US attacks on Yemen killed 123 people since mid-March: Health authorities
Houthi-affiliated outlet reports 15 US strikes in Marib, as Yemeni group vows to maintain ‘steadfast position’ on Gaza. The United States’ bombardment campaign in Yemen has killed at least 123 people – mostly civilians – since mid-March, health officials in the capital Sanaa say. Yemen’s Ministry of Health said on Monday that US attacks have also injured 247 others, stressing that the victims include many women and children. Civilians have been targeted, families wiped out, military sites destroyed and soldiers killed. US President Donald Trump has vowed that the Houthis will be “completely annihilated” under daily strikes by the United States military. Washington says its campaign aims to stop Houthi attacks against Israel as well as shipping lanes in the Red Sea. However, the Yemeni group has pledged to continue its military operations until Israel ends its war and siege on Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. Trump has been suggesting that the Houthi group – also known as Ansar Allah – has been severely weakened. But the Yemeni group says the US offensive has proven to be a failure and is only targeting civil officials and civilian infrastructure. Advertisement On Sunday, a US strike targeted a ceramic factory in Sanaa province, killing six people and injuring 30 others, according to the Health Ministry. “We hold the American administration fully responsible for its continuing crimes and massacres against civilian dignitaries and civilians and its direct and repeated bombardment of infrastructure, industrial facilities and civil officials,” the ministry said. On Monday, the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported more US attacks, including 15 strikes in the Marib governorate. Despite the US campaign, the Iran-aligned Houthis – who present themselves as Yemen’s official armed forces – said on Sunday that they fired two missiles at Israel and launched a separate drone attack against a “vital” target on the Israeli coast. “The Israeli enemy, along with the Americans, must realise that beloved Yemen – its leadership, people, and army – will not back down from its steadfast position in supporting and backing the oppressed Palestinian people … regardless of the repercussions and the outcomes,” the Yemeni group said in a statement. The Houthi attack triggered sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Sunday, but the Israeli army said it detected and intercepted one missile, not two. Hamas praised the latest attack, with the spokesperson of its military branch, Abu Obeida, saying that Palestinians will not forget the “honourable” stance of the Yemeni group. “The honest brothers in Yemen continue to insist on paralysing the heart of the Zionist entity, standing by Gaza, which is being subjected to a fierce genocide, despite paying a heavy price with their precious blood and their country’s resources,” Abu Obeida said in a statement. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Can Israel continue bombing Gaza’s health services?
Israel’s bombing of Gaza’s last functional hospitals turns treatable conditions into death sentences. Patients in Gaza are dying of treatable wounds and illnesses due to Israeli attacks and its aid blockade. Israel bombed one of the last working hospitals in Gaza on Sunday, meaning more Palestinians with routine health conditions might now face death. Targeting health facilities is a war crime, yet it has continually occurred in the war on Gaza. So what’s the impact of Israel’s attacks on patients and doctors? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Olga Cherevko – spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza Dr Tanya Haj Hassan – paediatric intensive care doctor who has worked in Gaza Dr Mads Gilbert – emergency medicine doctor and senior consultant at the University Hospital of North Norway who has worked in Gaza Adblock test (Why?)
