Damascus

By Jane Arraf in Middle East on October 9th, 2011
Saad Lostan, well-known from Arabic-lanugage film and TV

"Are you a student?" I asked a Syrian man near the border with Jordan, where thousands have fled to escape the escape the violence in their home country.

"I’m an actor,” he said.

I didn’t recognize him but many Arab film-goers would. It was Saad Lostan - the star of "After the Rain" and TV series "My Heart is With You" - waiting for Jordanian authorities to let him begin life in exile.

Lostan told me he'd left his apartment in Damascus after being in hiding for more than a month. He had helped organize anti-government demonstrations in the Syrian capital and said secret police had twice raided his home and sent word that they were looking for him.

"I don’t think I'm very dangerous," he said with a weary smile.

By Gregg Carlstrom in Middle East on June 7th, 2011
Gay girl in Damascus

Update: A US student based in Scotland has indentified himself as the author of the "Gay Girl in Damascus" blog, sparking an outcry from rights campaigners around the world.

By Cal Perry in Middle East on April 24th, 2011



Every other journalist is trying to get into Syria, but on Saturday I was trying to get out. The government had made it perfectly clear: My visa was expiring and unless I left on April 23, I would "face the full force of the law".

I had agreed the night before with my cameraman, Ben Mitchell, over a drink that neither of us wanted to discover what "full force of the law" meant. So the debate was really whether I should fly out from Damascus or drive to Amman, Jordan, and fly from there.

The decision was made that he would fly out from Damascus, the Syrian capital, with the gear and I would drive to Amman. I had left my second passport there with a friend. One for Arab countries and the other for Israel. Welcome to 21st century diplomatic relations.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 22nd, 2011
[Photo by Reuters]

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 22nd, 2011
Photo from Baniyas, provided by activivists

 

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 20th, 2011

 

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 19th, 2011
Worshippers pray during a protest in Homs yesterday [Photo: Reuters]

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 18th, 2011

Thousands continue to take to the streets across Syria, despite reform pledges by president Bashar al-Assad. We bring you the latest news from our correspondents and other sources.

Syria Spotlight

All times given are local (GMT+3)

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 15th, 2011
Yemeni Anti-government protesters in Taiz [AFP]

 

As the unrest  in the Middle East continues, we update you with the latest developments from across the region.

Read on for the latest from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe.

Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.

By Al Jazeera Staff in Middle East on April 8th, 2011
File picture of protesters in Amman, Jordan [AFP]

As the unrest  in the Middle East continues, we update you with the latest developments from Syria, Yemen and across the region.

Read on for the latest from our correspondents, news agencies and citizens across the globe.

Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.

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