Latest news with #Alekhbariah
Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Syria rejects federalism, urges Kurds to join army
DAMASCUS: Syria reiterated its rejection of federalism on Wednesday following a meeting with a Kurdish military official, calling on Kurdish forces to join the ranks of government forces. Mazloum Abdi of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) -- the Kurdish administration's de facto army—and interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa first struck an accord for integration in March with US backing, but its implementation has been held up by differences between the two parties. Abdi met with Syria's leader in Damascus on Wednesday in the presence of a US envoy to discuss stalled efforts to integrate the country's autonomous Kurdish administration into the Syrian state. The Kurds, who control vast swathes of territory in Syria's north, including oil and gas fields, have demanded a decentralized system of governance, which the new Islamist authorities in Damascus have rejected. A Kurdish Syrian official said, on condition of anonymity, that a meeting took place on Wednesday between Abdi and Sharaa. The official added that Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, also attended. The delegations were expected to discuss 'the relationship between the autonomous (Kurdish) administration and the government in Damascus, as well as economic and military issues', the official said. A Syrian government source told the official Alekhbariah television channel on Wednesday that Damascus remained committed to 'the principle of 'One Syria, One Army, One Government', and categorically rejects any form of division or federalization'. 'The Syrian army is the national institution that unites all children of the homeland, and the state welcomes the integration of Syrian fighters from the SDF into its ranks within the approved constitutional and legal frameworks,' the source said. The source also warned that any delays in implementing integration risked hindering efforts to 'restore security and stability to all regions'. The US-backed SDF spearheaded the offensive that ultimately led to the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Syria. In an interview with Kurdish channel Kurdistan 24, Barrack said that while he recognized the SDF's role in the fight against the IS group, it had to accept the 'reality' that 'the only future path for them is Damascus'. Sharaa, whose forces led the offensive that toppled former Syrian leader Bashar Al-Assad after more than 13 years of civil war, has called for the dissolution of all armed groups in Syria. In an interview in May, Abdi emphasized the need for a 'decentralized Syria where all its components live with their full rights', an outcome he accused Syria's new authorities of opposing. The same month, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani warned that delaying the integration of the autonomous Kurdish administration could 'open the door to foreign interference, and fuel separatist tendencies'.— AFP
Al-Ahram Weekly
24-06-2025
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Loud explosion heard in Damascus - Region
A loud explosion was heard in Damascus on Tuesday, echoing across the Syrian capital. Syria's official Alekhbariah channel reported "a loud explosion of unknown origin in the city of Damascus". An AFP correspondent said he heard the sound of an explosion while driving his car in the capital's central Umayyad Square. Syrian security forces detonated leftover munitions as part of a training exercise in the capital, a security source told Reuters. The source from Syria's General Security Service, which is broadly responsible for security matters, told Reuters no-one was wounded in the controlled blast. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Syria State TV Relaunches, Months After Assad's Ouster
Damascus: Syrian state television officially relaunched on Monday with a trial broadcast almost five months after the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad and following delays blamed on sanctions and dilapidated equipment. After Syria's new authorities took power in December, state media and other television channels, radio stations and outlets affiliated with Assad's government suspended broadcasting and publishing. At 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Monday, a presenter appeared on television screens, welcoming viewers and announcing the start of a test broadcast of Syria's Alekhbariah television channel from Damascus via two satellite providers. The channel showcased its new branding and broadcast images of Damascus and Ummayad Square, where the Public Authority for Radio and Television headquarters are located, as well as images of correspondents across the country. "Today, the first official television channel has launched," said new authority chief Alaa Bersilo, vowing it would be "a mediator between the state and society". He said broadcasting was delayed several times "due to television infrastructure" and "sanctions on the former regime which impacted satellite broadcast efforts". The channel's director Jamil Srur said: "We were keen on Alekhbariah being fit for the new Syria, and this is what delayed its launch". In a post on X, Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa called the launch "a very emotional moment", expressing hope that the channel would be help rebuild the national media and be a model for "rebuilding trust" with Syrians. After forces led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took Damascus on December 8 and announced Assad's overthrow, state news agency SANA stopped operating for more than a day before resuming with new staff. But state television failed to keep up with fast-evolving events, at first broadcasting archive footage and later ceasing transmissions. The new authorities have cracked down on outlets that were close to the ousted government, particularly Al-Watan daily and Sham FM radio. For decades, Syria's ruling Baath party and the Assad family dynasty heavily curtailed all aspects of daily life, including freedom of the press and expression, while the media became a tool of those in power and the entry of foreign media was heavily restricted. Since Assad's fall, outlets in exile or in formerly opposition areas have come to prominence, and foreign journalists have flooded in. Syria ranks 177 out of 180 countries and territories on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF). While Assad's ouster ended "five decades of brutal and violent repression of the press... journalists' newfound freedom remains fragile due to ongoing political instability and mounting economic pressures," according to RSF. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Syria state TV relaunches, months after Assad's ouster
Syria state TV relaunches, months after Assad's ouster (Credits: AP) Syrian state television officially relaunched on Monday with a trial broadcast almost five months after the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad and following delays blamed on sanctions and dilapidated equipment. After Syria's new authorities took power in December, state media and other television channels, radio stations and outlets affiliated with Assad's government suspended broadcasting and publishing. At 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Monday, a presenter appeared on television screens, welcoming viewers and announcing the start of a test broadcast of Syria's Alekhbariah television channel from Damascus via two satellite providers. The channel showcased its new branding and broadcast images of Damascus and Ummayad Square, where the Public Authority for Radio and Television headquarters are located, as well as images of correspondents across the country. "Today, the first official television channel has launched," said new authority chief Alaa Bersilo, vowing it would be "a mediator between the state and society". He said broadcasting was delayed several times "due to television infrastructure" and "sanctions on the former regime which impacted satellite broadcast efforts". The channel's director Jamil Srur said: "We were keen on Alekhbariah being fit for the new Syria, and this is what delayed its launch". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo In a post on X, Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa called the launch "a very emotional moment", expressing hope that the channel would be help rebuild the national media and be a model for "rebuilding trust" with Syrians. After forces led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took Damascus on December 8 and announced Assad's overthrow, state news agency SANA stopped operating for more than a day before resuming with new staff. But state television failed to keep up with fast-evolving events, at first broadcasting archive footage and later ceasing transmissions. The new authorities have cracked down on outlets that were close to the ousted government, particularly Al-Watan daily and Sham FM radio. For decades, Syria's ruling Baath party and the Assad family dynasty heavily curtailed all aspects of daily life, including freedom of the press and expression, while the media became a tool of those in power and the entry of foreign media was heavily restricted. Since Assad's fall, outlets in exile or in formerly opposition areas have come to prominence, and foreign journalists have flooded in. Syria ranks 177 out of 180 countries and territories on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF). While Assad's ouster ended "five decades of brutal and violent repression of the press... journalists' newfound freedom remains fragile due to ongoing political instability and mounting economic pressures," according to RSF.
