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US Top Diplomat Meets Syrian Counterpart; Discuss End of Iran’s Influence 

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani (L) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the NEST International Convention Center, in Antalya on May 15, 2025. (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani (L) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the NEST International Convention Center, in Antalya on May 15, 2025. (AFP)
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US Top Diplomat Meets Syrian Counterpart; Discuss End of Iran’s Influence 

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani (L) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the NEST International Convention Center, in Antalya on May 15, 2025. (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani (L) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the NEST International Convention Center, in Antalya on May 15, 2025. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani in Türkiye on Thursday, the State Department said in a statement.

"(Rubio) welcomed the Syrian government’s calls for peace with Israel, efforts to end Iran’s influence in Syria, commitment to ascertaining the fate of US citizens missing or killed in Syria, and elimination of all chemical weapons," the department said.

"The Secretary underscored the critical importance of protecting the human rights of all Syrians regardless of ethnicity or religion," the department said.

Earlier, Rubio revealed that the US is likely to issue some sanctions relief to Syria in coming weeks following President Donald Trump's announcement that all sanctions targeting Damascus would be lifted.

Rubio said on Thursday that Trump intends to issue waivers under the "Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act", through which Washington imposed stiff sanctions on former President Bashar al-Assad's government and secondary sanctions on outside companies or governments that worked with it.

A Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday that the Treasury Department "would likely issue general licenses covering a broad range of the economy that is critical to rebuilding in the coming weeks."

Trump said on Tuesday that he would order the lifting of all sanctions on Syria at the behest of Saudi Arabia's crown prince, in a major US policy shift that took some in his own administration off guard and left the Treasury and State departments scrambling to understand how to unwind the sanctions.

Speaking to reporters in Antalya, Türkiye, Rubio said the US wants to do everything it can to help achieve a peaceful, stable Syria as the country emerges from 13 years of war.

He added that Republican and Democratic members of the US Congress had asked the Trump administration to use waiver authorities in the "Caesar Act" to lift sanctions.

"That's what the president intends to do. Those waivers have to be renewed every 180 days. Ultimately, if we make enough progress, we'd like to see the law repealed, because you're going to struggle to find people to invest in a country when in six months sanctions could come back," Rubio said.

"We're not there yet, that's premature."

Overturning the bill would require congressional action, but it includes a provision allowing the president to suspend the sanctions for national security reasons. Trump could also issue a general license suspending some or all of the sanctions.

"I think as we make progress hopefully we'll be in a position soon, or one day, to go to Congress and ask them to permanently remove the sanctions," Rubio said.

PREPARATORY WORK UNDERWAY

Syria's foreign minister was in Washington two weeks ago and preparatory work was already under way regarding the Syria sanctions, most of which are statutory under the "Caesar Act," Rubio said.

Removing US sanctions that cut Syria off from the global financial system would clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organizations working in Syria, easing foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds.

Trump said he would remove all sanctions, saying they had served an important function, but it was time for Syria to move forward.

The Treasury Department in a post on X on Thursday said it was working with the State Department and National Security Council to execute Trump's decision.

"We look forward to implementing the necessary authorizations that would be critical to bringing new investment into Syria," it said.

"Treasury's actions can help rebuild Syria's economy, financial sector, and infrastructure and could put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous, and stable future."

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Arab World

Lebanon Charges Ex-Central Bank Governor Salameh Over Alleged $44.8 Mln Embezzlement

The Lebanese Central Bank in Beirut (NNA) 
The Lebanese Central Bank in Beirut (NNA) 
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Lebanon Charges Ex-Central Bank Governor Salameh Over Alleged $44.8 Mln Embezzlement

The Lebanese Central Bank in Beirut (NNA) 
The Lebanese Central Bank in Beirut (NNA) 

Lebanese prosecutors have indicted former central bank governor Riad Salameh and two lawyers on charges including embezzlement of public funds, forgery and illicit enrichment, judicial authorities said on Tuesday. 

Salameh, who headed the Lebanese Central Bank for three decades, was detained for about 13 months over alleged financial crimes committed during his tenure and was released in September after paying record bail of more than $14 million. The banker, who remains in Lebanon and is subject to a travel ban, has denied any ‌wrongdoing. 

According to ‌a copy of the indictment issued by Beirut's indictment ‌chamber ⁠seen by ‌Reuters, the panel accused Salameh alongside lawyers Marwan Issa el-Khoury and Michel John Tueni of embezzling $44.8 million from what it described as a central bank "consultancy account". 

It said the chamber also approved a request by the financial public prosecutor to widen investigations into how funds were moved into and out of banks without senior bank managers notifying the central bank's Special Investigation Commission. 

KHOURY SAYS HE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF 'CONSULTANCY ⁠ACCOUNT' 

In a statement to Reuters, Khoury said he had no knowledge of the "consultancy account" referenced in ‌the charge, had not been involved in the central ‍bank's financial transactions and had never received ‍funds from the institution. 

