend to children and families' health needs," said Bo Viktor Nylund, UNICEF's Syria representative. Officially, government-controlled territories have recorded more than 21,500 Covid-19 cases, including 1,483 deaths. But the real number of cases could be much higher, according to the UN, mostly due to limited testing.

The Syrian government received more than 200,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine via the Covax programme Thursday, state media said, in the first such shipment to government-held territory.

The Syrian government received more than 200,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine via the Covax programme Thursday, state media said, in the first such shipment to government-held territory. The delivery comes as Syria's war-ravaged medical sector grapples with a Covid-19 outbreak that has accelerated rapidly in recent months. The health ministry "received the first batch of vaccines provided by the Covax platform, which consist of 203,000 doses," the official SANA news agency said. On Wednesday, the war-torn northwest of the country had received 53,800 AstraZeneca doses from Covax, the first such delivery to the country's last major opposition bastion. Covax is jointly led by the public-private alliance Gavi, the World HealthOrganization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. It has already sent vaccine doses to more than 100 countries and territories worldwide. In a joint statement, Gavi, WHO and the UN's agency for children UNICEF said Thursday's vaccine delivery marked "a great day of hope." "The imminent roll-out of the vaccines will bring protection to health workers, who continue their lifesaving work amid the pandemic," the statement said. In recent weeks, the Syrian government has repeatedly sounded the alarm over soaring coronavirus rates. In mid-March, intensive care units dedicated to Covid-19 patients in Damascus hospitals reached full capacity, according to the health ministry. Thursday's delivery "gives hope for the people in Syria, whose lives have been shattered by a decade of conflict and the devastating impact of the pandemic," said WHO's Syria representative, Akjemal Magtymova. According to the WHO, 912,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been earmarked for Syria in the first phase of vaccination in regime-controlled and semi-autonomous Kurdish areas. The aim is to vaccinate 20 per cent of the population by year's end. "Every health worker who will get vaccinated will be better protected to attend to children and families' health needs," said Bo Viktor Nylund, UNICEF's Syria representative. Officially, government-controlled territories have recorded more than 21,500 Covid-19 cases, including 1,483 deaths. But the real number of cases could be much higher, according to the UN, mostly due to limited testing.

Syria government receives first Covax jabs

Syria was found to have used poison gas during its civil war on multiple occasions by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Wednesday.

Due to this, the country has been stripped of its voting rights by member states of the chemical weapons watchdog, immediately revoking the country’s privileges. 46 out of the 193 member countries initiated the proposal on the OPCW’s governing body - the Conference of State Parties which includes countries like United States, France, and Britain.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/chemical-weapons-watchdog-weighs-imposing-sanctions-on-syria-378833" hreflang="en">Chemical weapons watchdog weighs imposing sanctions on Syria</a>

The proposal was passed by 87 votes in favour and 15 against, effectively fulfilling the necessary two-thirds majority of votes. 34 countries were absent during the voting out of the 136 countries that took part. Russia, Syria, and Iran were among the countries to vote against the move.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/ngos-file-case-in-sweden-over-syrian-chemical-attacks-378845" hreflang="en">NGOs file case in Sweden over Syrian chemical attacks &nbsp;</a>

The 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits the use of all chemicals on the battlefield. Investigations undertaken by the United Nations and the OPCW’s Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) found that the Syrian government used sarin, a nerve agent and chlorine barrel bombs in attacks that took place between 2015-2018.&nbsp;

The attacks reportedly killed and injured thousands. Along with its ally Russia, Syria has denied using chemical weapons during the war.

(With inputs from agencies)

Syria was found to have used poison gas during its civil war on multiple occasions by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Wednesday.

