Bomb attacks rattle Damascus but for most Syrians, life goes on
Damascus, Syria – At a cafe in central Damascus, lines of chairs sat dormant outside an empty cafe. Mohammad al-Dahabi, the cafe’s owner, pulled away one chair, revealing a small crater on the floor. “This is where the explosion happened,” al-Dahabi said about the July 2 bomb blast that took place at the cafe close to Damascus’s Justice Palace and killed at least 10 people. “If it had gone off a half hour later, everyone would have [already] left for the day.” Damascus was hit by three explosions over the past week, with one on July 2 followed by two more blasts on July 7 near the Four Seasons Hotel, where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying during a visit to the Syrian capital. That attack killed one person and wounded 36. The attacks have rattled many people living in Damascus and pointed to the continuing challenges the Syrian government faces in bringing security to the capital. Some residents said years of instability had adapted them to dealing with such events, but there was still a fear when visiting certain parts of central Damascus. “Many residents felt Damascus was gradually returning to a more normal rhythm of life,” Navvar Saban, a researcher in security and military affairs at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies, told Al Jazeera about life before this week’s attacks. Late Thursday evening, Syrian officials said they had apprehended an ISIL- (ISIS)-linked cell responsible for Tuesday’s blasts. “The cell responsible for the terrorist bombings that targeted Damascus two days ago is now in our custody,” Interior Minister Anas Khattab posted on X, formerly Twitter. Advertisement No group took responsibility for the attacks. Saban said that by going after symbolic targets at sensitive moments, the attackers appeared to be trying to disrupt people’s sense of security in the capital. “These attacks appear aimed at damaging the perception of stability rather than demonstrating the existence of a large operational capability,” he said. Security challenges The fall of the al-Assad regime in December 2024 came after years of fighting and Syria’s slow decline into a devastated country with a barely functioning state. The challenge for Syria since al-Assad’s departure has been tenfold: The economy is in ruins, infrastructure is crumbling if existent at all, electricity is sparse, and there is a genuine fear among locals about security in the country. Many of those challenges still exist around Syria, though analysts said there had been progress, particularly in Damascus. Syria’s security forces have arrested dozens of operatives of ISIL and foiled numerous assassination plots in the little more than a year and a half since al-Assad’s fall. “These attacks do not erase the progress made in Damascus, but they do show how conditional that progress still is,” Nanar Hawach, senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera. “The capital has looked stable on the surface for some time, while the harder work of penetrating clandestine networks and urban peripheries remains incomplete.” The arrest of an ISIL-linked cell is consistent with previous attacks in Damascus, including an attack on a church in June 2025 that killed at least 25 people. “The targets fit its logic of perpetrating attacks that deepen communal fear while exposing the government’s inability to protect,” Hawach said. “ISIL has a record of using deniable channels, front groups, or strategic silence when public ownership would be less useful than leaving the state and its rivals guessing.” Little choice but to continue On Thursday evening, a policeman outside the Ministry of Tourism, across from the Four Seasons hotel where Tuesday’s explosion happened, picked up a piece of metal stashed in a plant pot. He said it was once part of a rubbish dumpster where the explosive device had been stashed. He arrived at the scene shortly after the blast and found a colleague with a badly wounded leg. A charred tree trunk stood nearby that locals said was a result of the second bombing just a few steps away. The attacks did not appear to disrupt foot or car traffic. A highway facing the blast sites was packed with cars, and locals walked past it or sat in a park across the street. But Razan Rashidi, executive director of The Syria Campaign, said the attacks have inspired fear among many residents of the city. Advertisement “A lot of the anxiety is around the attacks that have happened near places like the courthouse and other government institutions where people need to process official paperwork,” she said. Unfortunately, many in Damascus are used to living with this kind of violence, she added. “At the same time, I wouldn’t say the current situation has completely disrupted people’s daily livelihoods,” she said. “Most people continue because they have no other choice.” Mirella Abou Chanab, a journalist based in Damascus, said that after all the years of war, many locals had gotten used to such incidents. “Generally speaking, it hasn’t changed our daily lives.” Life carries on Back at the cafe, Mohammad stood in front and pointed towards the sky. “This used to all be covered,” he said. The fabric awning that used to provide shade was tattered from the explosion. Mohammad has shut down his cafe, a spot near the Justice Palace popular for lawyers and working-class people, since the attack, which took place as high-profile trials of prominent al-Assad regime figures were being held. This includes Atef Najib, a notorious security chief accused of torturing children in Deraa in 2011, Wassim al-Assad, a fighter group commander, and former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, with their cases drawing huge media attention in the country. Analysts say that Syrian security forces are stretched, handling threats from both elements of the former regime and ISIL-linked cells. But they also said the past week’s attacks do not indicate a complete collapse of security. “There is a difference between isolated security breaches and a general collapse of security,” Saban said. “This attack appears aimed at damaging the perception of stability rather than demonstrating
