President of Syria from 2000 to 2024
Syria reopened Aleppo's Great Umayyad Mosque on October 8, 13 years after it was closed following heavy damage in the civil war. The mosque ... Show more
Aerial footage reveals widespread destruction in the Jobar neighbourhood of eastern Damascus, bearing the marks of years of heavy bombardment by the ousted ... Show more
The Spectator Oct 19
Revealed: Jonathan Powell’s wife has defended Hamas: Sarah Helm, the wife of Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, has appeared to defend Hamas ...
spectator.com/article/revealed-jonathan-powells-wife-has-defended-hamas/
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A Syrian Odyssey: Two brothers have proof of a massacre in Syria. But for a long time, nothing happens.
republik.ch/2026/10/10/eine-syrische-odyssee
OpinionSyria’s Imperiled Transition: How Shock Therapy Threatens the Post-Assad Peace: How shock therapy threatens the post-Assad peace.
foreignaffairs.com/syria/syrias-imperiled-transition
Syria removed from US arms export ban list: US has gradually loosened restrictions placed on Syria during the Assad era to aid country’s recovery from conflict.
aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/30/syria-removed-from-us-arms-export-ban-list
An elderly man returning to his home in Homs has demolished a wall he built 15 years ago to hide and protect his son’s library at the start of the Syrian ... Show more
Welfare recipients in the crosshairs: Dobrindt wants to revoke Syrians' protection status more frequently
n-tv.de/politik/Dobrindt-will-Schutzstatus-von-Syrern-haeufiger-aberkennen-id31328391.html
Key FactsDobrindt plans broad revocation of Syrians’ protection status
Sep 21, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: taz.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: taz.de
- According to a preliminary report, BAMF in Nuremberg is expected to broadly revoke Syrians’ protection status this autumn.
- Alexander Throm proposes starting revocation reviews with single young men receiving social assistance and not working.
- According to Throm, working professionals such as doctors and nurses may switch to an employment-based residence permit.
- According to Throm, the 2027 draft budget is to increase voluntary-return funding; premiums currently total 1,000 euros per adult.
That should increase the incentive to leave voluntarily. After all, every voluntary departure is cheaper than a forced deportation.— Alexander Throm, interior policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction, to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) in advance.
newlinesmag Sep 22
📹 COMING SOON: A man known as Abu Zakaria claims to have hidden behind a wall inside his home in Latakia, Syria, for 13 years ... Show more
Syria: Hiding from Assad
Syria: Hiding from Assad
newlinesmag Sep 21
Assala Sings in Syria Again: After 15 years away, Syrian singer Assala Nasri returned to the stage in Damascus. The Damascus-born musical icon had publicly ...
youtube.com/shorts/7Di9TmPWo_I
When Abu Bilal built a secret wall in his home to protect his precious books from Syria’s former Assad regime, he didn’t know if he’d see them again ... Show more
Syria says arrested al-Assad-era general who led attacks on armed opposition: Syrian authorities on Saturday said they arrested a general who served under the ...
english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/09/20/syria-says-arrested-alassadera-general-who-led-attacks-on-armed-opposition-
A Houthi official rejected the Saudi-led coalition’s report that it had shot down a drone from the rebels heading towards Makkah, Reuters reports ... Show more
Syria arrests 5 Assad-era air force officers over strikes on populated areas: Syria arrests 5 Assad-era air force officers over strikes on populated areas
arabnews.com/middle-east/syria-arrests-5-assad-era-air-force-officers-over-strikes-on-populated-areas-3002275
Daily Sabah Sep 19
Syria arrests 5 ex-Assad air force officers over deadly strikes: Syrian security forces arrested five senior air force officers and commanders who served under ...
dailysabah.com/world/mid-east/syria-arrests-5-ex-assad-air-force-officers-over-deadly-strikes
Former Assad officer sentenced to 60 years in US for torture: Former Syrian official sentenced to 60 years in US prison for torturing prisoners under al-Assad’s ...
aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/18/former-assad-officer-sentenced-to-60-years-in-us-for-torture
IAEA says findings at Syrian site hit by Israel ‘consistent with a nuclear reactor’
timesofisrael.com/iaea-says-findings-at-syrian-site-hit-by-israel-consistent-with-a-nuclear-reactor/
A nuclear reactor built secretly during the rule of the toppled leader Bashar al-Assad in Syria would have been able to produce the needed fissile material for ... Show more
‘Secret reactor in Syria could have been used for nuclear weapons,’ says IAEA after finding 73 tonnes of natural uranium
‘Secret reactor in Syria could have been used for nuclear weapons,’ says IAEA after finding 73 tonnes of natural uranium
Those responsible arrested: Syria destroys dozens of chemical weapons from the Assad era
n-tv.de/politik/Syrien-vernichtet-Dutzende-Chemiewaffen-aus-Assad-Aera-id31267496.html
A Syrian woman spotted her missing brother’s name on a prison cell door at an exhibition in Damascus. The display was among artefacts retrieved from notorious ... Show more
Syrian court hands down death sentence to former ruler Assad: More than half a million people have died during the civil war in Syria. The country's new ...
n-tv.de/politik/Syrisches-Gericht-spricht-Todesurteil-gegen-Ex-Machthaber-Assad-id31180845.html
Key FactsSyrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia
Aug 11, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: bbc.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: bbc.com
- After his regime was overthrown in December 2024, Assad fled Damascus for Moscow with his family.
- In the same case, Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and former head of political security in Deraa province, also received a death sentence and appeared in a courtroom cage.
- Najib was convicted of offences including murder, the intentional killing of children under 15, and torture resulting in death.
- It remains unclear whether Syria’s new authorities can secure Assad’s extradition from Moscow; an arrest warrant for murder and torture was already issued against him in December 2025.
They want to see these people that tortured their children, displaced them from their homes and destroyed their communities be held to account for these crimes.— Obaida Hitto, Al Jazeera journalist in Damascus, describing the ruling
"Torture and Brutality": Syria Sentences Assad's Cousin to Death: Under Assad, countless brutal crimes were committed against the Syrian people ...
n-tv.de/politik/Syrien-verurteilt-Assad-Cousin-zu-Todesstrafe-id31205230.html
Syrian authorities say killed Assad-era officer after clash: DAMASCUS: Syrian security forces said on Sunday that they killed an army commander who served under ...
arabnews.com/node/2656369/middle-east
🔴 Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) have dismantled a Hezbollah-linked network involved in smuggling militants to Syria ... Show more
USA removes Syria from terror list: Al-Sharaa speaks of a "painful chapter" that is coming to an end
hna.de/politik/syrien-von-us-terrorliste-gestrichen-al-sharaa-dankt-trump-zr-94458989.html
RNS Aug 28
Assad-era’s grand mufti sentenced to life in prison by Syrian court: DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Former grand mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, an Assad loyalist who ...
religionnews.com/2026/08/27/assad-eras-grand-mufti-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-by-syrian-court/
Former dictator Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death by a Syrian court.
He is accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during ... Show more
Erbe der Assad-Ära: Inspekteure entdecken tonnenweise nukleares Material in Syrien – und lassen es dort
spiegel.de/ausland/syrien-experten-der-iaea-entdecken-tonnenweise-nukleares-material-aus-der-aera-assad-a-82a90101-3d61-491a-8fda-069d4061db13
OpinionSyria is no longer a terrorist state: Brave new world: The USA removes Syria from the list of state terrorist organizations. Whether the country under al-Sharaa ...
taz.de/Syrien-ist-kein-Terrorstaat-mehr/!6207613/
Footage shows fireworks lighting up Damascus as the Syrian capital hosts its first Damascus International Fair since the fall of Bashar al-Assad ... Show more
Assad denied nuclear program: IAEA finds tons of nuclear material in Syria: Nuclear material is stored in Syria. The Syrian government is therefore calling in ...
n-tv.de/politik/IAEA-findet-tonnenweise-Nuklearmaterial-in-Syrien-id31207711.html
Key FactsMore Syrians lose protection status in Germany
Aug 16, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: welt.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: welt.de
- According to the federal government, 23.2% of 8,320 reviews in the first half of 2026 ended with protection being revoked or withdrawn, compared with 3.7% in 2025 and 3.1% in 2024.