He said the indictment itself called for a ‍continuation of the inquiry and that there should not have been an accusation against him before the investigation was complete. 

Khoury said the inquiry had already proved that he had not received any funds from the central bank or any fees in relation to its financial transactions. 

Tueni could not be reached for comment. 

The indictment follows earlier moves by the central bank to file a criminal ⁠complaint against a former senior bank official at the central bank, a former banker and a lawyer over alleged illicit enrichment through misuse of public funds, the bank's acting governor Wassim Mansouri has said. 

Salameh, whose 30-year term ended amid a cascade of domestic and international investigations, has been under scrutiny over allegations that more than $300 million was siphoned off between 2002 and 2015. 

The central bank has said it will act as a principal plaintiff in a state investigation into Forry Associates, a company suspected of receiving commissions from commercial banks and transferring them abroad. The company is controlled by Salameh's brother Raja, who also denies wrongdoing. 

The Salameh ‌brothers are under investigation in France, Germany, Switzerland and other countries over alleged embezzlement. 

Arab World

Howling Winds Collapse Walls on Gaza Tent Camps, Killing 4, Child Dies of Hypothermia

Palestinians walk past tents used by displaced people, during a windy winter day, in Gaza City, January 13, 2026. (Reuters)
Palestinians walk past tents used by displaced people, during a windy winter day, in Gaza City, January 13, 2026. (Reuters)
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Howling Winds Collapse Walls on Gaza Tent Camps, Killing 4, Child Dies of Hypothermia

Palestinians walk past tents used by displaced people, during a windy winter day, in Gaza City, January 13, 2026. (Reuters)
Palestinians walk past tents used by displaced people, during a windy winter day, in Gaza City, January 13, 2026. (Reuters)

At least four people died overnight in Gaza from walls collapsing onto their tents as strong winds lashed the Palestinian coastal territory, hospital authorities said Tuesday. 

Dangerous living conditions persist in Gaza after more than two years of devastating Israeli bombardment and aid shortfalls. A ceasefire has been in effect since Oct. 10. But aid groups say that Palestinians broadly lack the shelter necessary to withstand frequent winter storms. 

The dead include two women, a girl and a man, according to Shifa hospital, Gaza City’s largest hospital, which received the bodies. 

Meanwhile, the child death toll in Gaza ticked up. The Gaza Health Ministry said Tuesday a 1-year-old boy died of hypothermia overnight, while the spokesman for the UN’s children agency said over 100 children and teenagers have been killed in the territory by “military means" since the ceasefire began. 

Family mourns 

Three members of the same family — 72-year-old Mohamed Hamouda, his 15-year-old granddaughter and his daughter-in-law — were killed when an 8-meter-high (26-foot-high) wall collapsed onto their tent in a coastal area along the Mediterranean shore of Gaza City, Shifa hospital said. At least five others were injured in that collapse. 

Their relatives on Tuesday began removing the rubble that had buried their loved ones and rebuilding the tent shelters for survivors. 

“The world has allowed us to witness death in all its forms,” Bassel Hamouda said after the funeral. “It’s true the bombing may have temporarily stopped, but we have witnessed every conceivable cause of death in the world in the Gaza Strip.” 

A second woman was killed when a wall fell on her tent in the western part of the city, Shifa hospital said. 

The majority of Palestinians live in makeshift tents since their homes were reduced to rubble during the war. When storms now strike the territory, Palestinian rescue workers warn people against seeking shelter inside damaged buildings, saying they could fall down on top of them. Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are entering Gaza during the truce. 

In the central town of Zawaida, Associated Press footage showed inundated tents Tuesday morning, with people trying to rebuild their shelters. 

Yasmin Shalha, a displaced woman from the northern town of Beit Lahiya, stood against winds that lifted the tarps of tents around her as she stitched hers back together with needle and thread. She said it had fallen on top of her family the night before, as they slept. 

“The winds were very, very strong. The tent collapsed over us,” the mother of five told the AP. “As you can see, our situation is dire.” 

Mohamed al-Sawalha, a 72-year-old man from the northern refugee camp of Jabaliya, criticized the conditions that most Palestinians in Gaza endure. 

“It doesn’t work neither in summer nor in winter,” he said of the tent. “We left behind houses and buildings (with) doors that could be opened and closed. Now we live in a tent. Even sheep don’t live like we do.” 

Israel’s bombing campaign has reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble and half-standing structures. Residents aren’t able to return to their homes in Israeli-controlled areas of the Gaza Strip. 

Child death toll in Gaza rises  

The Gaza Health Ministry said Tuesday a 1-year-old boy died of hypothermia in the central town of Deir al-Balah, the seventh fatality due to the cold conditions since winter started, including a baby just seven days old and a 4-year-old girl whose deaths were announced the day before. 

The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, says more than 440 people were killed by Israeli fire and their bodies brought to hospitals since the ceasefire went into effect just over three months ago. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. 