EU states do not need ‘consensus’ to hold Israel accountable
On July 13, European Union foreign ministers are due to meet again at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The agenda includes an “exchange of views on Gaza and the West Bank” and is expected to cover settlement trade, the EU-Israel Association Agreement, possible sanctions on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and proposals to restrict, rather than ban, goods from illegal Israeli settlements. If previous efforts are any guide, the July meeting will follow a familiar pattern: Hesitation, euphemism and no meaningful action to hold Israel accountable. The stated obstacle will likely be a “lack of consensus”. In practice, that phrase has become the bloc’s preferred way of masking collective inaction. Germany and Italy, backed by several Eastern European states, have repeatedly blocked meaningful action in response to Israel’s violations. Other member states, meanwhile, have remained largely paralysed, shifting responsibility between national governments and EU institutions instead of taking decisive steps. Yet the EU and its member states continue to invoke the language of international law while refusing to apply it when Israel is concerned. The gap between principle and practice, between rhetoric and action, is no longer a diplomatic inconsistency. It has become policy. That is becoming harder to justify and harder to hide. According to reports on a leaked 2017 legal memo, the EU had already been advised that it had legal grounds to suspend the Association Agreement, the political and trade framework governing the bloc’s relations with Israel. Another investigation has shown that Israel has damaged or destroyed more than 150 million euros ($172m) in EU-funded infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank without accountability, while settlement goods continue to enter European markets under misleading labels. At the same time, United Nations and human rights bodies have continued to document grave violations, including a June 2026 report by a UN human rights body that described the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children in Palestine as amounting to genocide, alongside crimes against humanity and war crimes. Advertisement The recent episode involving EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas exposed how far the EU has submitted to Israeli pressure. Reports that she compared Israeli practices to apartheid in a closed meeting triggered a furious response from Israeli officials, with Israel’s foreign minister saying he was severing all contact with her until she retracted the remarks. The European Commission’s response was to send another commissioner to Israel to reassure officials that relations would remain intact. That is the real message from Brussels: Preserving ties with Israel matters more than internal solidarity, self-respect, or the EU’s stated commitment to international law and its own values. Pressure at the EU level is essential, and exposing the complicity of EU institutions and leaders must remain a priority. But accountability cannot end there. Member states, especially those that claim to uphold Palestinian rights and international law, must also be held responsible for their ongoing complicity. The International Court of Justice was clear in July 2024: Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful. It violates the Palestinian right to self-determination and must end. Settlement activity must stop immediately, and Israel’s policies breach the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. The court did not stop at Israel. It ruled that every state, not just Israel, is legally bound not to recognise the occupation as lawful, not to aid or assist in sustaining it, and to cooperate to bring it to an end. EU member states do not only have a legal obligation to act. They also have tools at their disposal that do not require EU-wide consensus. Member states can suspend bilateral cooperation, including visa facilitation and cultural or scientific exchanges; apply national export-control regimes to block arms, military equipment and dual-use transfers to Israel; and adopt national measures to ban trade with illegal settlements. They may also impose targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, against individuals implicated in serious violations of international law. They can press the EU to activate the Blocking Statute against US sanctions targeting those pursuing accountability at the ICC, while ensuring continued funding for Palestinian civil society. They can pursue accountability through domestic courts, support the enforcement of ICC arrest warrants, and contribute to the implementation of ICJ rulings and advisory opinions. They can also formally intervene in South Africa’s genocide case before the International Court of Justice. Advertisement The EU and its member states have spent two and a half years finding reasons not to act. The July Council should expose that reality plainly, especially with Ireland holding the rotating presidency from July 1 to December 31, 2026 and having the institutional power to translate its words into action. The issue is no longer whether the bloc has the legal tools. It does. The question is whether member states will keep outsourcing responsibility to Brussels or finally act within their own powers. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy. Adblock test (Why?)
