Delegation observing Syrian elections reaches Damascus
Ted Kelly | workers.org | 2021-05-25
Damascus, Syria May 23 — As the global conflict centered in their country enters the 11th year, Syrians are preparing for May 26 national elections. Thousands of citizens displaced by war and U.S.-imposed sanctions have already cast their ballots in Lebanon, Iran, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere round . . . | Continue reading Delegation observing Syrian elections reaches Damascus at Workers.org…
workers.org/2021/05/56612/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=56612

Military Situation In Syria On May 25, 2021 (Map Update)
Anonymous007 | southfront.org | 2021-05-25
Click to see full-size image | On May 24, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 40 times: 20 — in Idlib province, 11 — in Latakia province, 7 — in Hama province, 2 — in Aleppo province | On May 24, Three people were killed by a motorcycle bomb explosion in Jarablus city | On May 24, Russian police conducted a joint military patrol with the Turkish army in the vicinity of the city of Ain al-Arab | The Russian Defense Ministry warns of "
southfront.org/military-situation-in-syria-on-may-25-2021-map-update/

Russia Completes Runway Reconstruction At Hmeimim Air Base In Syria With Tu-22M3 Landing
Anonymous007 | southfront.org | 2021-05-25
Click to see full-size image | At Russia's Hmeimim Airbase in Syria, the reconstruction of the runway was completed. | Following the refurbishing, the air base in Syria is capable of receiving all types of Russian military aircraft, including heavy models, the Ministry of Defense said. | The second runway became longer, and the surface was completely replaced and new lighting and radio equipment was installed."It is the first time that aircraft of this type are based at the Khmeimim airfield. Crews of lon…
southfront.org/russia-completes-runway-reconstruction-at-hmeimim-air-base-in-syria-with-tu-22m3-landing/

Hezbollah: Powerless Against Gaza, Israel is Doomed to Disappear
Anonymous103 | southfront.org | 2021-05-24
Illustrative Image | Speech by Sayed Hashem Safi al-Din, Head of the Executive Office of Hezbollah, on May 17, 2021, at a rally in support of Gaza and Palestine, held in the southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahiyeh), four days before the ceasefire. | Translation: resistancenews.org | Transcript: | In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. | Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers & greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Abul…
southfront.org/hezbollah-powerless-against-gaza-israel-is-doomed-to-disappear/

Irish Parties and People demand Expulsion of Israeli ambassador, Fines for importing Settler-made Goods
Juan Cole | juancole.com | 2021-05-24
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The recent Israeli assault on the Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the bombardment of Gaza, has stirred passions in the Irish Republic, where public opinion has swung around to be strongly in favor of Palestinian rights and critical of the Apartheid, Occupation government of Israel. Rallies have …
juancole.com/2021/05/expulsion-ambassador-importing.html

Irish Parties and People demand Expulsion of Israeli ambassador
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2021-05-24
The recent Israeli assault on the Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the bombardment of Gaza, has stirred passions in the Irish Republic…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/irish-parties-and-people-demand-expulsion-of-israeli-ambassador/

International observers arrive in Syria ahead of elections
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2021-05-24
Damascus, Syria – On May 23, an international solidarity delegation arrived in Syria to observe elections set to take place on Wednesday, May 26, when voters will decide the next president of the Syrian Arab Republic. | Syria has been under attack since 2011 when a mix of reactionary militias and foreign mercenaries, some armed and funded by the U.S. and its regional allies, violently seized control of parts of the country with the aim of toppling the anti-imperialist government. Lacking internal unity or coherent popular legitimacy, by 2018 these groups were largely defeated by Syrian forces. Portions of the cou…
www.fightbacknews.org/2021/5/24/international-observers-arrive-syria-ahead-elections

Let Lebanon be Lebanon: Paris should Stop Threatening Beirut with EU Sanctions
John Hickman | juancole.com | 2021-05-24
John Hickman "Governing Lebanon is surely more daunting than governing France."[1] That pearl of wisdom in an essay defending consociational democracy by University of Pennsylvania political scientist Brendan O'Leary has never been more accurate. A delicate balance of domestic interests with institutional vetoes at the best of times, Lebanese politics has been stalemated for months …
juancole.com/2021/05/lebanon-threatening-sanctions.html

Syrian Refugees and Residents Abroad Vote Massively in Presidential Elections
Saheli Chowdhury | orinocotribune.com | 2021-05-24
May 23 (Special for OrinocoTribune.com)–On Thursday, May 20, Syrian refugees and residents in different countries around the world voted in massive numbers at Syrian diplomatic missions that were turned into polling centers for the presidential elections. This was the first day of voting in a two-day process–within Syria, citizens will go to polls on May 26. | The generally peaceful electoral process was only marred by xenophobic attacks against Syrian voters in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed one voter, reported Syria News. | The first country to open the polling centers was Australia, where Syrians reg…
orinocotribune.com/syrian-refugees-and-residents-abroad-vote-massively-in-presidential-elections/

NPR Should Ask Where Nicaraguan Non-Profits' Money Comes From
John Perry | counterpunch.org | 2021-05-24
Imagine what would happen if the US media discovered that a candidate in the mid-term elections was under investigation by the FBI for receiving money from a foreign government. Then, suppose it was one that's hostile to the US, perhaps Syria or Iran, and that the same government was also covertly funding election coverage in,…
counterpunch.org/2021/05/24/npr-should-ask-where-nicaraguan-non-profits-money-comes-from/