Syrian capital hikes up littering fines as war rages

Syria may have been devastated by a five-year civil war, but that has not stopped Damascus city council tackling the problem of unsightly laundry and litter.

The capital's lawmakers decided earlier this month to increase by tenfold the fines they impose for hanging laundry or rugs on balconies - a common sight across Mediterranean countries, local media reported.

The fine of 5,000 Syrian pounds ($10) also applies to people caught throwing litter from car windows or dumping rubbish in the Barada - the river that crosses the capital.

Pet-owners are also targeted and must obtain a certificate from a vet, showing that their animals are in good health. Failure to do so incurs the same fine.

A local official said the local government wanted to "preserve the aesthetic of the city and tackle environmental and visual pollution".

Central Damascus has been relatively untouched by the war, but the authorities have seen their tax income plunge and have sought out new ways of raising revenue.

In December 2015, the government slapped taxes on shawarma, a popular meat sandwich, and on restaurant chairs.

They have raised the prices of passports, residence cards for foreigners and exit taxes at the borders the government controls.

At least 45 civilians were killed by air raids in the rebel-held east Aleppo district of Marjeh on Monday.

Air raids on east Aleppo have intensified since a US-Russian brokered ceasefire collapsed in September resulting in a fresh regime assault on the city.

Global outrage over the humanitarian situation in rebel-held Aleppo, where residents face a regime-enforced siege, has led the United States to state that it will reconsider the prospect of military intervention in Syria.

Syria's war has left at least 300,000 people dead since 2011.