Syria was found to have used poison gas during its civil war on multiple occasions by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Wednesday. Due to this, the country has been stripped of its voting rights by member states of the chemical weapons watchdog, immediately revoking the country’s privileges. 46 out of the 193 member countries initiated the proposal on the OPCW’s governing body - the Conference of State Parties which includes countries like United States, France, and Britain. Also read: Chemical weapons watchdog weighs imposing sanctions on Syria The proposal was passed by 87 votes in favour and 15 against, effectively fulfilling the necessary two-thirds majority of votes. 34 countries were absent during the voting out of the 136 countries that took part. Russia, Syria, and Iran were among the countries to vote against the move. Also read: NGOs file case in Sweden over Syrian chemical attacks The 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits the use of all chemicals on the battlefield. Investigations undertaken by the United Nations and the OPCW’s Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) found that the Syrian government used sarin, a nerve agent and chlorine barrel bombs in attacks that took place between 2015-2018. The attacks reportedly killed and injured thousands. Along with its ally Russia, Syria has denied using chemical weapons during the war. (With inputs from agencies)

Watchdog suspends Syria's rights over usage of chemical weapons during civil war

Four NGOs announced on Monday they have filed a criminal complaint in Sweden against members of the Syrian regime, including President Bashar al-Assad, over chemical weapons attacks in 2013 and 2017. &nbsp;

In the complaint filed with Swedish police, the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), Civil Rights Defenders, Syrian Archive (SA) and the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) accuse the Damascus regime of chemical attacks using sarin gas, in Khan Shaykhun in 2017 and Ghouta in 2013.&nbsp;

Sarin gas is illegal under the international Chemicals Weapons Convention. &nbsp;

The complaint includes testimonies from victims and survivors of the attacks as well as "hundreds of documentary evidence items, including photos and videos," and analysis of the Syrian military command structure. &nbsp;

"Ultimately, the purpose of the complaint is that those responsible for these chemical weapons attacks be brought to justice"," Aida Samani, legal adviser at Civil Rights Defenders, told AFP. &nbsp;

"What we are hoping for is that they will open an investigation... and detain those suspected of these acts in their absence," Samani added. &nbsp;

Samani explained that such a decision would mean Swedish prosecutors could issue a European arrest warrant to apprehend the suspects should they enter Europe. &nbsp;

According to a summary of the complaint reviewed by AFP, over a dozen individuals were named as suspected perpetrators, including President Bashar al-Assad in both cases. &nbsp;

Syrian Defence Minister Ali Abdullah Ayyoub was linked to the Khan Shaykhun attack and Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher Al-Assad was linked to the Ghouta attack. &nbsp;

Other high-ranking members of the regime and Syrian military, as well as military personnel believed to be directly involved in the attacks, were listed. &nbsp;

Four NGOs announced on Monday they have filed a criminal complaint in Sweden against members of the Syrian regime, including President Bashar al-Assad, over chemical weapons attacks in 2013 and 2017.

Four NGOs announced on Monday they have filed a criminal complaint in Sweden against members of the Syrian regime, including President Bashar al-Assad, over chemical weapons attacks in 2013 and 2017. In the complaint filed with Swedish police, the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), Civil Rights Defenders, Syrian Archive (SA) and the Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) accuse the Damascus regime of chemical attacks using sarin gas, in Khan Shaykhun in 2017 and Ghouta in 2013. Sarin gas is illegal under the international Chemicals Weapons Convention. The complaint includes testimonies from victims and survivors of the attacks as well as "hundreds of documentary evidence items, including photos and videos," and analysis of the Syrian military command structure. "Ultimately, the purpose of the complaint is that those responsible for these chemical weapons attacks be brought to justice"," Aida Samani, legal adviser at Civil Rights Defenders, told AFP. "What we are hoping for is that they will open an investigation... and detain those suspected of these acts in their absence," Samani added. Samani explained that such a decision would mean Swedish prosecutors could issue a European arrest warrant to apprehend the suspects should they enter Europe. According to a summary of the complaint reviewed by AFP, over a dozen individuals were named as suspected perpetrators, including President Bashar al-Assad in both cases. Syrian Defence Minister Ali Abdullah Ayyoub was linked to the Khan Shaykhun attack and Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher Al-Assad was linked to the Ghouta attack. Other high-ranking members of the regime and Syrian military, as well as military personnel believed to be directly involved in the attacks, were listed.