- In mid-June, Bamf began gradually extending revocation reviews to further groups, including people whose asylum cases had lasted more than 21 months or followed a successful failure-to-act lawsuit, as well as people not considered particularly vulnerable who were expected to support themselves or have adequate family or social support in Syria.
- Loss of protection status does not usually lead to imminent deportation because returns require cooperation from Syria’s transitional government and its authorities and have so far rarely materialized; there was one deportation in 2025 and three in the first half of 2026.
- Nearly 5,000 first-time asylum applications from people from Syria were registered in Germany in the first half of 2026, while the federal government reports a rejection rate of 68.6%.
The situation in Syria is extremely unstable; many groups are threatened, persecuted and displaced.— Clara Bünger, the refugee policy spokesperson for the Left faction, regarding the situation in Syria.
arabtimes Aug 22
OpinionNothing left for Iran but Abu Ja'al Al-Houthi: The saying goes, “If God is angry with an ant, He gives it wings.” Looking at the world map ...
arabtimesonline.com/news/nothing-left-for-iran-but-abu-jaal-al-houthi/
Bavaria is dismantling asylum accommodations: The wave of refugees from Syria subsided significantly after the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024 ...
idowa.de/bayern/bayern-baut-asylunterkuenfte-zurueck-art-410727
newlinesmag Aug 18
How the Assad Regime Poisoned Former Rebels in Southern Syria: After Daraa fell in 2018, at least 24 people, including children, suffered symptoms linked to ...
newlinesmag.com/reportage/how-the-assad-regime-poisoned-former-rebels-in-southern-syria/
The ex-president Bashar al-Assad’s wife Asma was born and raised in London before moving to Damascus and taking on an influential role in Syrian politics ... Show more
The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann
The Week Unwrapped - with Olly Mann
Assad's cousin sentenced to death in Syria: In Syria, the legal reckoning with the Assad era continues: Following the former ruler ...
tagesschau.de/ausland/asien/syrien-assad-cousin-todesurteil-100.html
arabtimes Aug 21
Syria Demands Iran Acknowledge Actions Against Syrians Before Ties Improve: DAMASCUS, Aug 21: Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Friday that ...
arabtimesonline.com/news/syria-demands-iran-acknowledge-actions-against-syrians-before-ties-improve/
dpaq.de Aug 18
Syria allows UN probe into suspected Assad-era nuclear programme ｜ DPA: Syria's government is allowing UN nuclear inspectors to investigate the suspected ...
app.ekkow.com/1462519071966855287
Syria arrests al-Assad-era officer who fled Austria after conviction: Syrian security forces have arrested a former al-Assad-era security officer who fled ...
ara.tv/c5txi
Assad officer extradited to Syria on war crimes charges for first time: Lebanon handed over former General Adel Issa, as Syria steps up its pursuit of wanted ...
bbc.com/news/articles/cvgjdy8q766o
What the death sentence for former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad tells us about the future of the country
edition.cnn.com/2026/08/16/middleeast/syria-bashar-al-assad-death-absentia-intl
As polls ahead of Israel’s upcoming elections point to a potential defeat for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, criticism of his leadership is growing ... Show more
Lebanon orders former Assad general extradited to Syria: General Adel Issa, former commander of the Syrian army’s 17th Division, is to face trial over crimes he ...
trtworld.com/article/65f925186d78
A Syrian court in Damascus sentences Wasim al-Assad, cousin of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, to death for torture, intentional killing and crimes against ... Show more
newlinesmag Aug 17
Listen Again: How Defiance Began at Home in Assad’s Syria: Loubna Mrie joins Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss her experience of authoritarianism at home ...
