Damascus airport reopens to international flights
Damascus International Airport has resumed international flights . The reopening follows a month-long closure amid political changes and ongoing conflict in Syria.
Syria is facing difficulties in securing key imports like fuel and wheat due to strict U.S. sanctions, despite interest from other countries, including Gulf Arab states, Syria’s new trade minister, Maher Khalil al-Hasan, told Reuters on January 6.
Speaking from Damascus, al-Hasan warned that the country’s new administration, formed by Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham after ousting President Bashar al-Assad in December, has only enough wheat and fuel to last a few months. Without a lift or freeze of sanctions, he said Syria faces a "catastrophe."
The sanctions, which were imposed during Assad’s rule, target his government and state institutions like the central bank. Russia and Iran, long supporters of Assad, halted their aid after the regime fell and Assad fled to Moscow.
In response to Syria's plight, the U.S. is expected to ease restrictions on humanitarian aid and services like electricity, while maintaining its strict sanctions on the country. The full impact of these changes is still unclear.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has highlighted the importance of improved coordination between military and civilian services following the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, which resulted in 38 fatalities.
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet's Himalayan foothills, killing at least 100 and shaking Nepal, Bhutan, and India. Tremors reached as far as Kathmandu and Thimphu.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix returns to Baku from September 19-21, 2025, as the 17th race of the season.
The European Union is considering lifting certain sanctions in Syria to improve humanitarian aid delivery and support recovery efforts, following the U.S.'s recent sanctions exemptions to ease assistance after Bashar al-Assad's rule.
Ahead of President Nicolás Maduro's expected inauguration later this week, two U.S. citizens were among a group of seven individuals arrested in Venezuela on January 7. Maduro has branded the detainees as "mercenaries," adding to the tension surrounding his third-term.
President-elect Donald Trump has sparked international controversy by refusing to rule out military or economic measures to secure control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, which he claims are crucial to U.S. national security.
Oil prices rose on Wednesday, driven by tighter supply from OPEC members and Russia, alongside stronger-than-expected U.S. job data indicating economic growth and higher oil demand.
A light aircraft crash near Rottnest Island, off Perth's coast, has claimed the lives of the pilot and two tourists from Switzerland and Denmark, with three others injured. Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.
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