Syrian prisoner release deal breaks deadlock on Ghouta medical evacuations

Children are seen in an ambulance during medical evacuation from the besieged town of Douma, eastern Ghouta to Damascus late on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Updated 28 December 2017
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Syrian prisoner release deal breaks deadlock on Ghouta medical evacuations

GENEVA/BEIRUT: Months of deadlock over medical evacuations from Syria’s biggest remaining siege broke late on Tuesday when a deal between Damascus and a rebel faction allowed the Red Crescent to evacuate a handful of critically ill patients.
Four patients were evacuated from eastern Ghouta, where almost 400,000 people have been under siege by regime forces since 2013, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said in a statement. The evacuees were taken to hospitals in Damascus.
The enclave is a densely populated pocket of satellite towns and farms and the only major rebel stronghold near the capital Damascus.
The Jaish Al-Islam group in Eastern Ghouta said it was releasing 29 detainees. In return, the government is allowing the evacuation of 29 of the most critical cases.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had facilitated the deal, which came two months after the UN asked Assad’s government to allow the urgent evacuation of the 29 patients. The operation was still in a very early phase, it said.
“Happy that our negotiations reached this important goal. This is a signal of hope for the future Syria,” Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of the Red Cross, wrote in a tweet.
Deputy Reconciliation Minister Ahmed Mounir said a deal was struck for a number of sick people to leave eastern Ghouta in return for the release of what he called kidnapped people. The number of people involved could increase, he said on television.
A Jaish Al-Islam political official in Ghouta said the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) mediated between Damascus and the rebels for the swap.
“We worked to get them out through the Red Crescent, and we are working on evacuating the rest of the nearly 500 cases out,” said Yasser Delwan. But there was no indication of whether more evacuations would be allowed, he added.
The UN has pleaded for the government to allow evacuation of around 500 patients, including children with cancer, and has said there was no excuse for not permitting their evacuation to go ahead.
Residents and aid workers said the government has tightened the siege in recent months in what they called a deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war, a charge the government denies.
On Sunday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was working with Russia, Assad’s ally, on the evacuations.
The number of people needing urgent evacuation has shrunk because they keep dying while waiting for help, the UN has said. It has a priority list of 494 patients, while SAMS put the number of critical cases at 641, and said 17 had already died.
The remainder of the 29 patients included in the deal would be evacuated over the coming days, said SAMS, a nonprofit that supports hospitals mostly in opposition areas.
“The list includes 18 children and 4 women suffering from heart disease, cancer, kidney failure, and blood diseases, in addition to cases requiring advanced surgery that are not available in the besieged area,” it said.


Airstrikes target Yemen’s Sanaa after Houthi attack targets Israel

Updated 20 min 48 sec ago
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Airstrikes target Yemen’s Sanaa after Houthi attack targets Israel

DUBAI: A series of intense airstrikes shook Yemen’s Houthi-held capital early Thursday, shortly after a Houthi missile targeted central Israel.
It wasn’t immediately clear who launched the strikes on Sanaa, which the Houthis have held for over a decade.
American forces have launched a series of strikes on the Houthis over nearly a year due to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor. US military officials did not acknowledge a request for comment.
The strikes happened just after the Israeli military said its air force intercepted a missile launched from Yemen before it entered the country’s territory.
“Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling debris from the interception,” the Israeli military said.


‘Common Ground’ festival celebrates parallels of Saudi and Iraqi cultures

Updated 46 sec ago
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‘Common Ground’ festival celebrates parallels of Saudi and Iraqi cultures

  • The festival showcases the identity and culture of Saudi Arabia and Iraq through a variety of activities, including art, music and folklore

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s culture ministry launched the “Common Ground” festival on Wednesday, celebrating the similarities between the rich cultural heritages of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Organized by the ministry, “Common Ground” is a showcase of the identity and culture of Saudi Arabia and Iraq through a variety of activities, including art, music and folklore.

The ministry announced the launch on its social media account on Wednesday, inviting residents to “explore and celebrate Iraqi culture and the historical and cultural bonds between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Iraq through art, music, storytelling and more.”

The festival, which runs through Dec. 31, is being held at Mega Studio in Boulevard City in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

The agenda features an array of events, including an artistic evening and a tribute to writer Kareem Al-Iraqi, who died last year, whose contributions to art and literature are noted. His works ranged from novels, plays and songs to television programs and screenplays.

