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Boat Carrying Migrants from Lebanon Sinks Off Syria, 34 Dead

Authorities are still searching for survivors near the Syrian Mediterranean island of Arwad. File photo
Authorities are still searching for survivors near the Syrian Mediterranean island of Arwad. File photo
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Boat Carrying Migrants from Lebanon Sinks Off Syria, 34 Dead

Authorities are still searching for survivors near the Syrian Mediterranean island of Arwad. File photo
Authorities are still searching for survivors near the Syrian Mediterranean island of Arwad. File photo

A boat carrying migrants from Lebanon capsized off Syria's coast Thursday afternoon leaving at least 34 people dead, Syrian state media reported.

Syria's state television quoted the Syrian Health Ministry as saying that at least 34 people died in the incident, and 20 survivors are being treated at the Al-Basel Hospital in the coastal city of Tartus. Most of the migrants are Lebanese and Syrians, and some without identification papers.

State media quoted one survivor as saying the boat carried over 150 people, which would leave over 100 migrants still missing at sea.

Tartus Governor Abdulhalim Khalil has reportedly visited the 20 survivors at the hospital.

The survivors said they sailed from the Lebanese coastal town of Minyeh several days ago apparently aiming to reach Europe. It said the boat was carrying people of different nationalities.

Thousands of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians have left Lebanon on boats over the past months seeking better opportunities in Europe.

The Lebanese army on Wednesday said it had rescued 55 people on board one malfunctioning boat in the country's territorial waters that it towed back to shore.

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Arab World

Iran Asks Iraq to Return Flights Between the Two Countries to Normal Conditions

Two Iranian airlines planes at Imam Khomeini International Airport south of Tehran (Archive - Mizan)
Two Iranian airlines planes at Imam Khomeini International Airport south of Tehran (Archive - Mizan)
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Iran Asks Iraq to Return Flights Between the Two Countries to Normal Conditions

Two Iranian airlines planes at Imam Khomeini International Airport south of Tehran (Archive - Mizan)
Two Iranian airlines planes at Imam Khomeini International Airport south of Tehran (Archive - Mizan)

Iran asked Iraq to take steps to lift flight ‌restrictions ‌caused by ‌US ⁠sanctions and return flights ⁠to normal conditions, the country's ⁠foreign ‌ministry said in ‌a statement ‌on ‌Thursday.

Flights between the two countries were suspended amid ⁠US sanctions restricting services to Iranian airlines, Reuters said.

Arab World

Egypt Accuses 6 Arrested Journalists of Being Members of the Muslim Brotherhood

Headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of Interior (Ministry's Facebook page)
Headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of Interior (Ministry's Facebook page)
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Egypt Accuses 6 Arrested Journalists of Being Members of the Muslim Brotherhood

Headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of Interior (Ministry's Facebook page)
Headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of Interior (Ministry's Facebook page)

Egyptian authorities have accused six journalists arrested this week of being members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, saying they produced fabricated news for an online outlet in exchange for foreign funding.

Egypt’s Interior Ministry on Thursday described "Matsadaash" as an unlicensed page managed from abroad by a “fugitive Brotherhood member” it identified as Abdelrahman Mansour.

It said the six people detained were part of a Brotherhood “media committee” that prepared false and fabricated news for Mansour to publish.

Only one of the six is a member of the Journalists’ Syndicate - the national press union - the statement said. It said legal measures have been taken.

On Wednesday, the Journalists' Syndicate demanded the Interior Ministry and the General Prosecutor to release the six journalists and disclose the circumstances and reasons for their arrest, as well as their places of detention.

In the report submitted by the Head of the Journalists' Syndicate, Khaled El-Balshy, the Syndicate stated that it had received complaints from lawyers and colleagues regarding the arrest of six journalists from the platform, one of whom holds syndicate membership.

It confirmed that "the six colleagues Abdullah Qadri, Mohamed Sharaf, Mohamed Adel, Islam Barakat, Mohamed Mahmoud, and Omar Hidayah were arrested from their homes over the past two days."

The Syndicate affirmed that it is making "diligent efforts around the clock to secure the release of the six colleagues ... with a full commitment to their appearance for any investigations should any charges be brought against them."

Arab World

Lebanon Army Says Seized 245 Kg of TNT at Syria Border

An army unit seized approximately 245 kg of TNT. (Lebanese Army on X)
An army unit seized approximately 245 kg of TNT. (Lebanese Army on X)
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Lebanon Army Says Seized 245 Kg of TNT at Syria Border

An army unit seized approximately 245 kg of TNT. (Lebanese Army on X)
An army unit seized approximately 245 kg of TNT. (Lebanese Army on X)

The Lebanese army announced on Thursday that it had seized nearly 250 kilograms (around 550 pounds) of explosives being transported from neighboring Syria into Lebanon, though it was unable to apprehend the smugglers.

"An army unit seized approximately 245 kg of TNT, four explosive devices, eight detonators and electrical wiring for the detonators", which were being "smuggled from Syrian territory into Lebanese territory", the army said in a statement.

"The smugglers fled back toward Syria as soon as an army patrol arrived at the scene," it added.

Lebanon and Syria share a 330-kilometer (205-mile) border known for being porous.

Since the fall of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, both Lebanon and Syria have been working to stamp out overland smuggling along their shared border -- including the trafficking of weapons and captagon.

Damascus regularly announces the interception of arms shipments destined for Lebanon on behalf of Hezbollah, an organization that denies any presence or activity in Syrian territory.