Syria has seen an influx of over 20,000 asylum seekers from bordering Lebanon where relentless Israeli bombardments are intensifying.
Among those crossed the border, about 15,000 are Syrians and 6,000 are Lebanese, according to Syrian security sources.
Thousands were gathering at the Jdeidat Yabous crossing which links Lebanon with Syria's rural Damascus region, escaping a pervasive atmosphere of fear and brutality.
"Israel is an invader who doesn't know what is right. It bombs Baalbek, the south, the mountains, targeting children and women -- those without weapons. They're attacking you, your wife and your children, as they're bombing your house with internationally banned American weapons. Americans send the weaponry over to Israel and treat us as their testing ground," said Abu Hussein, a Lebanese citizen.
"We fled with only the clothes we were wearing. We were besieged for two days, with missiles falling nearby. Roads were blocked, and we had no food or water. We saw that people were killed in front of us," said Mahmoud al-Hamdan al-Ta'ma, a Syrian citizen.
"The bombing happened and we managed to escape safely, thank God. The situation outside the country is tense, so we made our way back home," said Bashar Al-Mazoud, another Syrian citizen.
At the same time, the Syrian government has equipped the crossing with medical checkpoints to receive the arrivals, opened hospitals and deployed ambulances, streamlined entry procedures and established shelters in neighboring cities.
"The road is not pretty crowded, and we were received warmly. In Lebanon, random bombings target civilian homes without regard for safety. We hope to return soon and victoriously," said Mohammad Al-Moussawi, a Lebanese citizen.
These displaced people remain hopeful that a solution will be reached at an early date to end the conflict and enable them to return to their normal lives.
Syria sees influx of asylum seekers from Lebanon as Israeli attacks intensify
Syria sees influx of asylum seekers from Lebanon as Israeli attacks intensify
The Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (the GlobE Network) concluded its plenary meeting in Beijing on Friday, with a consensus on anti-corruption law enforcement cooperation approved at the meeting.
The Beijing Consensus on Law Enforcement Cooperation and Denial of Safe Haven for Corruption was passed during a high-level forum of the four-day meeting.
The consensus reiterates the GlobE Network's zero-tolerance against corruption and pledges respect for sovereign equality and differences in laws. It aims to promote anti-corruption law enforcement cooperation to prevent and combat corruption with concerted efforts. "The great differences in political systems and legal systems among countries have posed great difficulties and challenges for carrying out anti-corruption law enforcement cooperation. The Beijing Consensus proposes to establish a secure and encrypted information sharing platform which can promote information sharing while ensuring national security and personal privacy, thus playing a very important role in cracking down on transnational organized crimes," said Guo Yong, dean of the Institute of Discipline Inspection and Supervision of Tsinghua University.
China has organized the "Sky Net" operation for ten consecutive years hunting down corruption suspects who have fled abroad, using extradition, repatriation, and other methods to repatriate more than 13,000 fugitives from over 120 countries and regions, and recovered 63.1 billion yuan (about 9 billion U.S. dollars) in illicit funds.
Currently, China has concluded more than 170 extradition treaties, judicial assistance treaties, and asset return and sharing agreements with more than 80 countries, and signed financial intelligence exchange and cooperation agreements with more than 60 countries and regions.
The National Commission of Supervision of China has also established working contacts with anti-corruption agencies of more than 100 countries, and has promoted bilateral law enforcement agency cooperation mechanisms through high-level leadership exchanges.
Established in 2021, the GlobE Network is the world's most represented anti-corruption law enforcement cooperation platform.
Anti-corruption body GlobE Network passes Beijing consensus
