New Syria Kurdish unit vows to "fight PKK"

A small group of Kurdish fighters have formed a new fighting group that vows to battle both the Syrian regime and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) affiliated with the main Kurdish military force in northern Syria.
by Albin Szakola via Latest News

Plagiarism in Lebanon and why more celebrities should act like Pamela El-Kik

In our country, plagiarism has been rewarded rather than punished.
by Tamer Salman via Latest News

Why are rebel attacks against ISIS not successful?

Infighting and poor coordination among rebels, along with a lack of external support, are the main reasons cited for recent military failures against ISIS
by Haid Haid via Latest News

Devastation in Idlib following Russia airstrikes: activists

Over 20 civilians have been killed in a series of devastating Russian air raids that targeted Idlib overnight Monday, according to activists and a monitoring NGO.
by NOW via Latest News

Rifi’s gamble pays off

Surprise victory for renegade March 14 hawk Ashraf Rifi in Tripoli’s municipal elections suggests his cabinet resignation was shrewd
by Alex Rowell via Latest News

الثأر يشعل التوتر القبلي في البقاع

مقتل ابن شقيق شيخ عرسال الفارّ على يد والد جندي أعدمه مقاتلو النصرة يمكن أن يؤدي إلى المزيد من العنف في المنطقة
by Nicholas Blanford via Latest News

الجنرال باسيل

ها هو "الجنرال" باسيليوس يتكلّم عن المعارك الإنتخابية البطولية التي خاضها من أقصى الجنوب إلى أقصى الشمال وفي الجبل والبقاع وفي كل مدينة وقرية ودسكرة في وجه الإقطاع والإئتلافات والمصالح والحيتان والدببة والجحافل
by Imad Moussa via Latest News

Why does battling ISIS in Fallujah look bad?

Some Iraqi forces attempting to capture the city are depicting the battle in overtly sectarian terms
by Hussain Abdul-Hussain via Latest News

Azaz rebels shut town to refugees

Rebels have moved to close down the entrances of the strategic town of Azaz near the Turkish border following the recent ISIS advances in the area.
by NOW via Latest News

Rifi scores political upset in Tripoli

An electoral list backed by former Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi looks poised to take an overwhelming majority of seats in Tripoli’s municipal council in a shock win over candidates backed by the city’s traditional powers.
by NOW via Latest News

رسائل شماليّة

الرسالة السياسيّة الرابعة والأخيرة في الصندوق البلدي، تأتي الآن من الشمال، بعد رسائل ثلاث ذات قاسم مشترك
by Elias El Zoghbi via Latest News

Tripoli readies for a different kind of battle

Nineteen months on from the last militia battle, the city prepares for a vigorous three-way municipal election contest
by Alex Rowell via Latest News

Bloodbath at bakery outside Aleppo

A number of civilians have been killed by airstrikes that hit a bakery in the rebel-held town of Hreitan outside Aleppo, according to activists who blamed Russia for the raid.
by NOW via Latest News

عمليات "إنزال جوي" لإيصال المساعدات إلى مدنيي سوريا

قررت مجموعة الدول الداعمة لسوريا بدء عمليات "إنزال جوّي" لإيصال المساعدات الإنسانية للسوريين المحاصرين
by NOW via Latest News

ISIS pierces rebel lines north of Aleppo

ISIS has launched a wide-scale offensive in northern Aleppo, splitting rebel lines in half in the pocket of opposition-held territory south of the Turkish border.
by NOW via Latest News

Al-Manar presenter posts sexist Facebook status, later claims account was hacked

"Why are women running in elections? Can someone enlighten us?” is the exact translation of a Facebook status update posted Sunday by Al-Manar TV presenter Ali Nour Eddine
by Tamer Salman via Latest News

Bekaa revenge killing inflames tribal tensions

The apparent murder of the nephew of a fugitive Arsal sheikh by the father of a Lebanese soldier executed by Nusra militants could lead to further violence in the region
by Nicholas Blanford via Latest News

New rebel force battling ISIS in northeast Syria

A recently-formed fighting force loyal to Ahmad Jarba, the former head of the opposition Syria National Coalition, has been battling ISIS in the desert north of Deir Ezzor.
by Albin Szakola via Latest News

