Fertile Crescent | GlobalPost

Syria's warring sides trade wheat for flour

Thomson ReutersJune 20, 2013 06:05

By Oliver Holmes and Alexander Dziadosz IDLIB PROVINCE, Syria (Reuters) - Away from the battlefield, some Syrian rebels are doing business with the same government they are trying to topple. Both sides want to keep providing basics like bread, fuel and water in the areas they control. When shifting front lines split up supply chains, they started to trade.

Lebanese start-ups seek tech boom

Agence France-PresseJune 20, 2013 05:02

Lebanon has long suffered with some of the slowest Internet speeds in the world, but a new crop of online entrepreneurs believes their country is primed for a tech start-up boom. In the upscale Hamra district of Beirut, start-up "accelerator" Seeqnce has a second-floor office with a vibe and style that recall 1990s Silicon Valley. The office is open-plan, a main workspace ringed by meeting rooms that are named for and painted in bright colours.

UNESCO warns Syrian heritage sites endangered

Agence France-PresseJune 20, 2013 05:01

UNESCO on Thursday added six ancient sites in Syria including a fortress of Saladin and a Crusader castle to the endangered World Heritage list, warning that more than two years of civil war had inflicted heavy damage. "Due to the armed conflict situation in Syria, the conditions are no longer present to ensure the conservation and protection of the Outstanding Universal Value of the six World Heritage properties," UNESCO said.

Mortar shell from Syria strikes Israeli-occupied Golan

Agence France-PresseJune 20, 2013 03:04

A mortar shell from Syria exploded in the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights plateau on Thursday, the military said. "There was no damage or injuries and the soldiers conducted a sweep in the area of the blast," a military spokeswoman said. She added that the blast was "apparently linked to the internal situation in Syria" in an indication the army viewed it as stray fire and not intentionally directed at Israel.

UNESCO lists 6 Syrian heritage sites as 'endangered'

Agence France-PresseJune 20, 2013 03:04

Six Syrian World Heritage sites 'endangered'

Agence France-PresseJune 20, 2013 02:33

Six ancient sites in Syria were on Thursday added to the list of endangered World Heritage, UNESCO said, including the city of Aleppo which has suffered considerable damage since a revolt started in March 2011. The other sites are the ancient cities of Damascus and Bosra, the oasis of Palmyra, the castles of Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din, and the ancient villages of northern Syria. suy-ceb/dr/mtp

UNICEF Canada set to launch special Syria appeal amid debate over arming rebels

The Canadian PressJune 19, 2013 17:30

OTTAWA - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is about to launch a 48-hour emergency appeal for Syria. The goal is to help the four million children affected by the two-year-old civil war that the UN says has killed 93,000 people. The agency will start a special appeal to Canadians on Thursday asking for donations at www.unicef.ca to raise funds for immunizations, clean drinking water, education and psycho-social support to help children through the emotional trauma of the crisis.

Fierce clashes in Damascus district

Agence France-PresseJune 19, 2013 19:32

Syrian troops and rebels were locked in fierce clashes on Wednesday night outside the Damascus district of Qabun as the army tried to storm the area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. At least two rebel fighters have been killed, with others wounded, the Britain-based group said. "The district has come under continuous, heavy shelling over the last few hours, killing at least two civilians and wounding others," the Observatory said.

Jordan troops kill Syrian after border attack

Agence France-PresseJune 19, 2013 16:33

Jordanian border guards killed on Wednesday a Syrian and wounded two others after they attacked Jordanian soldiers at the border while trying to enter the country, the army said. While border guards have stopped Jordanians trying to slip into Syria to fight on several occasions, it is rare for Syrians to attack Jordanian troops. The army said the incident began when a group of people tried to enter Jordan from Syria and "attacked a border guard forward post".

Hezbollah fighters battle rebels near Damascus

Agence France-PresseJune 19, 2013 15:35

Fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah joined Syrian troops battling rebels near Damascus on Wednesday, monitors said, as President Bashar al-Assad's regime kept up a push to cut off the insurgents' supply lines. Meanwhile, the main opposition National Coalition said it feared a "massacre" was imminent in southern Damascus, as Assad loyalists amassed around rebel areas there. "Army troops and Hezbollah members fought rebels near the Khomeini hospital in Zayabiyeh village," southeast of Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.