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Syria names negotiating team for peace talks: sources

May 21, 2013 08:00
PARIS (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has put forward names of five officials from his administration for internationally-sponsored peace talks with the Syrian opposition, European Union diplomatic sources said on Tuesday. The list includes Prime Minister Wael al-Halki and more junior officials. According to a second EU diplomat, Syria's opposition has already rejected some of the officials on the list because of their lack of influence.

Thirty Hezbollah fighters killed in Syrian town: activists

May 20, 2013 04:16
AMMAN (Reuters) - About 30 fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and 20 Syrian soldiers and militiamen loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were killed in heavy fighting with rebels in the town of Qusair, Syrian activists said on Monday. Opposition sources and state media gave sharply differing accounts of the outcome of Sunday's ferocious battles in the town, long used by rebels as a supply route from the nearby Lebanese border to the provincial capital Homs.

UAE urges action to stop 'repressive Damascus'

Agence France-PresseMay 19, 2013 13:15
The United Arab Emirates on Sunday called for political action to stop what it called "the repressive machine" in Damascus, ahead of an international conference aimed at resolving the Syrian conflict. "We call on all concerned parties to take decisive political action to stop the repressive machine in Damascus," UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan said at a news conference with his Australian counterpart Bob Carr. "The international community cannot remain silent and inactive about the humanitarian situation" affecting Syrians, he said.

Syria activists face 'terror' charges

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 10:31
The Syrian authorities must drop all charges against prominent peace activist Mazen Darwish and two of his colleagues, 19 human rights organisations said on Friday. Darwish, Hussein Gharir and Hani Zaitani "are facing trial on terrorism charges for their peaceful activism", said the groups that include Human Rights Watch (HRW), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Amnesty International. They and two other colleagues who were conditionally released in February are scheduled to appear on May 19 before the Damascus Anti-Terrorism Court, the groups said.

UN vote against Assad to escalate Syria crisis

Agence France-PresseMay 16, 2013 16:30
Iran on Thursday said a UN General Assembly vote condemning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime over its "escalation" of the civil war will embolden "extremist groups" in Syria. "Not only will (the UN condemnation) not help the problem there, but it will also escalate the actions and crimes of extremist groups in Syria," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi said in a statement carried by the Mehr news agency. The resolution on Wednesday was adopted by 107 countries in the 193-member assembly, down from 133 when the last vote was held in August.

U.N. General Assembly adopts Syria resolution

Kyodo News InternationalMay 15, 2013 21:00
The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution establishing the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces as "effective representative interlocutors" for the political process envisioned in the country that has been gripped by conflict for more than two years. The resolution that was approved by 107 votes, welcomed the coalition, which was established on November 11, 2012 in Doha, as well as its commitment to "the principle of a political transition."

Fierce fighting erupts at Syria's Aleppo prison

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 07:30
Syrian troops backed by tanks and warplanes on Wednesday fought to repel an attack on the central prison in Aleppo after rebels blew up its walls in suicide car bombings, a watchdog said. Around 4,000 prisoners including Islamists and common law criminals are held in the prison on the outskirts of the northern city, which is largely under rebel control, Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Russia calls on Syria opposition to back peace conference

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 06:31
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday called on the Syrian opposition to support Moscow and Washington in their efforts to work towards convening a peace conference to end the bloodshed in Syria. "It is important for all participants to express articulate support for the Russian-US initiative to implement the Geneva communique," Lavrov was quoted as saying in the Swedish town of Kiruna by Russian news agencies.

Diplomats: UN General Assembly expected to approve Syria resolution backing political change

The Canadian PressMay 15, 2013 04:01
The U.N. General Assembly is expected to approve Wednesday an Arab-backed resolution calling for a political transition in Syria and strongly condemning President Bashar Assad's regime for its escalating use of heavy weapons, U.N. diplomats said. But the resolution will not have as much support as the assembly's previous resolution last August denouncing Syria's crackdown on dissent, the diplomats said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because consultations have been private.

Syria says ready for joint inquiry on Turkey attacks

Agence France-PresseMay 14, 2013 14:16
Syria is willing to carry out a joint investigation with Turkey into deadly attacks in the border town of Reyhanli that Ankara has accused Damascus of masterminding, a Syrian minister said on Tuesday. "If the government of (Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdogan calls for a joint, transparent investigation by the two countries, we have no objection, in order to find the truth," Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi said. "The truth must be announced to the Syrian and Turkish people," he was quoted as saying by state media.
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