Syria: Assad fires his PM amid worsening economic crisis

Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday fired his prime minister, Imad Khamis, a month ahead of elections and as the economic crisis worsens and public anger rises in the territory under his control.

Assad appointed public works and housing minister Hussein Arnous to replace Khamis, who had been premier since 2016.

Arnous will act as interim premier until parliament elections are held in July and a new government comes in.

The deepening economic crisis has sparked public anger that has spilled over to the streets in scenes not seen in government-held areas since the early days of the civil war.

The national currency, the Syrian pound, has tumbled in recent weeks, reaching a record low to the dollar.

The pound, which traded at 47 pounds to the dollar before the 2011 uprising, plunged to over 3,000 for a dollar this week.

Prices of basic goods have skyrocketed while some staples have disappeared from the market as merchants and the public struggled to keep up with the rising cost of living.

The economic meltdown comes ahead of looming new US sanctions against any country or company that does business with the Syrian government.