Lebanon Latest: concerns about latest escalation in regional fighting
NewsFeed Al Jazeera’s Robert McBride brings you the latest from Beirut with concerns about how renewed fighting in the region will impact Lebanon. Published On 9 Jul 20269 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Chemical weapons watchdog restores Syria’s voting rights, citing progress
Syria regains voting rights in the OPCW as new leadership makes progress in addressing chemical weapons issues. Published On 9 Jul 20269 Jul 2026 The global chemical weapons’ watchdog has announced it has handed voting rights back to Syria because “concrete steps” have been taken to address outstanding issues since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. In a statement published on Thursday, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said the decision follows a “significant change” in circumstances since Syria was suspended in 2021. That was due to the former government’s failure to declare the full scope of its chemical weapons programme and the repeated use of poison gas during the civil war. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Since a lightning offensive ousted long-time ruler al-Assad in 2024, “the new Syrian authorities committed to fulfilling Syria’s obligations under the Convention and have since taken concrete steps to cooperate with the Technical Secretariat to achieve this goal”, read the statement. Actions taken by the new government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa include facilitating verification activities and taking initial steps in destroying identified remnants. “These decisions reflect the tangible progress achieved through continued cooperation and constructive engagement between the Technical Secretariat and the Syrian Arab Republic, with the support of the wider community of States Parties,” said OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias. In 2013, Syria joined the OPCW and agreed to the destruction of its weapons to be supervised by the watchdog. Back then, Syria was believed to possess about 1,000 tonnes of toxins and had agreed to destroy them under a joint Russian-US proposal designed to avert a US military strike on its territory. Advertisement Syria’s decision followed a global outcry over a suspected chemical attack that same year in Ghouta, an eastern suburb of the capital Damascus. US intelligence estimated that at least 1,400 people, including 426 children, were killed in that attack which it attributed with “high confidence” to the Syrian government. Al-Assad denied involvement and blamed rebels. According to OPCW, while Syria submitted an initial declaration of its chemical weapons programme, the former government did not declare all its chemical weapons programme and attempted to mislead inspectors about its overall scope and scale. Adblock test (Why?)
A quest for closure: In search of the missing after Venezuela’s earthquakes
A quest for closure Posters now crowd walls, lampposts and shopfronts across La Guaira and the capital Caracas. They bear the faces of the dead. As rescue efforts continue, families search for their loved ones, hoping they will be among the 6,462 people rescued so far. But some face the grim prospect of identifying the dead. Inside an air-conditioned room at a funeral parlour in La Guaira, small wooden boxes line the floor, containing the remains of those who have already been identified and cremated. Staff say they have lost count of the bodies that have passed through since the earthquake. It has taken a psychological toll. “I went five days without sleeping — days and nights spent with people, living through their pain,” Santiago Rodriguez, who works at the funeral parlour, told Al Jazeera. Santiago Rodriguez, a funeral parlour worker, fears some families may never receive closure [Alfie Pannell/Al Jazeera] Every day, Rodriguez sees new families arriving at the funeral parlour, looking for their missing relatives. But many leave without answers. Some bodies have been buried without names, though photographs have been taken in case they can be identified later. Fingerprints can no longer be taken: Many bodies are now too decomposed. Workers in white forensic overalls can be seen throughout the day lugging corpses out of the building to stack in a van. Many of the bodies are being transported to a mass grave in La Esperanza, La Guaira. Rodriguez fears a situation similar to what Venezuela experienced in 1999, when mudslides in La Guaira killed an estimated 30,000 people in this region. The death toll was so high, and the devastation so vast, that some victims were never found. The same is likely to happen this time, Rodriguez said. Small wooden boxes cradle the remains of those who have been cremated at a funeral home in La Guaira, Venezuela [Alfie Pannell/Al Jazeera] A preliminary report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that the earthquake created 1.2 million tonnes of debris across La Guaira. Entire city blocks were flattened. “When they start removing all that rubble, the machines will destroy the remains of many bodies,” Rodriguez said. He also believes the lack of government assistance has cost lives. While human rights groups have criticised the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela for violently suppressing dissent, Rodriguez said he is no longer scared. “The authorities have not really appeared at all,” he said. “We lost some of our family. I lost my two grandchildren — my daughter’s two children. What else do I have to lose?” Adblock test (Why?)
