Syria’s Shibani visits Latakia airport to review Russia deal progress: What to know Syria is seeking to ensure that the August deal to turn Russian facilities in the country into joint training centers is implemented. Syria
Lebanon charges 5 in alleged Hezbollah operation to train Assad loyalists A Lebanese military court has charged the five, including an Assad-era Syrian officer and Hezbollah members, with running a cross-border security network planning attacks in Syria’s coastal region. Lebanon
Former Assad official sentenced to 60 years in US for torture Samir Ousman Alsheikh was convicted by a jury in March of three counts of torture, one count of conspiracy to commit torture, visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud. Syria
Culture Syrian singer Assala returns to Damascus stage after 15-year exile The Syrian star, one of the Arab world’s most famous artists, had been in self-exile since 2011 after she openly supported the uprising against the since-ousted Assad government. Syria
Lebanon's 'Fuel War' Linked To Syrian Conflict Opponents of the Syrian government in Lebanon are blocking transportation of diesel into Syria, reports Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
No-Fly Zone Debate: Are the Patriots Up to It? Patriot missiles stationed in Turkey have been the subject of debate as officials and those on the ground consider the feasibility of enforcing a no-fly zone in Syria, writes Fernande van Tets. Syria
Arming the Syrian Opposition Is No Solution Controlling the spread of arms may not be possible if the only solution to end the bloodshed in Syria is by arming the opposition, writes Tulin Daloglu. Syria
Hezbollah Says External Pressures Forced the Mikati Resignation Sources close to Hezbollah consider the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Mikati to be the result of pressure from outisde powers, writes Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
Arab League Summit Is About More Than Syria The Arab League summit dealt not only with the controversial issue of seating the Syrian opposition, but also with Arab citizenship and civil society, writes Clovis Maksoud. Lebanon
The European Dilemmas On Arming Syrian Rebels An initiative to lift the European Union’s arms embargo to Syria and increase support to rebels has been met with strong EU opposition; the EU is unlikely to move further on that issue. Syria
Will Jordan Allow Syria's Palestinian Refugees to Resettle? As the 2-year-old civil war in Syria drags on and refugees continue to stream from Syria into Jordan, Adnan Abu Amer asks whether Jordan will consider resettling Syria’s Palestinian refugees. Palestine
Israeli Soldiers Enter Syrian Golan Heights After Israel was forced to rescue UN forces in the Golan Heights, the UN warned of instability in the Syrian Golan and the danger posed by Syrian rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda, reports Inna Lazareva. Israel
Tunisian Jihadists Fighting in Syria Many of the foreign fighters in Syria hail from Tunisia, while Tunisia struggles to deal with its own internal problems, writes Nesrine Hamedi. Syria
Syrian Crisis Plays Major Role In Israeli Apology Israel apologized to Turkey for the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident to keep Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the side of United States and Israel — and in line. Syria
UN to Probe Syria's Claim Of Rebel Chemical Attack A chlorine factory is at the core of the Syrian government's call for an investigation into chemical-weapons use near Aleppo, reports Nasser Chararah. Lebanon
Muslim Brotherhood Holds Sway Over Syrian Opposition Ghassan Hitto’s appointment as Syrian interim prime minister by the opposition coalition may be an attempt by Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar and Turkey to derail Moaz al-Khatib’s dialogue initiative, writes Hassan Hassan. Syria