NGOs file case in Sweden over Syrian chemical attacks  

World powers urged the global chemical weapons watchdog on Tuesday to hit Syria with unprecedented sanctions for alleged toxic gas attacks and for failing to declare its arsenal.&nbsp;

Syria faces the loss of its 'rights and privileges' at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) after a probe found it had carried out three attacks in 2017.&nbsp;

The regulator's 193 member states are expected to vote on Wednesday on a proposal by France, backed by 46 countries, that would include freezing Syria's voting rights at the Netherlands-based body.&nbsp;

Syria and its ally Russia dismissed the sanctions threat, accusing Western powers of using the Hague-based OPCW as a 'propaganda tool' to undermine Damascus in its ten-year civil war.&nbsp;

"We cannot let this tragedy go on for another decade," French OPCW ambassador Luis Vassy told the watchdog.&nbsp;

"We find ourselves in an exceptional situation, which demands that we take action accordingly."&nbsp;

It would be the first time a country had faced such punishment in the history of the OPCW, which was founded nearly a quarter of a century ago to rid the world of chemical weapons.&nbsp;

The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed in 2013 to join the OPCW and give up all chemical weapons, following a suspected sarin nerve gas attack that killed 1,400 people in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta.&nbsp;

But an OPCW investigation found in April last year that the Syrian air force was responsible for three attacks on the village of Lataminah in 2017 using sarin and chlorine gas.&nbsp;

Damascus then failed to adhere to a 90-day deadline to declare the weapons used in the attacks, reveal its remaining stocks and comply with OPCW inspections.&nbsp;

France in response submitted the motion calling for Syria to be punished.&nbsp;

Pressure mounted on Damascus last week after a second OPCW investigation found a Syrian helicopter dropped a chlorine bomb on the rebel-held town of Saraqib in 2018.&nbsp;

OPCW Director General Fernando Arias said on Tuesday that Syria's responses to questions about its chemical weapons still "cannot be considered accurate and complete" despite years of inspections.&nbsp;

In the most recent example, the OPCW had opened a new inquiry after Damascus gave "insufficient" explanations for the discovery of chemicals in September 2020 at a site where it had denied making toxic arms.&nbsp;

The UN recently said Damascus has for years not replied to a series of 19 questions about its weapons installations.&nbsp;

World powers urged the global chemical weapons watchdog on Tuesday to hit Syria with unprecedented sanctions for alleged toxic gas attacks and for failing to declare its arsenal.

World powers urged the global chemical weapons watchdog on Tuesday to hit Syria with unprecedented sanctions for alleged toxic gas attacks and for failing to declare its arsenal. Syria faces the loss of its 'rights and privileges' at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) after a probe found it had carried out three attacks in 2017. The regulator's 193 member states are expected to vote on Wednesday on a proposal by France, backed by 46 countries, that would include freezing Syria's voting rights at the Netherlands-based body. Syria and its ally Russia dismissed the sanctions threat, accusing Western powers of using the Hague-based OPCW as a 'propaganda tool' to undermine Damascus in its ten-year civil war. "We cannot let this tragedy go on for another decade," French OPCW ambassador Luis Vassy told the watchdog. "We find ourselves in an exceptional situation, which demands that we take action accordingly." It would be the first time a country had faced such punishment in the history of the OPCW, which was founded nearly a quarter of a century ago to rid the world of chemical weapons. The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed in 2013 to join the OPCW and give up all chemical weapons, following a suspected sarin nerve gas attack that killed 1,400 people in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. But an OPCW investigation found in April last year that the Syrian air force was responsible for three attacks on the village of Lataminah in 2017 using sarin and chlorine gas. Damascus then failed to adhere to a 90-day deadline to declare the weapons used in the attacks, reveal its remaining stocks and comply with OPCW inspections. France in response submitted the motion calling for Syria to be punished. Pressure mounted on Damascus last week after a second OPCW investigation found a Syrian helicopter dropped a chlorine bomb on the rebel-held town of Saraqib in 2018. OPCW Director General Fernando Arias said on Tuesday that Syria's responses to questions about its chemical weapons still "cannot be considered accurate and complete" despite years of inspections. In the most recent example, the OPCW had opened a new inquiry after Damascus gave "insufficient" explanations for the discovery of chemicals in September 2020 at a site where it had denied making toxic arms. The UN recently said Damascus has for years not replied to a series of 19 questions about its weapons installations.

