Syrians decry soaring electricity prices

Massalkhi, a retired agricultural engineer who lives on a $70-a-month pension, left without paying. "My bill used to vary between 15,000 and 20,000 pounds (less than $2). Now, it has surpassed 800,000 pounds", or $72, he told AFP. In October, Syria's energy ministry hiked prices by up to 6,000 percent, sending shockwaves through a population already reeling from more than 13 years of war. "Where are we supposed to get this money from?" Massalkhi wondered. "People are emerging from a crisis,...