حزب الله يردّ ؟

إقفال الحسابات المصرفية للعديد من مسؤولي حزب الله تماشياً مع العقوبات الأميركية الجديدة أغضب الحزب، ولكن ماذا بعد؟
by Alex Rowell via Latest News

Shameful Lebanese media turns tragedy into battle of scoops

He kept his word. Maarouf Hamieh, father of murdered Lebanese soldier Mohammad Hamieh, took revenge earlier this week by kidnapping and then shooting Hussein Al-Hujeiri –nephew of Sheikh Mustapha Al-Hujeiri.
by Tamer Salman via Latest News

Treading water in Syria

The United States and Russia create an illusion of progress
by Michael Young via Latest News

Narallah warns of regional tumult prior to US election

The leader of Hezbollah warned that the Middle East would “heat up” in the lead up to the US presidential election in November.
by NOW via Latest News

Syria regime detaining Deir Ezzor refugees in Suweida: activists

The Syrian has detained hundreds of civilians who fled to Suweida province from ISIS rule in Deir Ezzor, according to a local activist group.
by NOW via Latest News

Lebanese man among Jableh suicide bombers

ISIS has claimed that a Lebanese national was among the jihadist group’s suicide bombers that targeted the coastal cities of Jableh and Tartous on Monday.
by NOW via Latest News

Hezbollah doesn’t want a President – Because it doesn’t want a Lebanese Republic

The Party of God is using failed elections to discredit the government
by David Daoud via Latest News

بأيّ حال عدت يا عيد؟

أطلّ الأمين العام لحزب الله حسن نصرالله "مهزوماً" في أسبوع مصطفى بدر الدين، وأبى وجمهوره إلا أن تنتهي مرة أخرى تلك الإطلالة على مأساة قتل أبرياء
by Elie Fawaz via Latest News

The deadly reality of ‘celebratory’ gunfire

Another death this weekend adds to the long toll of the illegal, but widely-tolerated, shooting of guns at social occasions
by Alex Rowell via Latest News

US-backed forces launch Raqqa offensive

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by Kurdish troops have launched a widely-anticipated offensive north of ISIS’s de-facto capital of Raqqa.
by NOW via Latest News

Russia finishes draft for new Syria constitution: report

Russia has put the finishing touches on its proposed draft constitution for Syria that calls for decentralizing power in the country.
by NOW via Latest News

The destruction of moral order in Syria

Sustainable peace in Syria will require not only the cessation of violence, but also the changing people’s narratives and mindsets to view their opponents once more as humans with similar rights and values
by Haid Haid via Latest News

Assad supporters slam Latakia security

A popular pro-Assad outlet based in Syria’s coastal region has issued a fiery complaint against government security measures after a terror wave killed over 150 people in Jableh and Tartous.
by NOW via Latest News

Soleimani: Iran has triumphed in region

The head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force has delivered a bombastic speech in which he claimed that Tehran has “triumphed” over its enemies in the Middle East.
by NOW via Latest News

Aoun to Christians: Apology accepted

Following narrow victories in municipal elections, Lebanon’s oligarchs are attempting to reach out to their independent challengers and bring them back to the fold
by Hussain Abdul-Hussain via Latest News

Terror attacks rock Syria regime’s coastal stronghold

An unprecedented wave of terror attacks has rocked the Syrian regime’s coastal bastion, causing mass casualties in Tartous and Jableh.
by NOW via Latest News

البطريرك والقندلفت

أكبر "فقسة" تواجه المشاهد اللبناني بعد ظهر كل ثلاثاء عندما يكون منتظراً ويحترق شوقاً لرؤية العماد ميشال عون وسماع ما سيقوله بعد الإجتماع الأسبوعي لتكتّل التغيير والإصلاح، أن يضطر لسماع الوزير السابق، والعضو السابق في المجلس الدستوري، المحامي سليم جريصاتي
by Imad Moussa via Latest News

توطين

أيّ خطر حقيقي، من مستوى توطين أو تجنيس أو غيرهما، سواء ورد في تقرير عام، أو في خطط خفيّة، لا يمكن احتكار التصدّي له مع التشكيك بإرادة الآخرين من الشركاء في الوطن والدولة والهويّة والسيادة
by Elias El Zoghbi via Latest News

