BEIRUT, Lebanon – The Syrian government appeared to make a significant concession to the opposition Wednesday, agreeing to renew the passports of millions of Syrians living abroad.
19 tourists killed in hot air balloon accident in Egypt
The terror lasted less than two minutes: Smoke poured from a hot air balloon carrying sightseers on a sunrise flight over the ancient city of Luxor, it burst in a flash of flame and then plummeted about 1,000 feet to earth. A farmer watched helplessly as tourists trying to escape the blazing gondola leaped to […]
Lahood warns FAA cuts would delay flights
Flight delays as long as 90 minutes at major airports, including those in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, are expected if automatic U.S. spending cuts set to begin March 1 take effect, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Friday.
Five dead on Canary Islands cruise ship, report
Five crew members have died after a lifeboat they were in fell from a cruise ship docked in the port of Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canary Islands. The accident happened on the Majesty, operated by UK-based Thomson Cruises, during a routine safety drill.
Sandy forces Airlines to cancel flights, move planes
As Hurricane Sandy made its leisurely but threatening trip up the East Coast, airlines canceled thousands of flights, moved planes to safer ground and began offering refunds to stranded travelers. By Sunday evening, more than 6,800 flights scheduled for Sunday and Monday had been canceled, according to travel monitoring site FlightAware.com.
Syria bans Turkey civilian flights over its territory
Turkish civilian planes are no longer allowed to fly over Syria, Damascus has said, amid growing tensions between the two neighbouring countries. The ban took effect at midnight (2100GMT) on Saturday. This comes just days after Turkey intercepted a Syrian-bound plane, claiming it carried Russian-made munitions for the Syrian army.
US urges Americans to avoid travel to Lebanon
The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert Monday advising U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to Lebanon because of heightened security concerns. Conflict in neighboring Syria has threatened to spill into Lebanon. Also, anti-American sentiment in the region in general remains high as protests continue over a film produced in the United States that was […]
UAE’s Etihad aiways suspends all Damascus flights
Etihad Airways, the UAE’s national carrier announced on Thursday that it had suspended flights between Abu Dhabi and Damascus with immediate effect and until further notice. “The decision, while not taken lightly, has been made due to the deteriorating security position in Syria,”
A Kuwaiti citizen was kidnapped in Bekaa valley
A Kuwaiti citizen who was identified as Issam al-Houti, 52 was kidnapped by gunmen in the area of Hawsh al-Ghanam in the eastern Bekaa valley, National News Agency reported on Saturday.
In Lebanon, kidnapping by clans raise alarm
The logic of the Lebanese Meqdad clan was simple: One of the group’s fellow clansmen had been captured in Syria, and they were going to kidnap as many people as it took to barter for his freedom. The detained clansman, Hassan Meqdad, was bloodied and bruised when he appeared in a video released by Syrian […]