UK calls for stability and progress in Syria amid surge of violence in the country

Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer (L) described recent events in Syria as “deeply concerning,” as he reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to supporting Syria’s transition after the fall of Bashar Assad in December. (FDCO/AFP)
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Updated 10 March 2025
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UK calls for stability and progress in Syria amid surge of violence in the country

  • British Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer describes reports of significant civilian casualties as ‘deeply concerning,’ reaffirms UK commitment to Syria’s transition
  • Britain working ‘as quickly as possible’ to verify reports of the violence and identify culprits; urges interim authorities to uphold their commitment to protect all Syrians

LONDON: The UK called on Monday for interim authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic to take urgent action to address a surge of violence in the country, including reports of significant civilian casualties in coastal areas.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer described recent events as “deeply concerning,” as he reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to supporting Syria’s transition after the fall of Bashar Assad in December.

Falconer said the UK was working “as quickly as possible” to verify reports of the latest violence and identify those responsible. He urged the interim government in Damascus to uphold its commitment to protect all Syrians, and to set out a clear plan for transitional justice.

“This is a critical moment for Syria,” Falconer told MPs. “The interim authorities must demonstrate their intent to promote stability and to govern in the interests of all Syrians.”

Since Assad fled Syria, the UK has been pushing for an inclusive, Syrian-led political process to establish a representative, non-sectarian government.

Falconer welcomed the steps taken so far by the interim president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, including the formation of a transitional government and the National Dialogue conference that took place on Feb. 25. However, he stressed that further action is required to unify factions in Syria and develop a clear road map for governance.

“The violence over the weekend demonstrates that more needs to be done to bring Syria’s different groups together,” he said. “We urge the interim authorities to urgently establish a clear process and timeline for the next phase of the transition.”

UK authorities remain engaged in high-level diplomatic discussions with Syria’s new leaders and international partners in an effort to prevent further conflict, counter security threats, including terrorism, and oversee the destruction of the Assad regime’s stockpiles of chemical weapons.

The British government has said it is also focused on supporting economic recovery in Syria, including the lifting of some sanctions to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid, while maintaining targeted measures against those responsible for past repression.

Falconer said the UK has allocated more than £62 million ($79.8 million) in additional humanitarian assistance since December to help provide essential aid such as food, healthcare and education through UN agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

“The humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire for millions of people,” he added. “Over 16 million are in need of assistance and we will continue to support those in need where it is safe to do so.”

Falconer reaffirmed Britain’s long-term commitment to Syrian stability: “This is a critical, fragile moment for Syria. The country faces significant challenges as it transitions after almost 14 years of conflict.

“Stability in Syria is firmly in our interests. The UK remains committed to the people of Syria and will continue to stand with them in building a more stable, free and prosperous future.”


Pope Leo XIV urges immediate end to ‘barbarity’ of Gaza war

Updated 42 min 52 sec ago
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Pope Leo XIV urges immediate end to ‘barbarity’ of Gaza war

  • Pontiff: ‘I once again ask for an immediate end to the barbarity of the war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict’

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy: Pope Leo XIV slammed the “barbarity” of the war in Gaza on Sunday and urged against the “indiscriminate use of force,” just days after a deadly strike by Israel’s military on a Catholic church.

“I once again ask for an immediate end to the barbarity of the war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” Leo said at the end of the Angelus prayer at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence near Rome.

The pope, who spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the morning after Thursday’s strike, spoke of his “deep sorrow” for the attack on the Holy Family Church.

The church was sheltering around 600 displaced people, the majority of them children and including dozens of people with special needs.

Israel expressed “deep sorrow” over the damage and civilian casualties, adding that the military was investigating the strike.

“This act, unfortunately, adds to the ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” Leo said on Sunday.

“I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,” he added.

The Israeli military on Sunday issued an evacuation order for Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip, warning of imminent action against Hamas militants.

Most of Gaza’s population of more than two million people have been displaced at least once during the war, which is now in its 22nd month.

The pope also expressed his “sympathy” for the plight of “beloved Middle Eastern Christians” and their “sense of being able to do little in the face of this dramatic situation.”


Hong Kong hit by strong winds, heavy rain as Typhoon Wipha skirts past

Updated 20 July 2025
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Hong Kong hit by strong winds, heavy rain as Typhoon Wipha skirts past

  • Neighboring casino hub Macau issued its own top-level typhoon warning shortly after noon
  • More than 250 people sought refuge at government-run temporary shelters

HONG KONG: Hong Kong was battered by strong winds and heavy rain on Sunday as Typhoon Wipha skirted along China’s southern coast, with fallen trees and collapsed scaffolding spotted across the city.

Wipha was located around 140 kilometers (87 miles) to Hong Kong’s southwest as of 5 p.m. (0900 GMT), according to the city’s weather observatory.

Hong Kong’s highest tropical cyclone warning, T10, was in effect for around seven hours but was downgraded to the third-highest T8 warning at 4:10 p.m. as Wipha departed the city.

