BAB-AL-HAWA: Syria’s cancer patients are the latest victims of the fragile status of Bab Al-Hawa, an international crossing point that sits on the border of Turkiye and Syria.

Cancer patients in northwestern Syria were transferred through the border post to hospitals in Turkiye prior to the earthquake on Feb. 6, to receive the necessary care unavailable in the rebel-held zone.

That changed when the Turkiye-Syria quake rocked the region and prompted Turkish authorities to close the borders on those awaiting lifesaving treatment.

BAGHDAD: The head of the UN cultural agency on Monday started a three-day visit to Iraq where many priceless cultural treasures have been damaged or destroyed during decades of conflict.

UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay will visit reconstruction projects and meet top officials.

Years of war and insurgency have taken a heavy toll on Iraq’s many treasures including six UNESCO World Heritage sites.

“This visit is dedicated to reconstruction in Iraq,” said a spokesman for the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization which funds several projects in Iraq.

CAIRO: The Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center revealed that Egypt topped the list of countries in the Middle East and North Africa region for its number of startup deals, coming in at 160 deals in 2022.

According to the IDSC, the UAE ranked second with 153 deals, Saudi Arabia third with 144 deals, Qatar fourth with 45 deals, and Tunisia fifth with 30 deals.

Egyptian startups were able to raise finances amounting to $517 million in 2022.

BEIRUT: At least four Lebanese people have died by suicide in the past week.

The population of the country is finding the prevailing economic and social conditions hard to bear, and Diab Audi, a retired warrant officer in the Internal Security Forces, died after suffering a heart attack inside a Lebanese bank, unable to retrieve withheld savings.

Lebanon is in the midst of a devastating economic crisis that has plunged more than 80 percent of its population into poverty, according to the UN.

TUNIS: Hundreds of Tunisians rallied Sunday in defiance of a protest ban, demanding the release of more than 20 prominent figures opposed to the president who were arrested in recent weeks.
President Kais Saied sacked the government and froze parliament in a 2021 power grab and imposed sweeping changes to the political system of the sole democracy to have emerged from the Arab Spring uprisings.