Hezbollah chief warns Israel against striking party

Hezbollah’s leader warned Israel that his party was prepared to expand the scope of its retaliations for any strike conducted by its arch-foes, but insisted that Tel Aviv was not linked to last week’s explosion that killed Mustafa Badreddine.
by NOW via Latest News

The coming parliamentary stitch-up

After independents surprise at municipal polls, MPs move to ensure the same won’t happen in next year’s parliamentary elections
by Alex Rowell via Latest News

Coalition warns Raqqa residents to flee ISIS capital

“The time you have long awaited for has arrived, it’s time to leave Raqqa,” leaflets dropped by the international coalition battling ISIS said.
by NOW via Latest News

تحطم طائرة مصرية فوق المتوسط

طائرة مصرية كانت في طريقها من باريس إلى القاهرة اختفت من على شاشات الرادار بعد دخولها المجال الجوي المصري فجر الخميس وعلى متنها ‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭6‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭6‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ من الركاب وأفراد الطاقم وأفراد الأمن
by NOW via Latest News

قلق في أوساط الشيعة بعد اغتيال بدر الدين

هل إيران حليفة؟ البعض في الطائفة الشيعية في لبنان يعيدون تقييم الوضع بعد المقتل الغامض لأحد أبرز قيادي حزب الله في سوريا
by Hanin Ghaddar via Latest News

Hide and seek

What did Nabih Berri’s proposals to the national dialogue session on Wednesday hide? Everyone is still scrambling to react to the speaker’s plan, though a Future Movement parliamentarian, Atef Majdalani, described it as “stillborn.”
by Michael Young via Latest News

Pro-Assad militias battle each other in Qalamoun: activists

Two fighting groups loyal to the Syrian regime clashed with each other in a town situated in the mountainous Qalamoun region near the border with Lebanon, according to activist media.
by NOW via Latest News

Sanctions bite Hezbollah; Hezbollah bites back

The closing of several Hezbollah officials’ bank accounts in line with new US sanctions has infuriated the party – but what now?
by Alex Rowell via Latest News

Kurds clash with regime troops in Hasakeh

Fighting has erupted between Kurdish security forces and pro-regime troops in the city of Hasakeh, where both sides maintain an uneasy power-sharing agreement.
by NOW via Latest News

Nusra commander dies in Turkey: monitor

A military commander in the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front has died in Turkey, according to an NGO monitoring developments in war-torn Syria.
by NOW via Latest News

بدر الدين

ستبقى عملية اغتيال مصطفى بدر الدين غامضة لبعض الوقت، كما هو واضح من التناقض والارتباك في الروايات
by Elie Fawaz via Latest News

العنف يجتاح سوريا على وقع مفاوضات فيينا

سعت القوى الكبرى إلى عقد محادثاتفي فيينا لإعادة فرض وقف إطلاق النار في سوريا وضمان وصول المساعدات إلى المناطق المحاصرة، فيما العنف يجتاح أنحاء البلاد
by NOW via Latest News

The illusion of humanitarian impartiality in Syria

The regulations that international organizations are forced to follow in order to distribute aid in the conflict has allowed the Assad regime to politicize the process and gain legitimacy
by Haid Haid via Latest News

Iran MP proposes “Iraqi Revolutionary Guard Corps”

An influential Iranian lawmaker has proposed the formation of an “Iraqi Revolutionary Guard Corps” that would mirror its Iranian counterpart.
by NOW via Latest News

Why Lebanon needs to strengthen the secret vote in elections

Ensuring anonymity at the ballot box would be a vital step in combating the pressure that political parties exert over voters
by Doreen Khoury via Latest News

"خناق" مصرفي على حزب الله

تتوالى في لبنان تداعيات القانون الأميركي الجديد الذي يستهدف الموارد المالية لحزب الله، بفرضه عقوبات على أي شخص يقدّم تمويلاً للحزب
by NOW via Latest News

Badreddine hit sparks fear among Lebanon’s Shiites

Is Iran an ally? Some within the Lebanese Shiite community are reevaluating after the murky killing of a top Hezbollah commander in Syria
by Hanin Ghaddar via Latest News

Takfiri culprits

Hezbollah’s declaration that shelling by extremist groups in Syria was responsible for the death of Mustafa Badreddine last week has raised more questions than answers
by Nicholas Blanford via Latest News