newlinesmag.com/podcast/how-defiance-began-at-home-in-assads-syria-2/
The Globe and Mail Aug 12
Video: Syria's Bashar al-Assad and why was he sentenced to death: A Syrian court has handed former president Bashar al-Assad a death sentence in absentia ...
theglobeandmail.com/world/video-syrias-bashar-al-assad-and-why-was-he-sentenced-to-death/
Justice in Syria: Death sentences against ex-dictator al-Assad and cousin Najib: Syria's ex-dictator al-Assad was sentenced in absentia, his cousin and ...
taz.de/Jusitz-in-Syrien/!6203505/
Syria strikes deal to preserve Russia’s military foothold on Mediterranean coast: Damascus says a memorandum of understanding will turn Russia’s naval facility ...
ynetnews.com/article/ryccwzilfg
Syria court sentences Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death in absentia: The ex-president is convicted of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during ...
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce34dkpnyg7o
TRT World - Sharaa says Assad's fall was necessary for Syria and the wider region
trtworld.com/article/d947f3aa0023
🔴 BREAKING: Syria’s court has sentenced a number of prominent figures from the ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad’s regime for war crimes and crimes against humanity ... Show more
A Syrian court sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death on August 11 after convicting him in absentia of crimes including premeditated murder ... Show more
‘They need each other’: What’s behind the new Syria-Russia accord?: The Syrian-Russian agreement reflects a pragmatic approach redefining past alliances amid ...
aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/10/they-need-each-other-whats-behind-the-new-syria-russia-accord
Key FactsSyria and Russia Agree New Base Arrangement
Aug 10, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: aljazeera.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: aljazeera.com
- After 18 months of negotiations, the Damascus government announced a memorandum on August 9, 2026, concerning the Russian presence at the two bases.
- Syria is to take control of Hmeimim airbase’s civilian facilities and Tartus port’s commercial section, while the military areas are to become joint Russian-Syrian training and qualification centres.
- Russia was a major supporter of Bashar al-Assad during the civil war, and its 2015 military intervention made Hmeimim the hub of air operations and Tartus its main naval foothold in the Mediterranean.
- Analyst Alexey Muraviev views the arrangement as a pragmatic compromise that gives Damascus greater sovereignty over strategic facilities while preserving a regional foothold for Moscow; Russia has not yet commented.
This confirms the classic realist maxim that in politics there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.— Ruslan Trad, non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, commenting on the Syria–Russia accord for Al Jazeera
Yeni Safak English Aug 05
🇧🇩 Bangladesh is marking the second anniversary of the student-led revolution that brought down Sheikh Hasina’s dictatorship on August 5, 2024 ... Show more
Syria sentences Bashar al-Assad to death: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is traveling to Libya for talks with the country's rival administrations amid ...
al-monitor.com/podcasts/syria-sentences-bashar-al-assad-death
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'Golan Heights belongs to Syria': Guterres says UN will work to return the region to Syrian control
jpost.com/middle-east/article-903659
The phone book that led us to Assad's spy chief in hiding: How we tracked down "The Spider" who was once one of the most-feared men in Syria.
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gyrzn8p94o
newlinesmag Aug 06
NEW: A pioneering investigation has confirmed the identities of two of the perpetrators of a 2013 massacre in Syria’s Quneitra. Zaher al-Daher, Mahmoud Naffakh ... Show more
More than a year after the Assad regime's fall, Syrians returning to Aleppo are finding that a vast underground tunnel network is complicating efforts to ... Show more
Boris Johnson claims Ed Miliband is to blame for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine: Former prime minister claims the ‘Kremlin will be delighted’ with Miliband’s ...
independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-ed-miliband-putin-russia-b3018831.html
Key FactsControversy Surrounds Miliband’s Foreign Secretary Role
Jul 21, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: independent.co.uk
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: independent.co.uk
- Boris Johnson accused Ed Miliband of indirectly enabling Russia’s 2014 Ukraine invasion by not confronting Assad in Syria.
- Miliband’s appointment as foreign secretary has been welcomed by the Kremlin but raised concerns within the US administration.
- His opposition to increased North Sea oil and gas drilling has strained relations with factions of the former US government.
