Damascus
Russia says Syria can deliver aid, Turkey not essential

By Edith M. Lederer Jun. 22, 2021 07:11 PM EDT
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia’s foreign minister says Moscow disagrees that there is no alternative to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria’s rebel-held northwest...

FILE - In this April 19, 2020 file photo, shows a large refugee camp on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey, near the town of Atma, in Idlib province, Syria. Millions of Syrians risk losing access to lifesaving aid, including food and COVID-19 vaccines if Russia gets its way at the Security Council by blocking the use of the last remaining cross-border aid corridor into northwestern Syria, an international rights group said Thursday, June 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed, File)
Watchdog warns of aid disaster in Syria; shelling kills 11

By Sarah El Deeb Jun. 10, 2021 12:43 PM EDT

FILE - In this Friday Dec. 11, 2020, file photo, exterior view of the United Nations-backed Lebanon Tribunal where the court handed down it's sentencing on Salim Jamil Ayyash, a member of the Hezbollah militant group who was convicted of involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others 16 years ago, in Leidschendam, Netherlands. Ayyash is not in custody and is unlikely to serve any sentence. A U.N.-backed tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri said Wednesday, June 2, 2021 it is facing a severe funding crisis and will not be able to operate beyond July without immediate assistance. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
UN tribunal for Lebanon may fold due to funding crisis

By Bassem Mroue Jun. 02, 2021 07:51 AM EDT

Syrian President Bashar Assad supporters hold up national flags and pictures of Assad as they celebrate at Omayyad Square, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, May 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Syria's Assad wins a fourth term in a predictable landslide

May. 27, 2021 04:58 PM EDT

Syrian students dance as attend to votes at a polling station during the Presidential elections in the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Syrians headed to polling stations early Wednesday to vote in the second presidential elections since the deadly conflict began in the Arab country. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Syrians vote in election certain to give Assad new mandate

By Albert Aji May. 26, 2021 02:12 AM EDT

Syria schools begin final exams weeks early because of virus

Apr. 25, 2021 07:17 AM EDT
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of students in government-controlled parts of Syria began taking final exams Sunday after a three-week schools...

A gift to Damascus: 150,000 COVID-19 Chinese vaccines

By Albert Aji Apr. 24, 2021 09:41 AM EDT
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The Syrian government received the first batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday, a gift of 150,000 jabs to Damascus, Syrian and...

Faeza Satouf looks at a photo of her graduation day on her phone during an interview in Nivaa, Denmark, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. The 25-year-old Syrian refugee had fled the civil war with her family in an all-too-familiar journey across the sea to Europe, where they finally arrived in Denmark and were granted asylum in 2015. Yet six later years, she has been told she has to go back — alone, and soon. (AP Photo/David Keyton)
Denmark tells some Syrians to leave, separating families

By David Keyton Apr. 23, 2021 02:19 AM EDT

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syria's Health Minister Hassan Ghabbash, during a press conference where he announced receiving the first batch of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines, in Damascus, Syria Thursday, April 22, 2021. Ghabbash said that the Syrian government received a batch of 203,000 COVID-19 vaccines Thursday, in a move aimed at speeding up a sluggish inoculation process in the war-torn country. (SANA via AP)
Syria receives batch of UN vaccines to speed up virus fight

By Albert Aji Apr. 22, 2021 05:54 AM EDT

Heath workers check boxes of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines inside a truck, that were delivered to Idlib through a border crossing with Turkey, in Bab Al-Hawa, northwestern Syria, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. Syria's last rebel-held enclave received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday, with a refrigerated truck offloading over 50,000 of United Nations-secured jabs in the overcrowded province. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
First batch of COVID vaccines lands in opposition-held Syria

By Ghaith Alsayed Apr. 21, 2021 07:33 AM EDT

In this photo released by the Lebanese Army official website, a Lebanese Army soldier, receives a Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, at one of the military vaccination centers, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, April 8, 2021. The Lebanese army said thousands of soldiers will be vaccinated in the coming weeks. Lebanon received a gift of 90,000 Sinopharm shots from China last week of which some of them will be used to inoculate members of the military. (Lebanese Army Website via AP)
UAE sends Syria aid to help it fight spread of coronavirus