Iran’s Soleimani visits Beirut to honor Badreddine

The head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force told Mustafa Badreddine's son that he will "follow his father's path."
by NOW via Latest News

Pan-Arab militia commander killed outside Damascus

A top commander in an unusual pro-Syrian regime militia composed of fighters from across the Arab world has been killed in fighting outside Damascus.
by NOW via Latest News

Lebanon voters return to the polls

Independent candidates are challenging Hezbollah in Dahiyeh's Ghobeiry and Bourj al-Barajneh.
by NOW via Latest News

حساب بيدر "حزب الله"

حقول "حزب الله" الواسعة، التي تمتدّ من العمق اللبناني إلى الأعماق العربيّة والدوليّة بفعل "تكليفه الشرعي" الإيراني، أعطت محاصيلها الوفيرة على أرضها، وبدأ الآن يجمعها على بيادره، ليكتشف بذهول الفرق الشاسع بين حسابَي الحقل والبيدر
by Elias El Zoghbi via Latest News

What happens to Badreddine’s trial now?

Senior Hezbollah commander declared dead was also top suspect in 2005 assassination of Lebanese prime minister
by Alex Rowell via Latest News

Mystery surrounds death of Hezbollah commander

If Israel is judged responsible for the death of Mustafa Badreddine, Hezbollah’s retaliation will likely follow a similar pattern to recent operations following the deaths of its commanders in Syria
by Nicholas Blanford via Latest News

Timeline: Top Hezbollah military commanders killed in Syria

Following the death of Mustafa Badreddine, NOW takes a look at the trend of prominent military commanders for the Party of God dying in Syria
by Amin Nasr via Latest News

Druze protesters clash with Syria regime loyalists

Protesters in Suweida have clashed with regime loyalists during a rally held by the activist “You Broke Us” group railing against mismanagement of the Druze-populated province.
by Albin Szakola via Latest News

Hezbollah mourns top Syria commander

Hezbollah is mourning the death of Mustafa Badreddine after announcing it was opening an investigation into a “large explosion” that killed him outside Damascus.
by NOW via Latest News

Shiite parties losing ground in a Dahiyeh stronghold

The ongoing municipal elections in Lebanon are challenging outdated power dynamics, even in areas under firm control of political parties
by Myra Abdallah via Latest News

Nasrallah tackles upcoming votes in Shiite suburbs of Beirut

Hezbollah’s chief has called on supporters to once again support slates of candidates backed by the party in Lebanon’s local municipal elections, this time in the Shiite-populated suburbs of Beirut which will vote Sunday.
by NOW via Latest News

حكاية مدينتين: عودة الى انتخابات بيروت

لم يتلكّأ هؤلاء الحالمين عن التعبير عن خيبة أملهم عبر وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي وصولاً الى وصفهم الناس الذين صوّتوا لخصومهم أو امتنعوا عن التصويت بالجهلة أو بالغنم
by Makram Rabah via Latest News

Free at last?

Win or lose, Saad Hariri may finally be his own man
by Michael Young via Latest News

Syria Kurds investigating fate of missing Russia soldiers: monitor

Syrian Kurds are undertaking efforts to discover what happened to “two to three” Russian soldiers that went missing outside Palmyra, according to the SOHR.
by NOW via Latest News

For Beirut Madinati, now what?

Building on the momentum from the municipal elections, Beirut Madinati must transform from a civil society group to a real grass roots political movement
by Hussain Abdul-Hussain via Latest News

Last gynecologist in besieged Damascus area dies

The last gynecologist in the Ghouta outskirts of Damascus has died from wounds suffered during fierce inter-rebel clashes in the besieged region.
by NOW via Latest News

Pro-Assad daily warns of impending bread crisis

A newspaper close to the Bashar al-Assad government has warned that the Syrian capital is facing an impending “bread crisis” as regime-controlled of the areas continue to face worsening economic turmoil.
by NOW via Latest News

عن طريق الخداع والازدراء

سيرحل أوباما عن البيت الابيض بعد اشهر قليلة و سيأخذ معه كاتب القصص القصيرة الطموح بن رودز، لكن تركته الثقيلة الخارجية ستبقى عبئاً على الرئيس القادم
by Elie Fawaz via Latest News

British man “murdered” in Lebanon’s Deir al-Ahmar, says father

Lee Harrison told his father he feared his Lebanese friends would kill him days before he was found hanged
by Alex Rowell via Latest News

A tale of two cities: Beirut elections revisited

Beirut Madinati, who underestimated the populist power of political parties, must learn from their mistakes if the movement is to survive
by Makram Rabah via Latest News

How will Turkey react to ISIS border fire?