El Salvador, US shift responsibility for wrongful deportation
NewsFeed In an Oval Office meeting between the presidents of El Salvador and the United States, officials from both governments tried to say it was the other side who could determine if the wrongfully deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia would be returned to the US. Published On 14 Apr 202514 Apr 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Voters widely oppose taxpayer-funded gender surgeries, revealing Democrat Party’s vulnerability: poll
Taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries remain a vulnerable issue for the Democratic Party that most voters oppose, according to a recent survey by the American Principles Project (APP) targeting likely midterm voters. “We wanted to help educate Americans, but mostly legislators, about where Americans or how Americans feel about funding for gender identity programs, specifically in healthcare services, especially in light of Congress deliberating on spending and doing the reconciliation bills and all of that,” Terry Schilling, APP executive director, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “We want to make sure that they knew just how unpopular these programs are to fund by tax dollars.” The survey, conducted in early April with 1,500 respondents, found that 43% of people who voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the last election are against using taxpayer money to fund gender transition procedures, including surgeries and hormone treatments. WATCH: DEMS SPAR WITH WHISTLEBLOWER WHO EXPOSED CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOR PERFORMING TRANS SURGERIES ON MINORS “That was a little bit higher than we typically see for Democrat voters,” Schilling said. APP is a socially conservative nonprofit advocacy group. During the last few months of President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, his administration released high-budget ads targeting transgender women in women’s sports that may have helped move the needle with swing voters, with one ad famously proclaiming “Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you.” The ad focused on Harris’ track record of ushering in sex change procedures for incarcerated people in California. The survey found that nearly 66% of Americans don’t think the federal government should be funding gender transition procedures, including puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries. The survey did not differentiate between minors and adults. TRUMP ADMIN WARNS STATES TO COMPLY WITH HOUSING PRISONERS BY THEIR BIOLOGICAL SEX OR FACE FUNDING CUTOFF “The higher ups, like the elected officials in the Democratic Party, are going the other way, and it’s not going to work out well for them,” Schilling said. “Democrats are in a really tough spot. They have to choose between 20 to 30% of the base, which supports paying for gender transitions and surgeries with tax dollars, or the swing voters, which swing voters do not want at all.” In 2021, former President Joe Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to expand anti-discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity, including in healthcare. He also reinterpreted Title IX to ensure those same protections applied within educational settings. The administration supported state-level initiatives, such as Colorado’s inclusion of transgender treatments in its essential health benefits, under the Affordable Care Act. “I think that the more Donald Trump’s been talking about it and bringing attention to it, the more people are going to the Republican side on the issue,” Schilling said. COLORADO DEMS RAM ABORTION, TRANSGENDER BILLS THROUGH ON LIMITED SUNDAY SESSION DEBATE: ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ Another question of the survey asked respondents, “If the November 2026 general election for U.S. Congress was held today, and you knew that the Democratic candidate supports allowing federal tax dollars to pay for gender transition procedures, including puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries, would you vote for the Republican or Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress?” Fifty-two percent of respondents said they would vote for the Republican candidate, while 39% said they would back the Democrat. Trump has clamped down on “radical gender ideology” since taking office, cutting all federal funding for gender transition surgeries for minors and through public healthcare. He has also banned biological males from competing in women’s sports and mandated that transgender individuals serve according to their biological sex in the military.
Rep Ro Khanna tees up 2028 rivalry during pointed speech in JD Vance’s home state
During remarks in Vice President JD Vance’s home state, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., contrasted his vision for America’s “new economic patriotism” with the future of the Republican Party with Vance at the helm. Considered a 2028 presidential contender in an already crowded field, Khanna’s remarks at the City Club of Cleveland seemed to frame an early rivalry between the rising political leaders from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. While Democratic leaders, who are likely mulling their own presidential runs, have seized opportunities to contrast President Donald Trump’s agenda, Khanna took aim at Trump’s likely successor during remarks on Monday. “Vance and Musk want to completely get government out of the way to usher in a new Gilded Age, so that corporate elites, particularly tech titans, can take the wheel,” Khanna said. “I say it’s time to turn the tables. It’s time to put Silicon Valley in the service of America, not America in the service of Silicon Valley. That’s why today I’m calling for a new economic patriotism. What we need in this country is a new economic patriotism, not a second Gilded Age.” VANCE DOUBLES DOWN AFTER TRUMP ADMIN ADMITS ‘ERROR’ SENDING MAN TO SALVADORAN PRISON Khanna, who was born in Philadelphia, touted