FIFA World Cup: Quarterfinal brackets, match schedule and game previews
Forty teams are already at home, or on their way, leaving just eight in the United States to contend for the ultimate prize in football at the FIFA World Cup 2026. The top four seeds have all made it through – just – but who will remain standing after 100 of this tournament’s 104 matches are complete? Morocco defender Jawad El Yamiq (#18) reacts after losing a semifinal match against France during the 2022 World Cup at Al Bayt Stadium, Doha, Qatar [Yukihito Taguchi/USA TODAY Sports] Atlas Lions seek revenge against France Quarterfinal 1: France v Morocco – Thursday, 20:00 GMT – Boston Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list This will be a hotly-anticipated rematch of the semifinal in Qatar in 2022 when Morocco’s fairytale run was ended by the then defending champions. After topping a group featuring Croatia and Belgium, stunning Spain on penalties in the round of 16 and then overcoming Portugal 1-0 in the quarterfinal, Morocco came into the game full of momentum and confidence but also fatigued and nursing key injuries. It felt like a bonus match at the time, but their uphill task became a mountain to climb when they fell behind after just five minutes. To their credit the Atlas Lions found their feet, enjoying 60% of the possession in the game, winning more corners than the French, having 10 shots at goal and hitting the woodwork, but only one of those efforts was on target and France made the game safe with a crucial second 11 minutes from time. Four years on and things are very different. Only nine of the 2022 squad made this one, just four of the starting eleven which faced France last time started against Canada and Mohamed Ouahbi was installed as head coach in March after the departure of Walid Regragui, who led Morocco in Qatar and to the ill-fated AFCON Final against Senegal earlier this year. Advertisement After edging past the Netherlands on penalties in the round of 32 having grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser in normal time, Morocco made hard work of their last-16 tie against Canada, weathering plenty of first-half pressure and losing star forward Ismael Saibari to injury. However, they showcased their clinical edge in the second half with a well-worked set-piece to break the deadlock before two devastating counterattack goals to seal a 3-0 win. France did struggle against the counter in the first half of their opening match against Senegal, but were not punished, and it has been pretty plain sailing since, sealing a 3-1 win which they followed with victories against Iraq, a much-changed Norway, Sweden in the last 32 and then grinding out a difficult win over Paraguay in the last-16 courtesy of a late penalty. While Soufiane Rahimi deputised ably for Saibari after coming on after 21 minutes against Canada, the Bayern Munich-bound forward scored in each of Morocco’s group games, though he and his side might have had more goals and topped the group. The quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and either Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola are undoubtedly the best in the world and Morocco’s hopes will lie squarely on their defence and keeper Yassine Bounou standing strong while their forwards take advantage of any opportunities they can create on the break. Spain’s Unai Simon has kept five straight clean sheets to begin the tournament [Kirby Lee/Reuters] Belgium can’t rely on Spanish generosity Quarterfinal 2: Spain v Belgium – Friday, 19:00 GMT – Los Angeles It’s fair to say not many would have expected Belgium to be lining up in the quarterfinals after their opening two group games. The Red Devils came from behind to draw against Egypt before playing out a stalemate with Iran with 10-men and only qualified by thrashing New Zealand, the lowest ranked team in the competition. Belgium were then staring elimination in the face against Senegal, trailing 2-0 with four minutes remaining, only for Romelu Lukaku to take advantage of some slack defending to pull one back and then Youri Tielemans to head an equaliser three minutes later after goalkeeper Mory Diaw missed a cross. Belgium completed the turnaround five minutes from the end of extra time with Tielemans converting from the penalty spot after a contentious VAR decision. They then benefitted from facing an out-of-sorts USA team in the last-16, running-out 4-1 winners amid the distraction of Folarin Balogun’s suspension being overturned by FIFA, and took advantage of more poor defending to make it 12 goals in three