Khaled Yacoub Oweis
latest news & developments
Mediator to meet Syria sides separately to demand peace
Mediator Lakhdar Brahimi will meet representatives of the warring sides in Syria separately for the first few days to increase pressure on them.
Syrian helicopter comes down under fire in Damascus
State television has confirmed a helicopter crashed in Damascus but gave no details as Bashar al-Assad continues to bombard rebel-held districts.
Assad’s forces accused of massacre near Damascus
More than 200 bodies have been found in basements and houses, and most were killed "execution-style" by troops on house-to-house raids.
Defection of stalwart PM deals blow to Syria’s regime
Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab is the latest to jump ship as defections continue to rattle Bashar al-Assad’s increasingly unstable regime.
Assad forces bombard northern towns, avoid Turkish border
Tanks have moved close to Aleppo but kept clear of new Turkish air defences installed to curb Syrian action near its frontiers.
Syria experiences worst violence in a year
Rebels are fighting security forces in Damascus in the most violent gun battles the Syrian capital has seen since the start of the year-long uprising.
More than 7 500 killed in Syria, says UN
Syria’s Al-Assad is arguably a war criminal, the US’s Hillary Clinton admitted, as the UN said his forces had killed more than 7 500 civilians.
Journalists escape as Syrian military pounds rebel areas
Syrian forces shelled an opposition stronghold in Hama, killing 20 people, as two injured foreign journalists trapped in the city escaped to Lebanon.
US says it hasn’t ruled out arming Syrian rebels
The US appears open to arming Syria’s opposition, saying that if a political solution to the crisis was impossible, other options would be considered.
Syrian troops attack home of uprising
Syrian troops have attacked rebel strongholds in Dera’a where the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad erupted nearly a year ago.
Syria forces continue attacks despite pressure
No casualties from Syria’s offensive on the city of Hama have been made available as communication was cut off in the residential neighbourhood.
Fighting in Syria subsides after fragile ceasefire
Fighting has subsided in a rebel-held Syrian town after a fragile ceasefire took hold between President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and insurgents.
Syrian secret police defect amid growing conflict
At least a dozen Syrian secret police have defected from an intelligence compound, activists say, in what appears to be the first major desertion.
Syrian troops shells villages, Arab deadline looms
Syrian troops shelled two northern villages overnight after an attack by army defectors on forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
Lack of pressure sees Syrian violence drag on
Over 50 people have been killed in Syria ahead of Friday prayers as a seven-month crackdown on pro-democracy protests becomes more violent.