Britain has had ‘diplomatic contact’ with Syria’s HTS group

A fighter poses for a picture ahead of Syria’a Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group leader’s speech at the capital’s landmark Umayyad Mosque on December 13, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 15 December 2024
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Britain has had ‘diplomatic contact’ with Syria’s HTS group

  • “HTS remains a proscribed organization, but we can have diplomatic contact and so we do have diplomatic contact as you would expect,” Lammy said

LONDON: Britain has had diplomatic contact with the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) group that swept Syrian President Bashar Assad from power last week, British foreign minister David Lammy said on Sunday.
“HTS remains a proscribed organization, but we can have diplomatic contact and so we do have diplomatic contact as you would expect,” Lammy told broadcasters.
“Using all the channels that we have available, and those are diplomatic and, of course, intelligence-led channels, we seek to deal with HTS where we have to.”
On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has had direct contact with HTS.


Paris flat collapses during party, one badly injured

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Paris flat collapses during party, one badly injured

PARIS: The floor of a Paris flat collapsed during a crowded party this weekend, seriously injuring one person, police, rescue services and prosecutors said on Sunday.
The floor of the fifth-floor apartment caved in during a gathering of around 50 people on Saturday night in the French capital’s 11th district, they said.
One person suffered cardiorespiratory arrest, but was resuscitated and immediately taken to hospital after the accident, police said.
Fourteen other people were also being treated for their injuries, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
Police said rescue teams had propped up the fourth floor to avoid further damage, but that the building’s overall structure was intact.
Paris has a density of around 20,000 inhabitants per square kilometer, with Parisians often squeezing into cramped quarters because of high rent.