his ties to Ohio during remarks in Cleveland, where his wife was born and raised. Khanna said Trump and Vance campaigned on restoring economic prosperity to industrial American cities but have presented “no hopeful vision, no real solutions” for manufacturing cities in the Rust Belt like Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and Warren, Ohio. Now representing California’s Silicon Valley, Khanna called for “fusing Silicon Valley’s ingenuity with Ohio’s industrial might.” CONGRESSMAN CALLS FOR ZUCKERBERG TO ANSWER ON CHINA DEALINGS Ohio GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou responded to Khanna’s remarks in a statement to Fox News Digital: “Ro Khanna is a far-left socialist from one of the wealthiest and wokest congressional districts in America. He served as an official surrogate for both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. This speech is nothing but another desperate plea for attention from another elitist politician wholly out-of-touch with Middle Class voters like those in Ohio.” “His remarks remind Americans that California extremist liberals like Ro Khanna are responsible for enabling open borders, mass illegal immigration, and the out-of-control government spending of the Biden regime. He should’ve stayed in California.” While Khanna did attack Trump’s tariffs and “propaganda,” Khanna was careful to target the joint “Trump and Vance” agenda, critique Vance individually and increasingly connect Vance to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Khanna tied Vance to anti-democracy ideology, his “old” ideas for the United States and his tax breaks for Silicon Valley, which Khanna said they don’t need. With the U.S. House of Representatives on recess this week, Khanna is crisscrossing the country and visiting communities tied to his potential political opponent. Khanna visited the manufacturing town of Warren, Ohio, on Sunday, which is across the state from where Vance was born and raised in Middletown. Khanna will continue his Democratic rebuttal of the future of the Republican Party at Yale Law School on Tuesday, where both Khanna and Vance are graduates. “I’m going actually to Yale tomorrow, where JD and I both went to law school, to talk about freedom of speech because he’s been lecturing Europe about freedom of speech while sitting silently while students are snatched off campus and deported without due process.” During the Munich Security Conference in February, Vance said free speech “is in retreat” across Europe. On Monday, Khanna called for Americans to stand up and speak out against “deportations without due process” – referring to anti-Israel protesters and illegal immigrants who have been targeted by the Trump administration. Khanna and Vance have already had their fair share of sparring on social media. Earlier this year, Vance accused the California congressman of acting like a “whiny” child after Khanna said a former DOGE employee should apologize for racially charged social media posts. Khanna told Vance the now-resigned staffer should apologize “for the sake of both of our kids,” who are both of Indian dissent. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Vance’s office did not provide a comment when requested by Fox News Digital.
Trump says he’s looking at certain tariff exemptions for automakers: ‘They need a little bit of time’
President Donald Trump told reporters Monday afternoon that he was “looking” into potential part-specific tariff exemptions for carmakers, underscoring Trump’s stance that it is important to be “flexible” amid the current trade negotiations. Trump’s signal about a potential reprieve for auto manufacturers comes after the administration moved to exempt electronic devices — such as smartphones, iPhones and laptops — from the president’s reciprocal tariffs on Friday. Trump’s decision to provide certain exemptions falls in line with his stance that it is crucial to be “flexible” amid the ongoing trade negotiations, but Democrats have criticized the recent exemptions for adding more uncertainty to the situation. “I’m looking at something to help some of the car companies, where they are switching to parts that were made in Canada, Mexico and other places,” the president told reporters from the Oval Office Monday afternoon, during a meeting with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. “They’re going to make them here, but they need a little bit of time — so I’m talking about things like that.” TRUMP, BUKELE FIND COMMON CAUSE ON TRANS SPORTS BAN AND BORDER CRACKDOWN While talking to reporters, Trump also reiterated comments he made last week about the need to be flexible amid the ongoing tariff negotiations with various countries. “Look, I’m a very flexible person. I don’t change my mind, but I’m flexible, and you have to be. You just can’t have a wall, and you’ll only — sometimes you have to go around it, under it or above it,” Trump told reporters. “There will be maybe things coming… I don’t want to hurt anybody, but the end result is we’re going to get to the position of greatness for our country.” A notice published by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on Friday indicated that smartphones, computers and other electronics would be spared from Trump’s 145% import tariffs on Chinese goods. However, the electronics will still be subject to semiconductor tariffs and tariffs related to fentanyl, per the administration and the president. TRUMP’S TARIFF BLITZ NOW EXEMPTING ELECTRICAL GOODS LIKE PHONES, LAPTOPS Trump signaled last week after he paused reciprocal tariff increases on 75 countries that showed a good-faith effort to negotiate new trade deals that he was open to providing exemptions for certain U.S. companies inordinately impacted by the tariffs. The president’s signal that more relief could be on the way for carmakers comes after he already provided the industry with a one-month reprieve from the 25% tariffs imposed on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico, implemented March 4, after speaking with