Venice 2016 Symposium

2016-10-07 | The aim of the Venice 2016 Symposium is to focus on the advances made in the application of technologies for energy recovery from biomass and waste and to encourage discussion in these fields. The previous edition of the Symposium, held in 2014, was

PKK foreign relations head speaks out

Mohamed Noureddine

2016-08-01 | The Kurds have been the most oppressed people of the region for the past 100 years. Although they have a strong, ancient and well-established presence in the region, they nonetheless fell victim to the nationalist conflicts of the empires that ruled

Syria's new Cabinet lacks 'any trace of opposition'

Ziad Haidar

2016-07-07 | Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced July 3 the lineup of the new government headed by former Electricity Minister Imad Khamis. This government is the first to be formed in the era of the New People's Council. While more than half of the

Why Jaish al-Thuwar was bombarded by Turkey

Abdullah Suleiman Ali

2016-02-20 | Jaish al-Thuwar (Arabic for the Army of Revolutionaries) has been the focus of attention in the recent battles in northern Aleppo's countryside, especially after being bombed by Turkish artillery and receiving support from the United

Jabhat al-Nusra competes with IS to attract new allies

Abdullah Suleiman Ali

2016-02-15 | Jabhat al-Nusra has failed to lure Ahrar al-Sham to join its ranks due to preconditions set by both sides. Jabhat al-Nusra then exerted more pressure on Jund al-Aqsa to force it to merge with it, given the importance of this merger in the battle of

Jabhat al-Nusra's return to Aleppo worries activists

Abdullah Suleiman Ali

2016-02-15 | Jabhat al-Nusra is back in the city of Aleppo, a year and a half after its big pullout, in mid-2014, in the wake of its resounding defeat by the Islamic State (IS) in the eastern region. This defeat forced Jabhat al-Nusra to regroup its forces to

Deir Ez-zor (2011-2014): the Monopoly of a War Economy

Rana Khalaf

2016-02-08 | During its current conflict, Syria may be without government in many of its areas, yet it is not without governance. Where government institutions ceased to exist, with the destruction of infrastructure and the disruption or complete failure of the

Syria and the Great Powers (1946-1958):
How Western Power Politics Pushed the Country Toward the Soviet Union

Jörg Michael Dostal

2016-01-28 | The early political history of the Syrian Arab Republic from the time of the country's emergence as an independent state in 1946 to the merger with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic in 1958 is directly relevant to understand the current

Lazzarini to place Lebanon’s needs as top priority on global agenda

Madonna Semaan

2016-01-15 | Philippe Lazzarini, who serves as the resident and humanitarian coordinator and as the UN Development Program (UNDP) resident representative in the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), took office months ago in the midst

Regime forces advance in Latakia

Abdullah Suleiman Ali

2016-01-14 | The Syrian army has recently embarked on a new [military] venture, threatening the “emirates” that have spread to several parts of the Syrian territory after years of clashes on the demarcation lines persisting for long a

Syrian activists promote filmmaking, reading to ease daily suffering

Wissam abdallah

2016-01-14 | Despite the cruelty of the war in Syria, community-based initiatives emerged from the pain from which society is suffering. As international initiatives crowd to resolve the intractable crisis, Syrian youth keep their initiatives on the local level

UNDP Lebanon

2015-12-29 | Beirut, 2 December 2015
Subject:    Request for clarifications, investigations and appropriate disciplinary measures concerning the role of the UNDP and its staff in covering waste management corruption in

Is a truce underway in eastern Ghouta?

Abdullah Suleiman Ali

2015-12-01 | Developments are accelerating in eastern Ghouta. For the first time ever, and following years of battles and wars, the situation seems to be headed toward appeasement.
After Jaish al-Islam gave its implicit approval to a truce with the Syrian

Syrian army moves to secure South Damascus

Alaa Halabi

2015-11-11 | Despite the violent attack by Jabhat al-Nusra and several factions on the axes of the Syrian army operations south of the city of Aleppo, the Syrian army and its supporting factions continued their advance on the southern axis of the city as part of

Murak’s fall hinders Syrian army’s campaign

Abdullah Suleiman Ali

2015-11-10 | Although the differences within the Army of Conquest have not ended yet, Jund al-Aqsa — which withdrew from the group — succeeded yesterday [Nov. 5] in completely gaining control over the strategic town of Murak in Hama’s