Category: News

VIENNA — Austria’s conservative-led government said on Friday it is offering Syrian refugees a “return bonus” of 1,000 euros ($1,050) to move back to their home country after the fall of Bashar Assad.

Conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer reacted quickly to Assad’s overthrow on Sunday, saying the same day that the security situation in Syria should be reassessed so as to allow deportations of Syrian refugees.

Deporting people against their will is not possible until it becomes clearer what direction Syria is taking. For now, Austria’s government has said it will focus on voluntary deportations. It has also stopped processing Syrians’ asylum applications, as have more than a dozen European countries.

Like many conservatives in Europe, Nehammer is under pressure from the far right, with the two groups often seeming to try to outbid each other on tough-sounding immigration policies. Syrians are the biggest group of asylum-seekers in Austria, a European Union member state.

“Austria will support Syrians who wish to return to their home country with a return bonus of 1,000 euros. The country now needs its citizens in order to be rebuilt,” Nehammer said in an English-language post on X.

How many Syrians will take up the offer remains to be seen. With national flag-carrier Austrian Airlines having suspended flights to the Middle East because of the security situation, the Austrian bonus may not even fully cover travel.

An economy class one-way ticket in a month’s time to Beirut, a common starting point for those heading overland to Damascus, currently costs at least 1,066.10 euros ($1,120.58) on Turkish Airlines, according to the company’s website.

Austria’s far-right Freedom Party came first in September’s parliamentary election with around 29 percent of the vote but, as no potential coalition partner was forthcoming, Nehammer is leading coalition talks with the Social Democrats and liberal Neos.

AN-REUTERS

MOSCOW — Russia has carried out a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in retaliation for Kyiv’s use of US-supplied ATACMS missiles, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

The ministry said that air- and sea-based long-range precision weapons and drones were used against “critical facilities of Ukraine’s fuel and energy infrastructure that support the military-industrial complex.”

Earlier on Friday Ukraine said that Russia had launched a large-scale missile attack on Ukrainian energy facilities during the morning rush hour on Friday.

AN-REUTERS

KHARTOUM — Nine people were killed and more than 20 others injured on Friday in a missile attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a hospital in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur State in western Sudan, according to a local government official.

“The militia launched four guided missiles from a drone early today, targeting areas of patients’ companions in the Saudi Hospital, which killed nine of the patients’ companions, injured more than 20 others,” Ibrahim Khatir, director-general of North Darfur State’s health ministry, told Xinhua.

The Saudi hospital is the only health facility still operating in El Fasher with surgical and therapeutic capacities.

The RSF has not commented on the incident yet.

Fierce clashes have been raging in El Fasher between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF since May 10.

XINHUA

DAMASCUS — The leader of the Islamist militants that seized power in Syria last week called on people to take to the streets to celebrate “the victory of the revolution” on Friday.

“I would like to congratulate the great Syrian people on the victory of the blessed revolution and I call on them to go to the streets to express their joy,” said Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, who is now using his real name Ahmed Al-Sharaa.

The leader of the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham group was wearing a dark waistcoat, a white shirt and a watch in the video message shared on Telegram.

His call comes ahead of the first Friday prayers since Syria’s new leadership took control. During the early days of Syria’s uprising in 2011, protesters would usually gather after Friday prayers.

He is set to attend Friday prayers at Damascus’s landmark Umayyad mosque.

Militant forces led by HTS launched a lightning offensive last month, taking control of Damascus and ousting president Bashar Assad in less than two weeks.

On Tuesday, they appointed an interim prime minister to lead Syria until March.

AN-AFP

JERUSALEM — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the military to “prepare to remain” throughout the winter in the UN-patrolled buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces on the strategic Golan Heights.

Israel seized the demilitarized zone on Sunday, just hours after Syrian rebels swept president Bashar Assad from power.

Since then, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of air and naval strikes against Syrian military assets, targeting everything from chemical weapons stores to air defenses to prevent them from falling into rebel hands.

The plan to deploy troops in the buffer zone comes at a time when Israeli forces are still withdrawing from southern Lebanon after fighting Hezbollah militants for months and the war in Gaza with Palestinian militants continues.

“Due to the situation in Syria, it is of critical security importance to maintain our presence at the summit of Mount Hermon, and everything must be done to ensure the (army’s) readiness on-site to enable the fighters to stay there despite the challenging weather conditions,” Katz’s spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

Israel says it seized the buffer zone to defend itself.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Thursday that the collapse of Assad’s rule had created a “vacuum on Israel’s border and in the buffer zone.”

“This deployment is temporary until a force that is committed to the 1974 (armistice) agreement can be established and security on our border can be guaranteed.”

Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

It held onto the territory during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war and in 1981 annexed the area in a move since recognized only by the United States.

Israel’s seizure of the buffer zone has triggered widespread international criticism, including from UN chief Antonio Guterres.

Guterres “is deeply concerned by the recent and extensive violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Thursday.

“The Secretary-General is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli air strikes on several locations in Syria.”

The UN says Israel’s seizure of the buffer zone violates the 1974 armistice.