executives with three of the country’s largest auto dealers. While Trump has characterized his willingness to provide tariff relief as a sign he is willing to be flexible, Democrats have described the moves to provide relief for certain industries as chaotic and corrupt. “I told Fareed Zakaria this morning: When you start giving an exemption here and an exemption there on tariffs, it’s introducing all kinds of corruption into the system,” Lawrence Summers, former Clinton and Obama administration economic advisor, said Sunday. “It’s introducing what economists call rent seeking, where it’s hugely advantageous for people to be friends of the first family and hugely advantageous for people to hire lobbyists. So, the big boom that’s being created with tariffs is in a crony capitalism.” TRUMP VOWS NOBODY GETTING ‘OFF THE HOOK’ FOR ‘UNFAIR’ TRADE BALANCES, SAYS THERE WAS NO TARIFF ‘EXCEPTION’ “Look, there is no tariff policy. It’s just all chaos and corruption,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., added in an interview with ABC News over the weekend. “These guys are into chaos and into corruption, and this is the reason that it is time for Congress to step up and to say, under the authority that the president is currently using by declaring these national emergencies — no — the law says specifically Congress can just say, ‘There’s no national emergency across the board here,’ and revoke that authority from the president. That will mean we can go back to having actually a real tariff policy. Congress will have its position in place, and then we can negotiate where we need to negotiate, but we got to stop this craziness.” Meanwhile, in a weekend Truth Social post following criticism from the likes of people like Warren and Summers, the president sought to defend the move to provide some relief to the electronics industry. “NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook’ for the unfair trade balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other countries have used against us, especially not China which, by far, treats us the worst!” said Trump. “There was no tariff ‘exception’ announced on Friday,” Trump declared in the post, noting that electronics will still be subject to a 20% tariff related to fentanyl. “They are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.’ The Fake News knows this, but refuses to report it. We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment, and to inquire about further details regarding the potential temporary tariff relief for automakers, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Cuomo lands key endorsement as comeback bid for NYC mayor heats up
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is showcasing the backing of two powerful labor unions as he runs for mayor of the nation’s most populous city. The former three-term Democratic governor, who resigned amid multiple scandals in 2021, was endorsed on Monday by the labor groups 32BJ SEIU and Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, which represent building service workers and hotel and casino employees. The endorsements, which are highly coveted in heavily unionized New York City, will likely further cement Cuomo’s frontrunner status in June’s Democratic Party mayoral primary, as he runs to oust embattled Mayor Eric Adams from City Hall. “The members of @32BJSEIU and @NYHTC are the backbone of NY. They clean our buildings, run our hotels, care for our communities, and keep this city moving. Without a strong middle class, no city can survive – let alone thrive – and right now, we are dangerously close to losing them,” Cuomo warned in a statement on social media. CUOMO SHOWCASES EYE-POPPING HAUL IN NYC MAYORAL RACE And he highlighted that “I have fought for and alongside the men and women of 32BJ and HTC for years – their faith in me is a tremendous boost for our campaign and I am proud to have their endorsement.” The two unions, which combined have over 120,000 workers in their ranks, are the latest organized labor groups to back Cuomo. WHO’S THE FRONT-RUNNER IN NEW YORK CITY’S MAYORAL RACE Cuomo’s March 1 campaign launch, into an already crowded field of contenders, rocked the race. With over two months to go until the June 24 primary, Cuomo is the clear polling and fundraising frontrunner in the race for the Democratic mayoral nomination. And the winner of the Democratic primary will be considered the overwhelming frontrunner in November’s mayoral election in solidly blue New York City. But now that the 2025 mayoral race is Cuomo’s to lose, his rivals are zeroing in on the former governor’s immense political baggage. Cuomo has spent the past four years fighting to clear his name after 11 sexual harassment accusations – which he has repeatedly denied – forced his resignation as governor in August 2021. He was also under investigation for his handling of the COVID pandemic amid allegations his administration vastly understated COVID-related deaths at state nursing homes. The former governor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS, ON ANDREW CUOMO Adams’ poll numbers were sinking even before he was indicted last year on five counts, which accused the mayor of bribery and fraud as part of an alleged “long-running” scheme to personally profit from contacts with foreign officials. The mayor made repeated overtures to now-President Donald Trump, and in February the Justice Department moved to dismiss the corruption charges, so he could seemingly work with the Trump administration on its illegal immigration crackdown. The top federal prosecutor in New York City resigned rather than comply, and argued that the mayor had agreed to a quid pro quo with the Justice Department. In a final move, a federal judge earlier this month dismissed the Justice Department case against the mayor, but argued that the Trump administration’s grounds for having the case dropped “smacks of a bargain”. A few days later, Adams announced that he would forgo the Democratic primary and run for re-election as an independent.
