LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday caution was needed regarding Syria’s prospects after the end of Bashar Assad’s rule and that the country required “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance on behalf of all Syrians.”
“Discussing the unfolding situation in Syria, the Prime Minister said that the fall of Assad’s brutal regime should be welcomed, but we must be cautious about what comes next,” a spokesperson for Starmer said after the prime minister took part in a call with other Group of Seven leaders.
“All leaders agreed that Syria’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty must be respected throughout the transition process and in future,” the spokesperson added.
The language was similar to that in a G7 statement about Syria issued on Thursday.
Starmer also called on G7 leaders to increase military support for Ukraine against Russia’s 33-month-old invasion and tighten sanctions against Moscow.
UK’s Starmer says Syria needs ‘non-sectarian’ governance
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UK’s Starmer says Syria needs ‘non-sectarian’ governance
- “All leaders agreed that Syria’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty must be respected,” the spokesperson added
Fog temporarily halts flights at Baghdad airport
- A thick fog has blanketed the capital Baghdad and several areas in Iraq, drastically reducing visibility since the early morning hours
BAGHDAD: Iraqi authorities temporarily closed Baghdad International Airport early Thursday due to a thick fog that has reduced visibility, the transport ministry said.
At around 12:30 am (2130 GMT), the ministry announced that “Baghdad International Airport has been temporarily closed to air traffic due to bad weather conditions and reduced visibility,” according to the official INA press agency.
Baghdad and other airports — Najaf in central Iraq and Sulaimaniyah in the Kurdistan region — will remain closed until at least midday, the ministry said in a new statement.
A thick fog has blanketed the capital Baghdad and several areas in Iraq, drastically reducing visibility since the early morning hours, according to AFP correspondents.
Heavy rains over the past two days caused flooding in several areas in Iraq, particularly in the northern autonomous Kurdistan region.
Floods in the north killed at least three people, including a child, according to local authorities. A key bridge connecting the northern city of Kirkuk to Baghdad also collapsed.
Authorities hope the heavy rains will help alleviate water shortages in drought-stricken Iraq, after water reserves in artificial lakes hit their lowest levels in the country’s recent history following a dry season.
Iraq, heavily impacted by climate change, has been ravaged for years by drought and low rainfall.