Guterres urges “the parties to the agreement to uphold their obligations under this instrument, including by ending all unauthorized presence in the area of separation and refraining from any action that would undermine the ceasefire and stability in Golan,” Dujarric said.

Israel’s key military ally the United States has called for the Israeli incursion to be “temporary.”

Analysts say Israel is concerned that any remaining stocks of chemical or other strategic weapons that Assad’s forces had held onto could fall into the hands of jihadist groups, who might use them against it.

AN-AFP

AMMAN — Six residents died and dozens were injured after a fire broke out a nursing home in Jordan, state news agency Petra reported.

The fire at the White Beds Society’s, or Al-Asirra Al-Baydaa, elderly home killed six elderly, badly injuring five and moderately injuring fifty-five more, according to Wafa Bani Mustafa, Minister of Social Development.

The fire spread engulfed the entire 80-square-meter center, which houses 111 people, the minister added.

The injured were taken to government hospitals for treatment, while the remaining elderly were moved to other centers.

An investigation was being conducted to identify the cause of the blaze, the minister said.

AN

MOSCOW — Russia hopes to keep its military bases in Syria as they are important in the fight against terrorism, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Thursday.

“I think there is general agreement that the fight against terrorism and the IS is not over, it requires collective efforts. In this regard, our presence played an important role in the fight against international terrorism,” state-run RIA news agency reported, citing Bogdanov.

The Russian diplomat added that Moscow has established contacts with the political committee of Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and discussed issues of ensuring the security of the Russian diplomatic mission and citizens in the country.

Russia is ready to provide assistance to those Russian citizens who want to leave Syria, he said.

Bogdanov also noted that Russia is in contact with Israel regarding the Syrian situation.

XINHUA

JERUSALEM — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Thursday that it has “severely damaged” Syria’s air defenses, destroying over 90 percent of identified strategic surface-to-air missile systems.

In a statement, the IDF revealed that it had been conducting a comprehensive assessment of Syria’s situation, taking into account the potential downfall of Bashar al-Assad. “In preparation for such a scenario, the Air Force has developed an extensive strike plan aimed at neutralizing Syria’s military capabilities, including strategic weaponry,” the statement read.

Over the past several days, hundreds of Israeli fighter jets and aircraft have launched coordinated strikes, delivering significant blows to Syria’s most strategic weapons, including fighter jets, helicopters, missiles, UAVs, radars, and rockets.

The strikes also targeted several key Syrian air bases. The T4 Airport, near northern Damascus, was significantly damaged, with the complete destruction of the SU-22 and SU-24 fighter squadrons stationed there. The “Ble” Airport, housing three additional fighter squadrons, and a nearby weapons storage site were also hit in the Israeli strikes.

In addition, manufacturing and storage facilities, including a critical one in Syria’s Homs area, which was identified as a pivotal component of Syria’s Scud missile program, were targeted.

The IDF statement highlighted that these operations aimed to degrade Syria’s advanced military capabilities amid escalating tensions in the region.

XINHUA

JERUSALEM — A chief of Hamas’ weapons manufacturing division has been killed in an Israeli drone attack in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s military and Shin Bet internal security agency announced Thursday in a joint statement.

Ammar Daloul, a department head of Hamas’ weapons manufacturing headquarters, was killed earlier this week in a strike on the Al-Hurriya School in Gaza City, according to the statement.

The strike also killed Jihad Yassin, a company commander in Hamas’ Zeitoun Battalion, along with six other militants. Yassin “was responsible for attacks on IDF (Israel Defense Forces) troops operating in Gaza,” the statement added.

The military and Shin Bet emphasized that they would continue targeting individuals involved in what they termed “terrorist activities against Israeli civilians.”

XINHUA

CAPE TOWN — Traveler movement at South Africa’s main border crossing point with Mozambique is now open “until further notice,” the country’s Border Management Authority (BMA) announced on Thursday.

This came after the BMA temporarily suspended operations at the Lebombo Port of Entry on Monday due to election-related protests in Mozambique near the border area. These protests have repeatedly forced the closure of the crossing since the results of the southeast African country’s disputed elections were released on Oct. 24.

“The Acting Commissioner of the BMA, Jane Thupana, has provided the latest update on the Lebombo Port of Entry, that traveler movement is now open until further notice,” the authority said in a statement.

According to the statement, pedestrians and small vehicles are being processed, with statistics reflecting that 7,471 travelers were processed on Wednesday.

“The statistics indicate that movement is about 50 percent less than what it was this time in December 2023,” it said.

The authority added that the processing mainly took place in the early hours and late afternoon when the unrest on the Mozambican side subsided.

However, the processing of cargo remained suspended “due to protesters blocking their entry into Mozambique.”

The BMA said the situation remains under close observation and advised trucking companies to divert vehicles to nearby depots or the designated truck holding area.

“Transporters are continuously urged not to dispatch new vehicles to the port until further notice,” it said.

The authority also reaffirmed its commitment to effective collaboration, proactive management, and resolution of the current challenges at the border.

“The BMA is working tirelessly together with key stakeholders in the border management sector to manage the situation,” it said. “We urge all affected parties to exercise patience as we continue to monitor the situation and engage with relevant authorities to find lasting solutions.”

XINHUA