Man arrested in Georgia for threats against Tulsi Gabbard, her husband
Police arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly sending threatening messages to director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and her husband. The DOJ announced the arrest of Aliakbar Mohammed Amin on Monday, saying he had sent threatening text messages to Gabbard between March 29 and April 1. The threats included Amin allegedly writing, “You and your family are going to die soon” and “I will personally do the job if necessary.” “Death to America means death to America literally, Tulsi is living on borrowed time,” another text read. TRUMP CAUTIONS ‘BAD THINGS’ IN STORE IF IRAN WON’T NEGOTIATE AS ISLAMIC REPUBLIC TOUTS ‘MISSILE CITY’ “The home you two own in Texas is a legitimate target and will be hit at a time and place of our choosing,” another said. “Prepare to die, you, Tulsi, and everyone you hold dear. America will burn,” Amin allegedly wrote in another text. TRUMP THREATENS TO BOMB IRAN UNLESS THEY END NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM AND BEGIN TALKS ON NEW DEAL “Threatening to harm public officials is a criminal act that cannot be excused as political discourse,” Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. said in a statement regarding the arrest. “Our Office, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously prosecute individuals who commit these acts of violence.” Police apprehended Amin in Lilburn, Georgia, on April 11. He faces charges of transmitting interstate threats to injure Gabbard. “The FBI sees all threatening communications as a serious federal offense. We will employ every investigative tool and resource available to identify those responsible and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Let this arrest serve as a clear warning: if you engage in this kind of criminal behavior, you will be caught and you will go to prison.” Federal agents say they also discovered similar threats allegedly made by Amin in social media posts, including an image depicting a firearm pointed at a photograph of Gabbard, and a second image of a firearm pointed at a photograph of Gabbard and her husband. Federal agents recovered a firearm while executing a warrant to search Amin’s home.
Pete Marocco, mastermind behind dismantling of USAID projects, leaves State Department
Pete Marocco, the official who oversaw the dismantling of USAID, has now parted ways with the agency. Marocco, who served in the Defense, State and Commerce departments, was known as a conservative firebrand with a deep skepticism of foreign aid. His tenure sparked fierce protests on Capitol Hill and drew sharp criticism from Democrats, who celebrated his exit but said questions remain about the future of U.S. foreign aid. “Pete was brought to State with a big mission to conduct an exhaustive review of every dollar spent on foreign assistance,” a senior administration official said of the departure. “He conducted that historic task and exposed egregious abuses of taxpayer dollars. We all expect big things are in store for Pete on his next mission.” After President Donald Trump merged USAID with the State Department, Secretary Marco Rubio named Marocco acting deputy administrator of the agency, and he went to work whittling down the $40-billion, 10,000-employee USAID office. THOUSANDS OF USAID TERMINATIONS TO TAKE EFFECT BY SEPTEMBER IN AGENCY’S FINAL LEG OF ‘DRAWDOWN’ “I continue to serve President Trump just as enthusiastically as I did last week, last month and last year,” Marocco told Fox News Digital of his departure. “He is a once-in-a-lifetime leader of a movement for change to our government and to restore American greatness. President Trump has the swamp on the run so we should intensify the fight.” Of the agency’s 6,000 programs, only about 900 will now continue to operate, Rubio said on a podcast with Donald Trump Jr. last week. In the past, USAID did not adhere to State Department authority and “did whatever they wanted,” according to Rubio. In a March 19 op-ed for RealClearPolitics, Marocco argued that U.S. foreign aid has “created a global welfare state, committed unwelcome political interventions, encouraged unsustainable international labor unions (communism), made countries less capable of thriving in the modern global economy, and funded international organizations that spite our great country.” Marocco learned he would no longer be employed at the State Department late last week, sources told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. USAID is now being run by a DOGE official. Democrats celebrated the departure of Marocco. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, ranking member of the State and Foreign Operations subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, said Marocco brought “chaos to USAID, reckless and unlawful policy to the State Department, and dismantled long-standing U.S. foreign policy.” APPEALS COURT RULES DOGE CAN CONTINUE OPERATING AT USAID “With his exit, serious questions still remain about the influence he leaves behind and whether or not Secretary Rubio plans to take actions that advance the mission and credibility of the United States,” Schatz added. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran with a master’s degree in international humanitarian law from the University of Oxford, Marocco worked in USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives in 2020 and was the subject of a 13-page memo posted in the agency’s “dissent channel,” in which employees warned that “operational capacity and strategic efficacy have been and continue to be rapidly degraded” under his leadership. The memo said Marocco had wanted to personally approve all expenditures over $10,000 for the office with a budget of $225 million. “He has leveraged once-routine administrative processes to reopen previously-approved plans, interrogate and redirect country programs, halt movement on programs, procurements, and people, and inject uncertainty into daily operations and office planning,” the memo said. “Intervention is urgently needed.”
