At the Four Seasons in Damascus, power shifts but the elite remain

Citadel of Damascus inscribed on ICESCO Islamic World Heritage List

Damascus, June 28 (SANA) Standing firm in the northwestern corner of the ancient walled city near the Barada River, the Citadel of Damascus remains a monumental stone testament to successive layers of history. This week, the Citadel has been officially inscribed on the Islamic World Heritage List by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural []

Israeli enemy patrol infiltrates to southern Syria

DAMASCUS, July 01 (YPA) – Israeli occupation army patrol consisting of four vehicles entered the western countryside of Daraa Governorate in southern Syria on Wednesday, coming from the Tel Abu al-Ghaithar gate via the Wadi al-Raqad road to the “Wadi Company” site on the Saisoun-Jamla road. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the []

Is the Middle East entering a new era?

Is the Middle East entering a new era?

Damascus Rocked by Twin Bombings Amid Landmark Visit by French Leader Emmanuel Macron; 18 Injured (Watch Videos)

Two explosions hit central Damascus near the Four Seasons Hotel on Tuesday morning during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit. Eighteen people were injured, including four police officers. The blasts occurred shortly after Macron's motorcade departed. He remains in the city and plans to continue his scheduled meetings with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The Middle East and the Historic Turning Point

The Middle East may indeed be approaching a historic turning point. The post The Middle East and the Historic Turning Point appeared first on BOL News.

Saudi Industrial Production returns to growth, rising 5.1% in 2025

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's industrial production rose 5.1 percent in 2025, driven by a 10 percent surge in environmental and water-related activities, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). The increase marks a reversal of the declines recorded in 2023 and 2024, according to GASTAT's annual Industrial Production Index (IPI) report. Water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities recorded the strongest growth among all industrial sectors, rising by 10.0 percent year-on-year. Mining and quarrying activity increased by 5.8 percent, while oil activities grew by 5.4 percent and non-oil activities expanded by 4.3 percent. Within manufacturing, chemical products emerged as the strongest-performing sub-sector, posting growth of 9.3 percent. Overall manufacturing activity rose by 3.9 percent. Electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply activities increased by 5.2 percent, while food manufacturing grew by 2.9 percent and the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products rose by 3.7 percent.

Guns have fallen silent, yet crisis is far from over

The Middle East is once again at a critical turning point. The 60-day ceasefire agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran appears, at first glance, to be a development that has b...

219th Egyptian humanitarian aid convoy enters Gaza Strip

The 219th humanitarian aid convoy, “Zad Al-Ezza: From Egypt to Gaza,” began entering the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, through Rafah terminal toward Karam Abu Salem Crossing, in preparation for delivery into the enclave as part of Egypt’s ongoing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis affecting more than two million Palestinians. A reliable The post 219th Egyptian humanitarian aid convoy enters Gaza Strip appeared first on Egypt Independent.

Explosions rock Damascus as France’s Macron visits Syria

Explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday as France’s president met with his Syrian counterpart in a landmark visit. Emmanuel Macron had entered the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when the explosions happened near the Four Seasons Hotel. Syrian authorities did not immediately comment on the incident. Syrian media reported that Macron was staying at the Four Seasons. The French president’s office said he was safe and that his meeting with Sharaa was continuing. Macron is...

Israeli Forces Carry out Incursion into Southern Syria's Western Daraa Province

Damascus, June 28 (QNA) - The Israeli occupation forces have advanced in the Yarmouk Basin area of the western Daraa province in southern Syria.

The Shifting Fortunes of the Kurds

The Kurds’ fortunes have ebbed and flowed in recent years, but the fall of the Assad regime in Syria in December 2024, the 2025 decision by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to dissolve and engage in talks with the Turkish government, and the 2026 U.S.-Israeli war with Iran had enormous ripple effects on the lives of Kurds in the Middle East and Kurdish hopes for autonomy. We asked four experts to assess how recent regional events are presenting risks and opportunities for the Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.Read more below. Gönül TolSenior Fellow at the Middle East InstituteThe Iran The post The Shifting Fortunes of the Kurds appeared first on War on the Rocks.

Mideast Oil Boost Gathers Pace as Qatar Sells Crude to Asia

Qatar has joined other Persian Gulf nations in reviving crude oil sales, with regional producers cranking up activity as peace talks between the US and Iran progress.

Extremist Ben-Gvir storms Silwan south of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Extremist Ben-Gvir storms Silwan south of Al-Aqsa Mosque

[Video] 🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡️ — WATCH: The IDF shelled the towns of Masha’a al-Mansouri and Byout al-Siyad i [...]

— WATCH: The IDF shelled the towns of Masha’a al-Mansouri and Byout al-Siyad in southern Lebanon. This is the first violation of the ceasefire in 37 hours.@IntelSlava

Trump again threatens Iran with warning it will 'no longer exist'

Tensions in the Middle East continued to escalate, with Iran targeting U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain amid renewed hostilities. Sign up for our newsletter for the day's top stories, from sports to movies to politics to world events: https://profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/ #Iran #MiddleEast #Military

Eldorado’s Vantage buy highlights offshore drilling consolidation trend

The recent closing of Eldorado Drilling’s 257.6m acquisition of Vantage Drilling is the latest in a series of merger and acquisition moves reshaping the offshore drilling landscape. Over the past five years, consolidation has accelerated as drilling contractors seek scale, efficiency, and stronger market positioning. There have been several notable mergers in recent years. Noble

Gulf oil exports surge as Saudi Arabia restarts key terminal after four-month halt

ALBAWABA- Major Gulf oil producers are rapidly ramping up crude exports as regional shipping routes recover, with Saudi Arabia restarting loadings at its critical Ras Tanura terminal after a nearly four-month suspension, while Kuwait and Qatar also boost output amid improving security conditions in the Strait of Hormuz...

Middle East on the verge of returning to ‘all-out war’

Sky News host James Macpherson says the Middle East is on the verge of returning to “all-out war”.