22 h. ago Clashes continue in Sweida after Syrian presidency’s ceasefire declaration

Government urges all parties to commit to truce and says any breaches will be violation of sovereignty Escalating unrest lays bare new regime’s momentous challengesBedouin fighters and their allies have continued to clash with Druze fighters in the Syrian province of Sweida, despite an order by the government to put down their arms in a conflict that has killed more than 900 people since Sunday.The Syrian presidency had earlier declared an “immediate and comprehensive” ceasefire and deployed its internal security forces in the southern province after almost a week of fighting in the predominantly Druze area. Continue reading...

Events

23 h. ago Syrian presidency announces ceasefire after days of violence

Syria’s interior ministry spokesperson said earlier on Saturday that internal security forces had begun deploying in Sweida

Events

27 h. ago Syrian government declares ‘comprehensive’ ceasefire in Sweida

Presidency urges all parties to commit to truce and says any breaches will be violation of sovereignty• Analysis: Escalating unrest lays bare new regime’s momentous challengesThe Syrian presidency has declared an “immediate and comprehensive” ceasefire in Sweida, saying internal security forces have been deployed in the southern province after almost a week of fighting in the predominantly Druze area which has killed more than 700 people.Armed tribes had clashed with Druze fighters on Friday, a day after the army withdrew under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure. Continue reading...

Politics

28 h. ago Syrian presidency urges all parties to respect ceasefire following deadly conflict

Syria’s interior ministry spokesperson said earlier on Saturday that internal security forces had begun deploying in Sweida

Events

30 h. ago Second man stabbed following an incident outside Lancs mosque during day of violence

Three people have been arrested and two men are in hospital

Events

58 h. ago ‘It’s impossible to tell who is killing us’: four days of violence end with hundreds dead in southern Syria

Sectarian divisions prompted the worst unrest in Syria since March as the Druze population of Sweida province suffered massacres and executionsBahaa* had no choice but to keep on working as patient after patient came through the doors of the Sweida National hospital in southern Syria. Almost all bore similar injuries: gunshot wounds and bodies shredded by shrapnel from nearby exploding artillery.“There were hundreds of wounded, no less than 200 bodies in the hospital. Many of them shot in the head, as if executed,” said Bahaa, a surgeon speaking of the events of this week in Sweida under a pseudonym for fear of retribution. Continue reading...

Events

58 h. ago ‘Shot in the head, as if executed’: four days of violence end with hundreds dead in southern Syria

Sectarian divisions prompted the worst unrest in Syria since March as the Druze population of Sweida province suffered massacres and executionsBahaa* had no choice but to keep on working as patient after patient came through the doors of the Sweida National hospital in southern Syria. Almost all bore similar injuries: gunshot wounds and bodies shredded by shrapnel from nearby exploding artillery.“There were hundreds of wounded, no less than 200 bodies in the hospital. Many of them shot in the head, as if executed,” said Bahaa, a surgeon speaking of the events of this week in Sweida under a pseudonym for fear of retribution. Continue reading...

Events

65 h. ago Israeli airstrike hits Sweida city in Syria as Bedouin tribes clash with Druze

Conflict restarts in southern province as Druze groups reportedly target Bedouin villages in ‘revenge’ attacksThe Israeli military has carried out an airstrike on the outskirts of Sweida city as clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters intensified on Thursday night.The clashes started a wave of tit-for-tat retaliatory violence earlier on in the day after Syrian government forces withdrew from Sweida. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Syrian forces withdraw from Sweida after days of clashes with Druze fighters

President Ahmed al-Sharaa says move avoids dragging country ‘into a new, broader war’ after Israel attacks DamascusSyrian government forces have withdrawn from the Druze-majority province of Sweida, ending four days of clashes between the army and local Druze fighters.In a speech on Thursday, the Syrian president said Druze groups would be left to govern security affairs in the southern province, in what he described as a choice to avoid war. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Syrian president condemns Israel’s attacks on Damascus and vows to protect Druze community

