Author: Deutsche Presse-Agentur - Dpa
Following the end of the government of Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad, the embassy of Iran in Damascus – previously one of al-Assad’s most important supporters – has been stormed. The news channel Al Arabiya released videos showing people tearing down a large poster from the fence of the Iranian embassy. The poster featured the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in 2020 in Iraq by a US drone strike, and Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, who was killed in September in an Israeli airstrike near Beirut. The news channel Al Jazeera reported that…
Syrian opposition members entered the presidential palace in Damascus early Sunday while chanting “God is most great,” eyewitnesses told dpa. A resident in the area told dpa, “We saw armed fighters entering the gates of the palace while chanting ‘God is most great.'” The palace is called The People’s Palace, and is located in the Mezzeh district in the west of the city. Videos circulating on social media also showed the rebels in the courtyard of the palace and at its entrance gates. Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad had fled Damascus shortly before. The rebels entered the grounds of the…
Residents have taken to the streets of the Syrian capital Damascus after Bashar al-Assad fled the capital Damascus to an unknown destination. Videos circulating on social media show people singing and dancing and eyewitnesses said celebratory gunfire could be heard. Residents living in Damascus told dpa that many Syrian soldiers had left their military positions. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, citing the army officers, said that al-Assad had left Damascus after the advance of opposition groups into Damascus early on Sunday. The anti-regime forces’ official channel confirmed the advance, stating, “Our forces started to enter the capital, Damascus.” The…
Inmates of Syria’s prisons are being subjected to systematic torture and physical and psychological harm, according to a new human rights report from the United Nations based on testimony from more than 300 witnesses. “Former detainees described severe physical and psychological abuse, including beatings, stress positions and sexual violence. The investigation documented inhumane conditions characterized by overcrowding, insufficient food and water, lack of hygiene and denial of medical care,” the report released in New York on Friday says. It cites medical evidence and the Syrian government’s own documentation and reveals violations including sexual violence and enforced disappearance. “Our report lays…
Russia intends to deploy its new Oreshnik missile system, recently used against Ukraine for the first time, in neighbouring Belarus as a deterrent to the West. “These complexes will be put into service with the Russian Strategic Missile Forces and, in parallel, we will begin deploying them on the territory of Belarus,” President Vladimir Putin said in Minsk on Friday at talks with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Putin named the second half of 2025 as the date for the deployment of what he described as a “terrible” weapon. Russia fired the newly developed medium-range missile at the Ukrainian city of…
Pep Guardiola expressed relief as Manchester City ended their winless streak with a commanding 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. The reigning champions had spiraled into turmoil during a seven-game drought – six losses and a stunning 3-3 draw in which they squandered a 3-0 lead. With four of those defeats coming in the Premier League, City’s hopes for a fifth consecutive title took a significant hit. However, they appeared rejuvenated, decisively brushing aside Forest at the Etihad Stadium. “We needed it,” City manager Guardiola said. “The club, the players, everyone needed to win. “But it is just one…
Pep Guardiola expressed relief as Manchester City ended their winless streak with a commanding 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. The reigning champions had spiraled into turmoil during a seven-game drought – six losses and a stunning 3-3 draw in which they squandered a 3-0 lead. With four of those defeats coming in the Premier League, City’s hopes for a fifth consecutive title took a significant hit. However, they appeared rejuvenated, decisively brushing aside Forest at the Etihad Stadium. “We needed it,” City manager Guardiola said. “The club, the players, everyone needed to win. “But it is just one…
Pep Guardiola expressed relief as Manchester City ended their winless streak with a commanding 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. The reigning champions had spiraled into turmoil during a seven-game drought – six losses and a stunning 3-3 draw in which they squandered a 3-0 lead. With four of those defeats coming in the Premier League, City’s hopes for a fifth consecutive title took a significant hit. However, they appeared rejuvenated, decisively brushing aside Forest at the Etihad Stadium. “We needed it,” City manager Guardiola said. “The club, the players, everyone needed to win. “But it is just one…
The Dutch Formula One Grand Prix, home to world champion Max Verstappen, will make its final appearance in 2026 before being removed from the race calendar, it was confirmed Wednesday. According to an F1 statement, a one-year contract extension for 2026 has been secured, but after careful deliberation, the promoter has decided not to renew the race beyond that year. The Dutch GP was reintroduced in 2021 at Zandvoort, and Verstappen has won it three times. The statement said the final edition in 2026 would include a sprint race. The future of the race was uncertain beyond the original contract,…
NATO fears new serious acts of sabotage and cyber attacks on alliance territory, a senior official said on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels. The official said that Russia in particular appears to be becoming more willing to hurt or endanger lives through sabotage in NATO member countries. China, Iran and North Korea are also active in cyber attacks, according to the official. Beijing, like Moscow, is conducting an ongoing campaign to spread malware, the official said. The aim is to carry out espionage, but also to have the ability to cause disruption in the event…