“Gale to storm force southeasterly winds are still affecting parts of the territory occasionally,” the observatory said.

“The intense rainbands of Wipha are persistently affecting the vicinity of Pearl River Estuary.”

Neighboring casino hub Macau issued its own top-level typhoon warning shortly after noon, with authorities suspending all public transportation services.

China’s Hainan and Guangdong provinces were earlier put on high alert, according to state news agency Xinhua.

In Hong Kong, more than 250 people sought refuge at government-run temporary shelters.

Officials said they received more than 450 reports of fallen trees and a handful of flooding reports, including at a main thoroughfare in the Wong Tai Sin district.

A representative from Hong Kong’s Airport Authority earlier said that around 500 flights have been canceled due to the weather, while around 400 flights were scheduled to take off or land later in the day.

Authorities suspended Sunday’s classes at all day schools and daycare centers.

Local trains offered limited services while operations in open sections were suspended.

Wipha also brought heavy rains and flooding to the Philippines, where two people have been reported missing, according to the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Hong Kong last hoisted the T10 warning signal for Super Typhoon Saola in 2023.


Eritrean president warns Ethiopia against waging war

Updated 20 July 2025
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Eritrean president warns Ethiopia against waging war

  • At the heart of the current tension, according to the Eritrean government, is landlocked Ethiopia’s long-held desire for a seaport.

NAIROBI: Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has warned neighbor Ethiopia against launching a new war between the bitter foes, with tensions high in the Horn of Africa region.
Eritrea and Ethiopia have had fraught relations since the former declared independence in 1993, with tens of thousands of people killed in a war between the two from 1998 to 2000.
At the heart of the current tension, according to the Eritrean government, is landlocked Ethiopia’s long-held desire for a seaport.
Afwerki, who has ruled Eritrea with an iron fist since independence, warned Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed that he would not be able to simply overwhelm his country by weight of numbers — Ethiopia’s population is 130 million, compared to just 3.5 million people living in Eritrea.
“If he thinks he can overwhelm (Eritrean forces) with human wave attack, (he is mistaken),” Afwerki told state television channel Eri-TV.
“Before dragging the people of Ethiopia into unwanted wars or using them for another political agenda, the country’s internal problems must be first addressed and solved,” he said.
He called Abiy’s actions a “reckless” attempt to “divert attention” from domestic problems.
Abiy signed a peace deal with Afwerki shortly after coming to power in 2018, but a violent conflict erupted in Ethiopia’s Tigray province from 2020 to 2022 as Eritrea’s forces backed rebels there fighting Ethiopian troops.
At least 600,000 people were killed in the conflict, according to an African Union estimate.
Although a peace deal ended the fighting, Eritrea has maintained a military presence in Tigray and relations between the neighbors have deteriorated.
Abiy has repeatedly said Ethiopia must have access to the sea, but by peaceful means.
Last month, a report by a US monitoring group accused Eritrea of rebuilding its army and destabilising its neighbors.
Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Ghebremeskel criticized the report by NGO The Sentry and blamed “the new tension in the region” on Ethiopia.
Eritrea had been under US arms sanctions that were lifted after the 2018 peace deal.
Eritrea is a single-party state which consistently ranks among the worst in the world for rights — in last place for press freedom, according to Reporters Without Borders, and 175th out of 183 for human development in 2022, according to the United Nations.


Tsunami alert after powerful quakes strike off coast of Russia: USGS

Updated 20 July 2025
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Tsunami alert after powerful quakes strike off coast of Russia: USGS

  • Earlier 5.0-magnitude and 6.7-magnitude earthquakes did not initially trigger a tsunami alert

MOSCOW: Three powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Russia’s far east on Sunday, triggering a tsunami alert, the US Geological Survey said.
Earlier 5.0-magnitude and 6.7-magnitude earthquakes did not initially trigger a tsunami alert, but were followed by a 7.4-magnitude quake at 0849 GMT, prompting the USGS to warn that “hazardous tsunami waves are possible” within 300 kilometers (186 miles) of the epicenter in the Pacific, off the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.


Russia says it downed 142 Ukrainian drones, including 27 over Moscow region

Updated 20 July 2025
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Russia says it downed 142 Ukrainian drones, including 27 over Moscow region

  • The drones were reportedly shot down over a number of regions in the European part of Russia, as well as over the Black Sea

MOSCOW: Russia’s defense ministry and the mayor of Moscow said it had downed 142 drones overnight, including 27 over the Moscow region.

The drones were reportedly shot down over a number of regions in the European part of Russia, as well as over the Black Sea.

The latest attacks included four drones headed toward the Russian capital, which were downed on Sunday morning, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram around 1000 local time (0700 GMT).

According to Russia’s aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia, four major airports serving Moscow – Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovskiy – were affected, resulting in 134 flights being redirected.

By 1000 Moscow time, only two airports remained closed to air traffic – Vnukovo in the Moscow region and Grabtsevo in the Kaluga region.