The recent uptick in ISIS’s cross border shelling presents both challenges and opportunities for Turkey
by Haid Haid via Latest News

Iran vows revenge for Aleppo losses

Top officials in Tehran have vowed to exact revenge for the heavy losses suffered by Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) troops in a battle in which Islamist fighters seized a village south of Aleppo over the weekend.
by NOW via Latest News

عن نتائج إنتخابات بيروت

يمكن إيراد الكثير من الملاحظات على انتخابات بيروت المحلية، وما شهدته من تحالفات ومن بروز أوّل محاولة "مدنية" إصلاحية جدّية منذ أكثر من عشر سنوات
by Ziad Majed via Latest News

تعلّموا من نسيب لحّود

في التقاليد الديمقراطية، عندما يخسر مرشحٌ المعركة الإنتخابية أو يخسر فريق سياسي أو أهلي، بفارق بسيط أو بفارق آلاف الأصوات عن منافسيه، أقلّ ما عليه فعله الإعتراف بالخسارة وتهنئة الخصم وتقويم النتائج
by Imad Moussa via Latest News

Hariri slams “allies,” Beirut vote counting continues

The leader of the Future Movement has accused parties that publicly backed his Beirutis List of backstabbing the electoral coalition as vote counting continues for the contentious Beirut election.
by NOW via Latest News

بانتظار موسكو

هل يعلّق المجتمع الدولي آماله فيما خصّ سوريا على حسن نية فلاديمير بوتين؟
by Alex Rowell via Latest News

Why change in Lebanon is impossible

The victory of established political parties in the Beirut municipal elections confirms that many Lebanese are still governed by tribal political loyalties
by Hussain Abdul-Hussain via Latest News

Lebanon votes

Municipal elections have kicked off in Lebanon’s capital and the Bekaa Valley, the first round of voting in the county since 2010 as independent lists challenge the hegemony of established parties.
by NOW via Latest News

ما بعد بيروت وزحله

دروس وعِبر كثيرة سيخرج بها أهل المنازلة البلديّة في العاصمة والبقاع، وتحديداً بيروت وزحله، يُمكن التأسيس عليها
by Elias El Zoghbi via Latest News

Nasrallah knocks challengers in upcoming municipal votes

The Hezbollah chief called on supporters to vote for the joint electoral lists being put forward by his party and the Amal Movement.
by NOW via Latest News

Lebanese Shiites disrupting the status quo

Opposition lists in upcoming municipal elections are sounding alarm to Hezbollah
by Hanin Ghaddar via Latest News

"داعش" يتحرّك في لبنان؟

معلومات استخبارية حديثة تشير إلى خطط لدى المجموعة الإرهابية لبناء خلايا نائمة جديدة في البلد
by Nicholas Blanford via Latest News

Syria regime shuffles Qamishli security chiefs

The Syrian regime has reportedly transferred its top security officials in the Hasakeh province responsible for Qamishli following the fierce fighting that erupted in the city between Kurdish and pro-Assad troops in April.
by NOW via Latest News

Kurdish insurgents battle IRGC in Iran

Reports have emerged that Kurdish insurgents attacked Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) troops near the country’s border with Iraq, an incident only briefly mentioned by Iranian media.
by NOW via Latest News

So do Palestinians need to be forgiven?

A response to the NOW commentary “The Palestinians' hypocrisy on Syria”
by Harry Hagopian via Latest News

شراهة

كشفت الانتخابات البلدية رثاثة الحياة العامة في لبنان، ورثاثة القوى السياسية اللبنانية من دون استثناء
by Hazem Al Amin via Latest News

Syria rebels target Druze border village

Syrian rebels have opened fire on the Golan’s Hadar, a Druze-populated village that previously came under attack in the summer of 2015.
by Albin Szakola via Latest News