U.N. chief says Arab League to revive Syria mission

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday the Arab League chief told him he intends to revive an Arab League monitoring mission in Syria, which has collapsed amid continuing violence there.

Nabil Elaraby asked for U.N. help with the project during a telephone conversation on Tuesday, Ban told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council on a visit he just paid to the Middle East. (more…)

Turkey seeks world action as Syria’s Homs bleeds

Syria’s army pounded the rebel city of Homs on Wednesday as Turkey sought international action to protect civilians from former ally President Bashar al-Assad, a move that risks the wrath of Russia and China. (more…)

18 premature babies die in Syrian hospital

Eighteen premature babies in incubators were said to have died after their hospital was hit by electricity cuts in turbulent Syrian city of Homs, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

State TV, however, denied the reports and said Homs hospitals were operating normally.

According to some local residents, Homs city came under renewed bombardment, the heaviest so far (more…)

Syrian opposition reject Assad’s call for dialogue

Syrian opposition leaders have rejected assurances from President Bashar al-Assad that he will cease his regime’s violent crackdown against demonstrators following talks with the Russian foreign minister.

During an emergency visit to Damascus, Sergei Lavrov received a promise from Assad (more…)

Syrian regime gets bloody nose from resistance

One fateful consequence of President Bashar al-Assad’s ferocious crackdown on Syrian protesters is the emergence of the domestic armed resistance, the Free Syrian Army.

Forged in neighboring Turkey over the summer by military defectors, the FSA has become a major factor in the opposition to the regime. (more…)

Sanctions weigh on Lebanon-Syria banking ties

Beirut, Lebanon _ Lebanese banks which worked for years to build up business in neighboring Syria have been quietly implementing U.S. and European Union sanctions against Damascus to avoid jeopardizing their international operations, bankers and economists say.

This is despite close financial ties between the two countries, cemented by the opening of seven Lebanese banking affiliates in Syria (more…)

U.S. searches for strategy to end Syria violence

The United States appears to be out of answers on what to do with Syria.

The Obama administration says it is not considering invading Syria or arming its rebels to remove President Bashar Assad from power. Diplomatic efforts at the U.N. have collapsed. A new, much-touted option of humanitarian assistance for Syria’s beleaguered population is a longshot (more…)

Opinion: Russia’s Potemkin democracy

I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or to cry when I heard that the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, had found a solution to the Syrian crisis. Speaking in Damascus on Tuesday, Lavrov declared that everything was fine:

Dozens dead as Syria regime pounds Homs: Activists

DAMASCUS: Syrian forces pressed a relentless assault on the protest city of Homs on Wednesday, with dozens of civilians reported killed, hours after President Bashar al-Assad said he was committed to ending the bloodshed.

The barrage of gunfire, mortars and shells was launched at daybreak and continued during the day. (more…)

Germany arrests 2 alleged Syrian spies

Two men suspected of spying on Syrian opposition groups in Germany were arrested in Berlin Tuesday, authorities said. (more…)