- The UK government affirmed its commitment to maintain strong cooperation with the United States despite past disagreements.
This is spot on. The failure to stand up to Bashar al-Assad - for which Miliband bears much guilt - led directly to Putin’s first invasion of Ukraine. An appalling choice for foreign secretary. The Kremlin will be delighted.— Boris Johnson on X (Twitter), sharing a Telegraph article criticizing Ed Miliband's appointment as foreign secretary
Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa has called for “a new chapter in the country’s history" as the newly formed People's Assembly convenes for its ... Show more
newlinesmag Jul 20
How Power Corrupts Those Who Seek It: Journalists Chloe Hadjimatheou and Sarah Dadouch join Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss what the story of former ...
newlinesmag.com/podcast/how-power-corrupts-those-who-seek-it/
Why the Damascus blasts during Macron’s visit are a blow to al-Sharaa: The twin blasts that rocked Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to ...
france24.com/en/middle-east/20260708-why-the-damascus-blasts-during-macron-visit-are-a-blow-to-al-sharaa
Key FactsMacron's High-Stakes Visit Amid Damascus Bombings
Jul 7, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: nzz.ch
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: nzz.ch
- Emmanuel Macron became the first EU leader to visit Syria since the Assad regime's fall in 2024, accompanied by French business representatives.
- Two bombs detonated shortly after Macron's arrival in Damascus, causing multiple casualties near his hotel.
- The visit aims to support Syria's reconstruction and expand France's economic and security influence in the region.
- Despite ongoing violence and controversy around Syria's leadership, Macron continued his trip, advocating for a sovereign and inclusive Syria.
Nothing will prevent the Syrians' pursuit of a fully sovereign, secure, pluralistic, and united Syria.— Emmanuel Macron, after the explosions in Damascus during his visit and a visit to the Syrian president's palace
Syria's First Lady was "more effective" for the Kremlin than Assad: Asma al-Assad played a larger role in Syria's brutal regime than previously thought ...
kleinezeitung.at/artikel/38619325/syriens-first-lady-war-fuer-den-kreml-effektiver-als-assad
Paid articlePaywall Syria says arrested Assad-era officer specializing in chemical weapons: Syrian authorities announced on Wednesday the arrest of a former officer they say was a ...
english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/07/15/syria-says-arrested-assadera-officer-specializing-in-chemical-weapons
🔴 BREAKING: France and Syria have started the process over restoring to Syria 58 million dollars from the confiscation of assets from the Assad family ... Show more
“We have closed a dark chapter in Syria’s history.”
Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani welcomes US decision to remove his country from Washington’s ... Show more
Austrian court sentences Syrian pair to eight years over torture: A Syrian ex-general and a former police officer were handed eight-year jail sentences by a ...
thelocal.at/20260707/austrian-court-sentences-syrian-pair-to-eight-years-over-torture
Syria's newly formed parliament has held its first session. Many hope the legislature will deliver long-awaited reforms as the country works to rebuild ... Show more
French President Emmanuel Macron says on a visit to Syria that Paris will return more than 50 million euros ($57 million) stolen by the family of former ruler ... Show more
Syrian intelligence chief found guilty of torture by Austrian court: Two former Syrian officials went on trial in Vienna, Austria, accused of crimes against ...
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8ddd1m3mpo
The blasts underscore the major security challenges in Syria, where Macron is the first head of state of a European Union country to visit since rebels led by ... Show more
Iraqi FM makes first visit to Syria since al-Assad’s fall: Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Monday began his first trip to Syria since the December 2024 ...
english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/06/29/iraqi-fm-makes-first-visit-to-syria-since-alassad-s-fall
Assad regime criminals: Torture general Wassim al-Assad on trial: In Syria, the cousin of former ruler Bashar al-Assad is on trial. The charges include ...
taz.de/Verbrecher-des-Assad-Regimes/!6190389/
Syria’s foreign ministry has announced that it had appointed Jihad Makdissi, a former spokesman under now ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad, as an adviser ... Show more