Chemical weapons watchdog weighs Syria sanctions 

World powers urged the global chemical weapons watchdog on Tuesday to hit Syria with unprecedented sanctions for alleged toxic gas attacks and for failing to declare its arsenal. 
 
Syria faces the loss of its "rights and privileges" at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) after a probe found it had carried out three attacks in 2017. 
 
The regulator's 193 member states are expected to vote on Wednesday on a proposal by France, backed by 46 countries, that would include freezing Syria's voting rights at the Netherlands-based body. 
 
Syria and its ally Russia dismissed the sanctions threat, accusing Western powers of using the Hague-based OPCW as a "propaganda tool" to undermine Damascus in its ten-year civil war. 
 
"We cannot let this tragedy go on for another decade," French OPCW ambassador Luis Vassy told the watchdog. 
 
"We find ourselves in an exceptional situation, which demands that we take action accordingly." 
 
It would be the first time a country had faced such punishment in the history of the OPCW, which was founded nearly a quarter of a century ago to rid the world of chemical weapons.

Sarin and chlorine 
The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed in 2013 to join the OPCW and give up all chemical weapons, following a suspected sarin nerve gas attack that killed 1,400 people in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. 
 
But an OPCW investigation found in April last year that the Syrian air force was responsible for three attacks on the village of Lataminah in 2017 using sarin and chlorine gas. 
 
Damascus then failed to adhere to a 90-day deadline to declare the weapons used in the attacks, reveal its remaining stocks and comply with OPCW inspections. 
 
France in response submitted the motion calling for Syria to be punished. 
 
Pressure mounted on Damascus last week after a second OPCW investigation found a Syrian helicopter dropped a chlorine bomb on the rebel-held town of Saraqib in 2018. 
 
OPCW Director General Fernando Arias said on Tuesday that Syria's responses to questions about its chemical weapons still "cannot be considered accurate and complete" despite years of inspections. 
 
In the most recent example, the OPCW had opened a new inquiry after Damascus gave "insufficient" explanations for the discovery of chemicals in September 2020 at a site where it had denied making toxic arms. 
 
The UN recently said Damascus has for years not replied to a series of 19 questions about its weapons installations.

'Hostile agenda' 
Syria slammed the "pompous" French statement, likening the situation to the false allegations about weapons of mass destruction before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. 
 
"We deny that we have ever used toxic gases," Syria's OPCW ambassador Rania Alrifaiy said. 
 
"I call on you to vote no, to reject the hostile agenda against Syria," she said. 
 
Russia also rejected the move to punish its ally. 
 
"This is very serious. We've never had this kind of a case before where a state party was deprived of their privileges and rights," Russian ambassador Alexander Shulgin said. 
 
France however said countries should not be "duped" by claims that Syria would be frozen out of the OPCW, and that Syria would still be able to speak there even though it could not vote. 
 
Moscow and Damascus allege the OPCW has become "politicised", especially since it gained new powers in 2018 to identify the perpetrators of attacks. Previously it could only say whether or not chemical arms had been used. 
 
Russia meanwhile also faces pressure at the OPCW over last year's Novichok nerve agent poisoning of opposition figure Alexei Navalny. 
 
The OPCW has been a backdrop for growing tensions between Russia and the West, with the Netherlands in 2018 expelling four alleged Russian spies whom it accused of trying to hack the watchdog's computers. 
 
The organisation won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its work in destroying the world's stocks of chemical weapons.