Lebanese PM visits Syria’s president to reset years of strained relations
Nawaf Salam meets Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss border security, refugees, and past political killings under ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has held talks in Damascus with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in his first official visit to Syria, in an effort to recalibrate relations between the two nations, which have been strained for decades. The diplomatic shuttle on Monday marks the highest-level Lebanese delegation visiting Syria since Beirut’s new government took office in February, following the ouster of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad by opposition forces. A Lebanese official, speaking to the AFP news agency anonymously as they were not authorised to brief the media, described the visit as “key to correcting the course of ties between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect”. ‘Resetting bilateral relations’ Senior Al Jazeera correspondent Zeina Khodr, reporting from Damascus on a pivotal moment for Lebanon-Syria relations, said, “No doubt this is a significant visit. Lebanese officials say that this is an opportunity to correct the trajectory of the relationship between the two countries.” Advertisement The two nations have long faced strained ties marked by “conflict, friction and tension”, Khodr noted. “There was a time when Bashar al-Assad was in power. Syria was accused of interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs in dictating domestic policy in Lebanon,” she said, recalling Syria’s years of military presence in the neighbouring country and Hezbollah’s support for al-Assad during Syria’s civil war. Recent political shifts in both countries have opened new possibilities. “New authorities are now in Damascus and there is also a new government in Lebanon … al-Assad is out of power, and his ally, Hezbollah in Lebanon, is no longer the dominant player,” Khodr said, adding that all this has led to a mutual desire to “reset bilateral relations”. After the talks concluded and the Lebanese delegation left Damascus, Salam posted on X: “My visit to Damascus today aims to open a new page in the history of relations between the two countries, based on mutual respect, restoring trust, good neighbourliness, preserving the sovereignty of our two countries, and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. Lebanon’s prime minister also noted that “Discussions with President Ahmed al-Sharaa focused among other issues on border and crossing control, preventing smuggling, and ultimately demarcating the land and sea borders.” Tense relations and political assassinations Relations between Lebanon and Syria have remained tense since al-Assad’s fall. Additionally, both countries have been regularly bombarded by Israel. In Lebanon’s case, that has come in spite of the November ceasefire that ended a year-long war. Advertisement Monday’s talks focused on border security, including efforts to combat smuggling and demarcate the 330km (205-mile) border. Last month, Lebanon and Syria’s defence ministers signed a security agreement in Saudi Arabia following deadly border clashes that left 10 dead. Beirut was also expected to push for a joint investigation into past political killings in Lebanon linked to Syria’s former leadership. Accompanied by senior ministers, Salam discussed the repatriation of Syrian refugees, with Lebanon estimating it hosts 1.5 million Syrians, though the United Nations has registered only 750,000. Before departing from Syria, Salam said he would also raise the issue of Lebanese detainees who vanished in Syrian prisons under al-Assad’s rule. This visit follows a December meeting between al-Sharaa and former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the first such encounter since Syria’s civil war began in 2011. Al-Sharaa had pledged in December that Damascus would respect Lebanon’s sovereignty. Adblock test (Why?)