Five months after the disaster, testimonies and observations both from regime-controlled and opposition-held areas in northwestern Syria, heavily affected by the earthquake, reveal structural mismanagement, lack of capabilities and limited resources. In the first article of a series, Roger Asfar highlights the challenges faced by the population at all levels.
Airstrikes attributed to Israel over Syria's capital early Wednesday critically wounded one soldier, Syrian state media reported. Syria’s state news agency, SANA, citing military officials, said the strikes over southwest Damascus also caused “material damage” without giving further details. It reported that Syrian air defenses shot down some of the missiles. Israeli authorities did not comment immediately, The Associated Press said.
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil has called on Hezbollah and Amal Movement not to interfere in FPM’s affairs and said no party could circumvent Lebanon's Christians in bringing a president to power. Hezbollah and Amal have backed Suleiman Frangieh, while Bassil's FPM and other parties and independent lawmakers have backed former finance minister Jihad Azour.
The Houthi militias converted the oldest mosque in Yemen into a hall for their sectarian events and meetings as they continue to escalate their measures against religious groups and minorities. Yemen's permanent representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Mohamed Jumaih, complained to the organization about the al-Nahrain Mosque, which the militias are rebuilding in a way that completely contradicts its identity and archaeological character.