The opening night of the second edition of this unique cultural event featured a set of songs by reknowned Iraqi singer-songwriter Kadim Al-Sahir.

The first day features a diverse program celebrating Iraqi culture, with several seminars discussing the heritage of Saudi Arabia’s Middle Eastern neighbor.

There will also be over 100 works from Iraqi and Saudi artists at the festival.

Separately, on Wednesday, the Iraqi Prime Minister Shia Al-Sudani was welcomed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Al-Ula, one of the Kingdom’s top cultural destinations, as the two leaders discussed regional events.


Israeli army says intercepted missile fired from Yemen

Updated 19 December 2024
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Israeli army says intercepted missile fired from Yemen

JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said sirens sounded across central Israel as it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Thursday.
The Israeli Air Force “intercepted one missile that was launched from Yemen before it crossed into Israeli territory,” said a statement from the army, adding that there could be “falling debris from the interception.”


Dembele nets 2 and Donnarumma injured as PSG beat Monaco to increase French league lead

Updated 19 December 2024
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Dembele nets 2 and Donnarumma injured as PSG beat Monaco to increase French league lead

  • Ousmane Dembele scored a brace and striker Goncalo Ramos put PSG back in the lead with seven minutes left as he headed in a corner
  • The match was brought forward because of a scheduling conflict with the Trophee des Champions between the two clubs on Jan. 5 in Doha

MONACO: Runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain opened a 10-point lead at the top of the French league standings before the yearend break with a 4-2 defeat of Monaco on Wednesday in a match marred by Gianluigi Donnarumma’s injury.

Ousmane Dembele scored a brace and striker Goncalo Ramos put PSG back in the lead with seven minutes left as he headed in a corner after coming in as a substitute in the lively encounter at the Stade Louis II.

Monaco remained in third place, level on points with second-place Marseille, who have one match in hand.

Donnarumma’s face was bloodied after being hit by an opponent’s cleat. The Italy international took the studs of Wilfried Singo’s cleat in the 17th minute. Singo, whose shot had been blocked, tried to jump over the sliding Donnarumma but instead struck his face.

Pictures showed that Donnarumma was cut below his right eye. Singo, who had already been warned, was lucky to avoid a red card.

Donnarumma was left lying on the pitch while receiving treatment. He finally stood up and walked away to be replaced by Matvey Safonov.

Desire Doue had put PSG in front in the first half before Eliesse Ben Seghir leveled from the penalty spot after the interval and Breel Embolo gave Monaco the lead at the hour mark.

Dembele then scored his first goal of the evening from a rebound in the 64th minute. He added more luster to PSG’s win deep in stoppage time when he completed his brace.

The match was brought forward because of a scheduling conflict with the Trophee des Champions between the two clubs on Jan. 5 in Doha during the weekend that the French league resumes.


Blinken says Syria’s HTS should learn from Taliban isolation

Updated 19 December 2024
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Blinken says Syria’s HTS should learn from Taliban isolation

  • Blinken called for a “non-sectarian” Syrian government that protects minorities and addresses security concerns, including keeping the fight against the Daesh group

NEW YORK: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Wednesday on Syria’s triumphant HTS rebels to follow through on promises of inclusion, saying it can learn a lesson from the isolation of Afghanistan’s Taliban.
The Islamist movement rooted in Al-Qaeda and supported by Turkiye has promised to protect minorities since its lightning offensive toppled strongman Bashar Assad this month following years of stalemate.
“The Taliban projected a more moderate face, or at least tried to, in taking over Afghanistan, and then its true colors came out. The result is it remains terribly isolated around the world,” Blinken said at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
After some initial overtures to the West, the Taliban reimposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law that includes barring women and girls from secondary school and university.
“So if you’re the emerging group in Syria,” Blinken said, “if you don’t want that isolation, then there’s certain things that you have to do in moving the country forward.”
Blinken called for a “non-sectarian” Syrian government that protects minorities and addresses security concerns, including keeping the fight against the Daesh group and removing lingering chemical weapons stockpiles.
Blinken said that HTS can also learn lessons from Assad on the need to reach a political settlement with other groups.
“Assad’s utter refusal to engage in any kind of political process is one of the things that sealed his downfall,” Blinken said.HTS