UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan delivers a statement upon his arrival at Damascus May 28. — Photo Reuters

DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with peace envoy Kofi Annan, the state news agency SANA said on Tuesday, following a massacre which Syria's government blamed on militants, while the global body suggested government forces played a role. 

Annan is attempting to salvage a six-week-old peace plan that has UN and Arab League backing, but which has barely slowed the bloodshed in a 14-month-old uprising against Assad that began with mass protests and now has an armed insurgency.

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
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Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
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Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
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Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
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Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
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Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...