World powers urged the global chemical weapons watchdog on Tuesday to hit Syria with unprecedented sanctions for alleged toxic gas attacks and for failing to declare its arsenal. Syria faces the loss of its "rights and privileges" at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) after a probe found it had carried out three attacks in 2017. The regulator's 193 member states are expected to vote on Wednesday on a proposal by France, backed by 46 countries, that would include freezing Syria's voting rights at the Netherlands-based body. Syria and its ally Russia dismissed the sanctions threat, accusing Western powers of using the Hague-based OPCW as a "propaganda tool" to undermine Damascus in its ten-year civil war. "We cannot let this tragedy go on for another decade," French OPCW ambassador Luis Vassy told the watchdog. "We find ourselves in an exceptional situation, which demands that we take action accordingly." It would be the first time a country had faced such punishment in the history of the OPCW, which was founded nearly a quarter of a century ago to rid the world of chemical weapons. Sarin and chlorine The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed in 2013 to join the OPCW and give up all chemical weapons, following a suspected sarin nerve gas attack that killed 1,400 people in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. But an OPCW investigation found in April last year that the Syrian air force was responsible for three attacks on the village of Lataminah in 2017 using sarin and chlorine gas. Damascus then failed to adhere to a 90-day deadline to declare the weapons used in the attacks, reveal its remaining stocks and comply with OPCW inspections. France in response submitted the motion calling for Syria to be punished. Pressure mounted on Damascus last week after a second OPCW investigation found a Syrian helicopter dropped a chlorine bomb on the rebel-held town of Saraqib in 2018. OPCW Director General Fernando Arias said on Tuesday that Syria's responses to questions about its chemical weapons still "cannot be considered accurate and complete" despite years of inspections. In the most recent example, the OPCW had opened a new inquiry after Damascus gave "insufficient" explanations for the discovery of chemicals in September 2020 at a site where it had denied making toxic arms. The UN recently said Damascus has for years not replied to a series of 19 questions about its weapons installations. 'Hostile agenda' Syria slammed the "pompous" French statement, likening the situation to the false allegations about weapons of mass destruction before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. "We deny that we have ever used toxic gases," Syria's OPCW ambassador Rania Alrifaiy said. "I call on you to vote no, to reject the hostile agenda against Syria," she said. Russia also rejected the move to punish its ally. "This is very serious. We've never had this kind of a case before where a state party was deprived of their privileges and rights," Russian ambassador Alexander Shulgin said. France however said countries should not be "duped" by claims that Syria would be frozen out of the OPCW, and that Syria would still be able to speak there even though it could not vote. Moscow and Damascus allege the OPCW has become "politicised", especially since it gained new powers in 2018 to identify the perpetrators of attacks. Previously it could only say whether or not chemical arms had been used. Russia meanwhile also faces pressure at the OPCW over last year's Novichok nerve agent poisoning of opposition figure Alexei Navalny. The OPCW has been a backdrop for growing tensions between Russia and the West, with the Netherlands in 2018 expelling four alleged Russian spies whom it accused of trying to hack the watchdog's computers. The organisation won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its work in destroying the world's stocks of chemical weapons.

Chemical weapons watchdog weighs imposing sanctions on Syria

Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria on Sunday handed over 34 orphaned children, whose parents were suspected of belonging to the Islamic State group, to a Russian delegation to be repatriated.

An AFP correspondent in the city of Qamishli said the children aged between three and 14 were handed over to a delegation headed by the Russian president's envoy for children's rights, Anna Kuznetsova.

Moscow has now repatriated at least 169 such children, Fener al-Kait of the Syrian Kurds' foreign affairs department told AFP on the sidelines of a handover ceremony.

He said other departures to the Russian Federation of orphaned children would follow from northeast Syria.

Moscow has also been repatriating children abandoned in Iraq since the collapse of the jihadists' "caliphate" straddling both Arab states.

Syria's Kurds have repeatedly urged the international community to repatriate foreign nationals held in crowded camps in northeast Syria.

Their calls have largely fallen on deaf ears with only limited numbers, mostly children, allowed to return home so far.

Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria on Sunday handed over 34 orphaned children, whose parents were suspected of belonging to the Islamic State group, to a Russian delegation to be repatriated.

Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria on Sunday handed over 34 orphaned children, whose parents were suspected of belonging to the Islamic State group, to a Russian delegation to be repatriated. An AFP correspondent in the city of Qamishli said the children aged between three and 14 were handed over to a delegation headed by the Russian president's envoy for children's rights, Anna Kuznetsova. Moscow has now repatriated at least 169 such children, Fener al-Kait of the Syrian Kurds' foreign affairs department told AFP on the sidelines of a handover ceremony. He said other departures to the Russian Federation of orphaned children would follow from northeast Syria. Moscow has also been repatriating children abandoned in Iraq since the collapse of the jihadists' "caliphate" straddling both Arab states. Syria's Kurds have repeatedly urged the international community to repatriate foreign nationals held in crowded camps in northeast Syria. Their calls have largely fallen on deaf ears with only limited numbers, mostly children, allowed to return home so far.