By Bassem Mroue Apr. 08, 2021 11:28 AM EDT

A child plays music for money backdropped by the Yeni Cami (New Mosque) in Istanbul, Saturday, April 3, 2021. The streets of Istanbul, reflect a weekend curfew resumed as the number of COVID-19 cases hit record levels, and with renewed restrictions announced for the Islamic month of Ramadan which begins on April 13. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
The Latest: Lockdown extended for metro Manila, surroundings

By The Associated Press Apr. 04, 2021 07:29 AM EDT

Syria to close schools and universities over virus surge

By Bassem Mroue Apr. 03, 2021 10:54 AM EDT
BEIRUT (AP) — Primary schools around Syria will close down indefinitely next week amid a severe increase of coronavirus cases in the war-torn country, while...

A woman flashes a victory sign as she receives the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine during a nationwide vaccination campaign, at the Saint George Hospital, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. Lebanon launched its inoculation campaign after receiving the first batch of the vaccine — 28,500 doses from Brussels with more expected to arrive in the coming weeks. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Syria to send Lebanon emergency oxygen supply for hospitals

Mar. 24, 2021 01:35 PM EDT

FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2020 file photo, a medic cares for corona patients at a hospital in Idlib, Syria. The World Health Organization said Tuesday, March 23, 2021, that a vaccination campaign against coronavirus will begin in war-torn Syria in April with the aim of inoculating 20% of the population before the end of 2021. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed, File)
World health body plans to vaccinate 20% of Syrians in 2021

By Bassem Mroue And Sarah El Deeb Mar. 23, 2021 11:59 AM EDT

FILE - In this July, 13, 2010 file photo, Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and his wife Asma Assad, listen to explanations as they visit a technology plant in Tunis, Tunisia. Assad’s office said Wednesday, March 17, 2021, the country's first couple are on their way to recovery nine days after they tested positive for coronavirus. The presidency said that Assad and his wife have had mild symptoms of the illness and are continuing their work as usual from home and will return to normal life once they test negative to COVID-19 (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi, File)
Hospitals in Syria's capital full with coronavirus patients

By Albert Aji Mar. 19, 2021 06:32 AM EDT

FILE - In this July, 13, 2010 file photo, Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and his wife Asma Assad, listen to explanations as they visit a technology plant in Tunis, Tunisia. Assad’s office said Wednesday, March 17, 2021, the country's first couple are on their way to recovery nine days after they tested positive for coronavirus. The presidency said that Assad and his wife have had mild symptoms of the illness and are continuing their work as usual from home and will return to normal life once they test negative to COVID-19 (AP Photo/Hassene Dridi, File)
Syria president's office: Assad, wife recovering from virus

Mar. 17, 2021 07:43 AM EDT

FILE - In this April 16, 2018 file photo, Syrian authorities distribute bread, vegetables and pasta to residents in the town of Douma, near Damascus, Syria. As Syria marks the 10th anniversary Monday, March 15, 2021, of the start of its uprising-turned-civil war, President Bashar Assad may still be in power, propped up by Russia and Iran. But millions of people are being pushed deeper into poverty, and a majority of households can hardly scrape together enough to secure their next meal. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
'Republic of Queues': 10 years on, Syria is a hungry nation

By Zeina Karam Mar. 15, 2021 06:55 AM EDT

FILE - This April 13, 2016 file photo released on the official Facebook page of Syrian Presidency, shows Syrian President Bashar Assad casting his ballot in the parliamentary elections, as his wife Asma, left, stands next to him, in Damascus, Syria. The office of Syrian President Bashar Assad said Monday, March 8, 2021 that Assad and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus and are both doing well. In a statement, Assad’s office said the first couple did PCR tests after they felt minor symptoms consistent with the COVID-19 illness. (Syrian Presidency via AP, File)
Syrian president, wife test positive for coronavirus

Mar. 08, 2021 07:21 AM EST

Syria govt says it has virus vaccine; doesn't say from where

Feb. 25, 2021 09:58 AM EST
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria's health minister on Thursday said his government procured coronavirus vaccines from a friendly country which he declined to name,...