Ahmed al-Sharaa thanks American, Arab and Turkish mediators as efforts to restore order in city of Sweida continueSyria’s interim president has condemned Israel for “wide-scale targeting of civilian and government facilities” after the Israeli military struck Damascus on Wednesday as it sought to intervene in clashes between the Syrian army and Druze fighters.Israel’s strikes would have pushed “matters to a large-scale escalation, except for the effective intervention of American, Arab, and Turkish mediation, which saved the region from an unknown fate”, Ahmed al-Sharaa said in his first televised statement since the attacks. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Syrian government and Druze minority leaders announce new ceasefire as Israeli strikes continue

Convoys of government forces have begun withdrawing from the city of Sweida

Politics

5 d. ago Suspect in Kentucky church shooting had a domestic violence hearing the next day

The man accused of killing two women at a Kentucky church and wounding a state trooper in separate shootings had been expected in court for a domestic violence hearing the next day

Events

2 w. ago Labour council criticised after banning military equipment from Armed Forces Day celebrations

Protest groups say Armed Forces Day glorifies violence and military equipment in front of children

Events

2 w. ago Elite royal protection cops called in to work Notting Hill Carnival amid growing concerns over event safety

The personal protection officers are being brought in over fears of violence or crowd-crushing at the three-day street party.

Politics

2 w. ago Israel continues airstrikes on Gaza after Hamas says it is ready for ceasefire talks

Hopes that pause to the killing may be agreed were boosted despite 24 Palestinians being killed including 10 seeking aidIsrael has continued to launch waves of airstrikes in Gaza, hours after Hamas said it was ready to start talks “immediately” on a US-sponsored proposal for a 60-day ceasefire.The announcement by the militant Islamist organisation increased hopes that a deal may be done within days to pause the killing in Gaza and possibly end the near 21-month conflict. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Hamas says it is ready to enter ceasefire negotiations in ‘positive spirit’

Group said to want stronger guarantees of permanent end to war as Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump in USHamas said it had responded on Friday in “a positive spirit” to a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal and was prepared to enter into talks on implementing the deal which envisages a release of hostages and negotiations on ending the conflict.US President Donald Trump earlier announced a “final proposal” for a 60-day ceasefire in the nearly 21-month-old war between Israel and Hamas, stating he anticipated a reply from the parties in coming hours. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Hamas close to accepting proposed Gaza ceasefire deal, say sources

Group said to want stronger guarantees of permanent end to war as Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump in USHamas leaders are close to accepting a proposed deal for a ceasefire in Gaza but want stronger guarantees that any pause in hostilities would lead to a permanent end to the 20-month war, sources close to the group have said.Hamas officials on Friday issued a statement confirming they were talking to other “Palestinian factions” before formally announcing a response to discuss new ceasefire proposals already accepted by Israel. Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago Trump announces Gaza ceasefire with Israeli agreement but has a warning for Hamas

The US President has said that Israel has agreed to the required terms of an internationally negotiated 60-day ceasefire in Gaza

Events

3 w. ago Pakistan debates Trump Nobel peace prize nomination after US strikes on Iran

Pakistani government had credited US president with ‘pivotal leadership’ in its ceasefire negotiations with IndiaMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump’s intervention into the Iran-Israel war, and brokering then announcing a ceasefire, has drawn a heated debate in Pakistan – where the government had formally nominated the US president for the Nobel peace prize as the US military was making its final preparations for a strike that threatened all-out war in the Middle East.A statement in the early hours of Saturday local time – shortly before US B-2 bombers left the Whiteman air force base in Missouri and headed to Iran – had credited Trump for a “legacy of pragmatic diplomacy” and “pivotal leadership” for ensuring Pakistan’s ceasefire with India in a conflict that had begun with the killing of tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in April. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Israel and Iran ceasefire appears to hold after Trump 'they don't know what the f*** they're doing' outburst

US president lashed out at both sides as he accused them of violating the ceasefire he had announced hours earlier

Politics