Syria launches first official print newspaper since fall of Assad

A man reads the newspaper in Damascus on Monday. (AFP)
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Updated 02 December 2025
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Syria launches first official print newspaper since fall of Assad

  • Al-Thawra’s editor-in-chief, Nour Al-Din Ismail, described the relaunch as “the birth of a newspaper worthy of the sacrifices and struggles of Syrians over the past 14 years”

DAMASCUS: The Syrian Arab Republic’s state-owned newspaper Al-Thawra Al-Souria (The Syrian Revolution) — previously known as Al-Thawra — was relaunched on Monday under the slogan “A New Identity … A New Era.”
The publication is returning to print for the first time since 2020 to offer an integrated platform combining print, digital and interactive formats.
A ceremony for the relaunch took place at the National Center for Visual Arts in Damascus.
Former President Bashar Assad’s regime stopped printing dailies during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing rising printing costs and distribution challenges.

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A ceremony for the relaunch took place at the National Center for Visual Arts in Damascus.

Information Minister Hamza Al-Mustafa said at the relaunch ceremony that the return to print marks a reclaiming of Syria’s voice after decades of censorship, describing it as “a statement of presence and identity.”
He added that the newspaper aims to mirror citizens’ daily lives, concerns and aspirations, offering a space for free and responsible discussion.
Highlighting the broader media strategy, Al-Mustafa said the relaunch is part of Syria’s vision for professional and accountable journalism that bridges society and state institutions.
He also announced plans to reactivate other state newspapers, including Al-Hurriya (Freedom), which will focus on the economy and political affairs, and Al-Mawqif Al-Riyadi (Sport’s Outlook), as a comprehensive sports platform, alongside new provincial media initiatives.
Al-Thawra’s editor-in-chief, Nour Al-Din Ismail, described the relaunch as “the birth of a newspaper worthy of the sacrifices and struggles of Syrians over the past 14 years,” highlighting that the initiative opens a “new stage based on transparency, dialogue and responsible freedom of expression.”
The newspaper traces its legacy to Syria’s historic press, with roots in state media that once served as a tool of public discourse and later faced decades of strict censorship.

The relaunch reflects broader efforts to revive print journalism in the country, complementing digital platforms while reinforcing national identity and public trust in media.

 

 


UN-sanctioned migrant smuggler killed in western Libya

Updated 58 min 5 sec ago
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UN-sanctioned migrant smuggler killed in western Libya

  • Libyan authorities report that a notorious militia leader, Ahmed Oumar Al-Fitouri Al-Dabbashi, was killed in a raid by security forces on Friday
  • In 2018, the UN and US sanctioned him for controlling migrant departure areas and exposing migrants to fatal conditions

CAIRO: A notorious militia leader in Libya, sanctioned by the UN for migrant trafficking across the Mediterranean Sea, was killed on Friday in a raid by security forces in the west of the country, according to Libyan authorities.
Ahmed Oumar Al-Fitouri Al-Dabbashi, nicknamed Ammu, was killed in the western city of Sabratha when security forces raided his hideout. The raid came in response to an attack on a security outpost by Al-Dabbashi’s militia, which left six members of the security forces severely wounded, according to a statement issued by the Security Threat Enforcement Agency, a security entity affiliated with Libya’s western government.
Al-Dabbashi, who was also sanctioned by the US Treasury for trafficking, was the leader of a powerful militia, the “Brigade of the Martyr Anas Al-Dabbashi,” in Sabratha, the biggest launching point in Libya for Europe-bound African migrants.
Al-Dabbashi’s brother Saleh Al-Dabbashi, another alleged trafficker, was arrested in the same raid, added the statement.
In June 2018, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Al-Dabbashi, along with another five Libyan traffickers. At the time, the UN report said that there was enough evidence that Al-Dabbashi’s militia controlled departure areas for migrants, camps, safe houses and boats.
Al-Dabbashi himself exposed migrants, including children, to “fatal circumstances” on land and at sea, and of threatening peace and stability in Libya and neighboring countries, according to the same report.
Al-Dabbashi was also sanctioned by the US Treasury for the same reason.
Libya has been a main transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. The country was plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime autocrat Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
The country has been fragmented for years between rival administrations based in the east and the west of Libya, each backed by various armed militias and foreign governments.