games. Advertisement Their luck might be up, however, as they are unlikely to receive the same generosity from FIFA World No 3-ranked Spain, who have yet to concede at this tournament and have six straight World Cup clean-sheets overall – the longest run in history. La Roja have allowed just two shots on target before half-time across their five matches, both coming from Cristian Ronaldo in the cagey 1-0 win over Portugal in the last 16, which Mikel Merino settled with a stoppage-time winner. Red Devils coach Rudi Garcia shuffled his pack against the USA, leaving Jeremy Doku out and Kevin De Bruyne on the bench for the first time in 38 Belgium games, but they will need an awful lot to go right if they are to emulate their fabled 1986 side and oust the European Champions again at this stage. Norway’s forward #09 Erling Braut Haaland celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammate midfielder #21 Andreas Schjelderup during the 2026 World Cup round of 16 match against Brazil [AFP] Golden boys face-off in Golden Boot race Quarterfinal 3: Norway v England – Saturday, 21:00 GMT – Miami For the first time in this tournament two of the leading contenders for the Golden Boot race go head-to-head on the same pitch. Norway coach Stale Solbakken denied us that opportunity in the group stage when despite scoring two goals in each of the opening wins over Iraq and Senegal, he left Erling Haaland on the bench against
Zelenskyy seeks NATO support as Russia continues attacks
NewsFeed Overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine’s capital caused major damage at several locations, leaving one person dead. At the NATO summit just hours earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had urged European allies to build a strong anti-ballistic missile defence system. Published On 8 Jul 20268 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Man sets wheelchair user in flames with Molotov cocktail
NewsFeed US police have released video showing the moment a man set a wheelchair user on fire with a Molotov cocktail outside Oklahoma’s police headquarters, causing minor injuries to the victim. The suspect was arrested and faces multiple felony charges. Published On 8 Jul 20268 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
FIFA condemns fan’s racist attack on IShowSpeed at Argentina World Cup match
An Argenitna supporter told Speed to ‘go cry at the zoo’ on his livestream at the match against Cape Verde in Miami. Published On 8 Jul 20268 Jul 2026 FIFA has condemned the racist abuse hurled at social media influencer IShowSpeed during his livestream at a World Cup match in the United States. Football’s global governing body issued a statement on Tuesday saying it “strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms” after an incident involving the American social media celebrity and a fan at Argentina’s last-32 match against Cabo Verde last week. “FIFA was made aware of an incident involving a supporter and #IShowSpeed at Miami Stadium during the Argentina vs Cabo Verde match on 3 July 2026 and immediately initiated an investigation,” the statement said. Speed, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr, has attended and streamed several World Cup matches under a deal with FIFA, US-based host broadcaster Fox Sports and YouTube that lets him simulcast official match feeds. During his livestream of Argentina vs Cabo Verde in Miami, Speed turned towards a fan leaning over the railing of her stand to catch his attention. When he asked her what she was saying, the fan apparently told Speed in Spanish to “go cry at the zoo”. The American celebrity boasts a social media following of over 150 million – 57 million subscribers on YouTube, 50 million followers on Instagram, 47 million on TikTok and 4.1 million on X – and is a crowd-puller at World Cup stadiums. Last month, Al Jazeera saw Speed being mobbed by fans at a World Cup match in New Jersey as he exited the stadium, surrounded by security. FIFA said the World Cup was a celebration of “unity, diversity, and respect” and the organisation would not welcome anyone “who acts in a manner that undermines these values”. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Experts warn Trump is playing politics with US intelligence
NewsFeed Former officials warn that Trump’s intelligence overhaul risks politicising national security. Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, who replaced Tulsi Gabbard, has already dismissed 19 officers accused of being part of the ‘deep state’. Published On 8 Jul 20268 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)