Meanwhile, UNICEF spokesman James Elder said Tuesday at least 100 children under the age of 18 — 60 boys and 40 girls — have been killed in Gaza since the truce began due to military operations, including drone strikes, airstrikes, tank shelling and use of live ammunition.  

Those figures, he said, reflect incidents where enough details have been compiled to warrant recording, but the total toll is expected to be higher. He also said hundreds of children have been wounded. 

While “bombings and shootings have slowed” during the ceasefire, they have not stopped, Elder told reporters at a UN briefing in Geneva by video from Gaza City. 

“So what the world now calls calm would be considered a crisis anywhere else,” he told 

The Palestinian territory's population of more than 2 million people has been struggling to keep the cold weather and storms at bay, amid shortages of humanitarian aid and a lack of more substantial temporary housing, which is badly needed during the winter months.  

It's the third winter since the war between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 7, 2023, when gunmen stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 others into Gaza. 

Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 71,400 Palestinians have been killed since Israel's retaliatory offensive began in the territory. 

Arab World

Syrian Army Tells Kurdish Forces to Withdraw from Area East of Aleppo City

Buses carrying displaced residents drive past a building in ruins as they return to the Achrafieh neighborhood after days of fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP)
Buses carrying displaced residents drive past a building in ruins as they return to the Achrafieh neighborhood after days of fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP)
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Syrian Army Tells Kurdish Forces to Withdraw from Area East of Aleppo City

Buses carrying displaced residents drive past a building in ruins as they return to the Achrafieh neighborhood after days of fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP)
Buses carrying displaced residents drive past a building in ruins as they return to the Achrafieh neighborhood after days of fighting between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP)

Syria's army told Kurdish forces on Tuesday to withdraw from an area east of Aleppo after deadly clashes in the city last week, as a senior Kurdish official accused Damascus of preparing a new attack. 

Syria's government is seeking to extend its authority across the country, and progress has stalled on integrating the Kurds' de facto autonomous administration and forces into the central government under a deal reached last March. 

In Qamishli, the main Kurdish city in the country's northeast, thousands of people demonstrated against the Aleppo violence. 

Syrian state television published an army statement with a map declaring a large area east of Aleppo city a "closed military zone" and said "all armed groups in this area must withdraw to east of the Euphrates" River. 

The area, controlled by Kurdish forces, extends from near Deir Hafer, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Aleppo, to the Euphrates about 30 kilometers further east, as well as towards the south. 

On Monday, Syria accused the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of sending reinforcements to Deir Hafer and said it sent its own personnel there in response. 

The SDF is the de facto army of the Kurds' semi-autonomous administration and controls swathes of the country's oil-rich north and northeast, much of which it captured during Syria's civil war and the fight against the ISIS group. 

An AFP correspondent saw government forces transporting reinforcements including air defense batteries and artillery towards Deir Hafer on Tuesday. 

Kurdish forces denied any build-up of their personnel around Deir Hafer and accused the government of attacking the town, while state television said SDF sniper fire there killed one person. 

- 'Bloodshed' - 

Elham Ahmad, a senior official in the Kurdish administration, said government forces were "preparing themselves for another attack". 

"The real intention is a full-scale attack" against Kurdish-held areas, she told an online press conference, accusing the government of having made a "declaration of war" and breaking the March agreement on integrating Kurdish forces. 

"These assaults should stop," she said, adding that if guarantees were provided "for the security of the civilian population, we are ready to continue the negotiation and dialogue", suggesting the United Nations or other international organizations also take part. 

But, she added, "We will defend ourselves." 

Syria's government took full control of Aleppo city over the weekend after capturing its Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsud and Achrafieh neighborhoods and evacuating fighters there to Kurdish-controlled areas in the northeast. 

Both sides traded blame over who started the violence last Tuesday that ultimately killed dozens of people and displaced tens of thousands. 

In Qamishli, shops were shut in a general strike and thousands protested to voice their anger at the Aleppo fighting, some carrying Kurdish flags and banners in support of the SDF and its chief Mazloum Abdi. 

- PKK, Türkiye - 

Other protesters burned portraits of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose country has lauded the Syrian government's Aleppo operation "against terrorist organizations". 

Türkiye has long been hostile to the SDF, seeing it as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and a major threat along its southern border. 

Last year, the PKK announced an end to its long-running armed struggle against the Turkish state and began destroying its weapons, but Ankara has insisted that the move include armed Kurdish groups in Syria. 

On Tuesday, the PKK called the "attack on the Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo" an attempt to sabotage peace efforts between it and Ankara. 

A day earlier, Ankara's ruling party levelled the same accusation against Kurdish fighters. 

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 45 civilians and 60 soldiers and fighters from both sides killed in the Aleppo violence. 

Aleppo civil defense official Faysal Mohammad told AFP on Tuesday that emergency workers had pulled 50 bodies from the two Kurdish-majority neighborhoods since the end of fighting, without saying whether they were combatants or civilians.