Russia repatriates 34 orphans of IS families from Syria

Civil war-hit Syria will hold a presidential election on May 26, speaker of the parliament announced on Sunday. This will be Syria's second presidential election in the shadow of the war. It is being seen as likely that President Bashar Al-Assad will stay in power.

Hamouda Sabbagh, speaker of the parliament, said in a statement that Syrians abroad will be "able to vote at embassies". He added that prospective candidates could hand in their applications from Monday.

Assad, who took power following the death of his father Hafez in 2000, has not yet officially announced that he will stand for re-election.

He won a previous election three years into Syria's devastating civil war in 2014, with 88 percent of the vote. 
Under Syria's 2012 constitution, a president may only serve two seven-year terms -- with the exception of the president elected in the 2014 poll.

Candidates contesting upcoming elections must have continuously lived in Syria for at least 10 years. This means that opposition figures in exile are barred from standing.

Candidates must also have the backing of at least 35 members of the parliament, which is dominated by Assad's Baath party.

Elections this time have come after Russian-backed Syrian government forces recaptured vital northern city of Aleppo and other areas. This has placed the government in control of two-thirds of the country.

But the poll also comes amid a crushing economic crisis.

The decade-long civil war has left at least 388,000 people dead and half of the population displaced.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Civil war-hit Syria will hold a presidential election on May 26, speaker of the parliament announced on Sunday. This will be Syria's second presidential election in the shadow of the war.

Civil war-hit Syria will hold a presidential election on May 26, speaker of the parliament announced on Sunday. This will be Syria's second presidential election in the shadow of the war. It is being seen as likely that President Bashar Al-Assad will stay in power. Hamouda Sabbagh, speaker of the parliament, said in a statement that Syrians abroad will be "able to vote at embassies". He added that prospective candidates could hand in their applications from Monday. Assad, who took power following the death of his father Hafez in 2000, has not yet officially announced that he will stand for re-election. He won a previous election three years into Syria's devastating civil war in 2014, with 88 percent of the vote. Under Syria's 2012 constitution, a president may only serve two seven-year terms -- with the exception of the president elected in the 2014 poll. Candidates contesting upcoming elections must have continuously lived in Syria for at least 10 years. This means that opposition figures in exile are barred from standing. Candidates must also have the backing of at least 35 members of the parliament, which is dominated by Assad's Baath party. Elections this time have come after Russian-backed Syrian government forces recaptured vital northern city of Aleppo and other areas. This has placed the government in control of two-thirds of the country. But the poll also comes amid a crushing economic crisis. The decade-long civil war has left at least 388,000 people dead and half of the population displaced. (With inputs from agencies)

Syria to hold presidential election on May 26, says parliament speaker

The global chemical weapons watchdog has 'reasonable grounds to believe' that Syria's air force dropped a chlorine bomb on a residential neighbourhood in the rebel-controlled Idlib region in February 2018, a report released on Monday said.&nbsp;

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government. Syria and its military ally Russia have consistently denied using chemical weapons during President Bashar al-Assad's decade-old conflict with rebel forces, saying any such attacks were staged by opponents to make Damascus look like the culprit.&nbsp;

The new report by the OPCW chemical weapons watchdog's investigative arm said no one was killed when the cylinder of chlorine gas, delivered in a barrel bomb, hit the Al Talil neighbourhood in the city of Saraqib in February 2018.&nbsp;

However, a dozen people were treated for symptoms consistent with chemical poisoning, including nausea, eye irritation, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, it said.&nbsp;

Chlorine is not an internationally banned toxin, but the use of any chemical substance in armed conflict is banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, the implementation of which is overseen by the OPCW watchdog based in The Hague.&nbsp;

A crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators by Assad in 2011 mushroomed into civil war, with Russia and Iran supporting his government and the United States, Turkey and some Arab adversaries of Damascus backing some of the many rebel groups. &nbsp;

In April 2020, the OPCW's Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) concluded that Syrian warplanes and a helicopter had dropped bombs containing chlorine and sarin nerve gas on a village in Syria's Hama region in March 2017.&nbsp;

The latest report by the IIT also implicated Syrian government forces. It concluded that "there were reasonable grounds to believe that at least one cylinder filled with chlorine was dropped from a helicopter of the Syrian Arab Air Forces, belonging to the Tiger Forces."&nbsp;

The Tiger Forces are an elite Syrian military unit generally used in offensive operations in the war, which has largely subsided with Assad having wrested back most territory with crucial Russian and Iranian support.&nbsp;

"All elements indicated the presence of Tiger Forces in the vicinity of Saraqib. They found that a helicopter was just flying above the bombed area at the moment of the gas release," a summary of the OPCW report said.&nbsp;

It said that samples collected from the scene were examined and other possible means of chlorine contamination considered, but the OPCW team said nothing was found to indicate that the incident was staged by Assad's adversaries.&nbsp;

The team identified individuals believed to be involved in the alleged attack but did not release them.&nbsp;

Between 2015 and 2017, a joint United Nations-OPCW team known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) found that Syrian government troops had used the nerve agent sarin and chlorine barrel bombs on several occasions, while Islamic State militants were found to have used mustard gas.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The global chemical weapons watchdog has 'reasonable grounds to believe' that Syria's air force dropped a chlorine bomb on a residential neighbourhood in the rebel-controlled Idlib region in February 2018, a report released on Monday said.

The global chemical weapons watchdog has 'reasonable grounds to believe' that Syria's air force dropped a chlorine bomb on a residential neighbourhood in the rebel-controlled Idlib region in February 2018, a report released on Monday said. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government. Syria and its military ally Russia have consistently denied using chemical weapons during President Bashar al-Assad's decade-old conflict with rebel forces, saying any such attacks were staged by opponents to make Damascus look like the culprit. The new report by the OPCW chemical weapons watchdog's investigative arm said no one was killed when the cylinder of chlorine gas, delivered in a barrel bomb, hit the Al Talil neighbourhood in the city of Saraqib in February 2018. However, a dozen people were treated for symptoms consistent with chemical poisoning, including nausea, eye irritation, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, it said. Chlorine is not an internationally banned toxin, but the use of any chemical substance in armed conflict is banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, the implementation of which is overseen by the OPCW watchdog based in The Hague. A crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators by Assad in 2011 mushroomed into civil war, with Russia and Iran supporting his government and the United States, Turkey and some Arab adversaries of Damascus backing some of the many rebel groups. In April 2020, the OPCW's Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) concluded that Syrian warplanes and a helicopter had dropped bombs containing chlorine and sarin nerve gas on a village in Syria's Hama region in March 2017. The latest report by the IIT also implicated Syrian government forces. It concluded that "there were reasonable grounds to believe that at least one cylinder filled with chlorine was dropped from a helicopter of the Syrian Arab Air Forces, belonging to the Tiger Forces." The Tiger Forces are an elite Syrian military unit generally used in offensive operations in the war, which has largely subsided with Assad having wrested back most territory with crucial Russian and Iranian support. "All elements indicated the presence of Tiger Forces in the vicinity of Saraqib. They found that a helicopter was just flying above the bombed area at the moment of the gas release," a summary of the OPCW report said. It said that samples collected from the scene were examined and other possible means of chlorine contamination considered, but the OPCW team said nothing was found to indicate that the incident was staged by Assad's adversaries. The team identified individuals believed to be involved in the alleged attack but did not release them. Between 2015 and 2017, a joint United Nations-OPCW team known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) found that Syrian government troops had used the nerve agent sarin and chlorine barrel bombs on several occasions, while Islamic State militants were found to have used mustard gas. (With inputs from agencies)

Syrian air force may have dropped chlorine bomb on town in rebel area in 2018, says watchdog 

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