Is Syria turning to the West or striving to preserve geopolitical balance?
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 16th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Syria has declared the devastating wildfires in Latakia province fully extinguished after 12 days of fierce battling. However, officials caution that the environmental and social impacts will persist for years.
An Israeli warplane struck the Druze-majority region of Suwayda in southern Syria on Tuesday, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Clashes between Druze and Bedouin Arab tribes continue in Syria’s southern Sweida province, near the Jordanian border, while six soldiers were killed in an attack by Druze forces on Syrian army units deployed to restore order in the area.
More than 30 people have been killed and about 100 injured in sectarian fighting between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes in the southern Syrian city of Sweida, according to the the interior ministry on Monday.
Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Ports has signed an $800 million agreement with UAE's DP World to strengthen port infrastructure and logistical services, according to state news agency SANA.
Israeli and Syrian officials reportedly met face to face in Baku, signalling a rare step in potential regional coordination despite decades of hostilities.
The working visit of the Transitional President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmad Al Sharaa, to the Republic of Azerbaijan concluded on July 12.
On Saturday 12 July, Syrian Arab Republic’s Transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa visited the Alley of Honour in Baku as part of his official trip to Azerbaijan.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Saturday, 12 July between the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, during the working visit of Syria’s Transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa to Azerbaijan.
On July 12, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a high-level meeting with the Transitional President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, during the latter's working visit to Baku, signaling a potential new chapter in bilateral relations.
Talks in Malaysia between top diplomats from Russia and the United States were described by the Russian Foreign Ministry as "substantive and frank" with both sides confirming their interest in seeking peaceful solutions to international conflicts.
United Nations teams have been deployed to Syria’s coastal Latakia province, where wildfires have been burning for four days, forcing hundreds of families to flee and destroying large areas of farmland and infrastructure.
Türkiye sent two firefighting aircraft to Syria on Saturday to help control wildfires as crews battled flames on both sides of the border.
The UK has re-established diplomatic relations with Syria, marking a major shift in its foreign policy following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime eight months ago.
Abdul Qader Husariya, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, said on Friday that Syria will not borrow from abroad.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy praised Türkiye’s strategic role in regional peace and stability during his visit to Ankara, highlighting its efforts in addressing the Ukraine war, the Gaza crisis, and broader UK-Türkiye relations.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order on Monday ending the U.S. sanctions programme on Syria, The White House confirmed.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Monday formally ending U.S. sanctions on Syria, in a major foreign policy reversal that follows a series of diplomatic overtures between Washington and Damascus.
Türkiye and Syria have signed a new memorandum of understanding on international road transport, setting the stage for the resumption of direct overland trade between the two nations.
Israeli forces have detained several individuals in southern Syria suspected of terrorist activity following raids targeting weapons storage sites.
The World Bank has said it's approved more than $1 billion in new funding to support rebuilding efforts and infrastructure development in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague to discuss key regional and global issues.
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