Damascus

The visit underlines Syria's geopolitical transformation under Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander who has established close ties with Western and Middle Eastern powers that shunned Assad.

As Syria’s first post-Assad parliament takes shape, activists say a rise in female lawmakers will matter only if women can shape legislation and oversight.

The attacks in July, 2025, were among the worst outbreaks of sectarian violence since Ahmed al-Sharaa seized power following the fall of the Assad regime in 2024.

"The Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist bombing that targeted a café in the capital, Damascus," said the Syrian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

The Syrian minister, Asaad al-Shibani, met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his first stop, and then headed for a meeting with the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.

Syrian authorities have maintained that the woman voluntarily left her family home and converted of her own free will. Her family, however, contends that she was abducted and is being held by force.

Hassan Akkad was arrested and remains in detention for a series of social media posts calling out wealthy businessmen for allegedly failing to follow through on pledges to help rebuild Syria.

The former medical staff admitted to carrying out operations on prisoners abducted by Assad’s intelligence service, which saw organs implanted into patients connected with senior officials.

Hezbollah sources claim Turkey maintains engagement with the group and supports its continued presence in Lebanon, raising questions over Ankara’s regional posture.

ISIS remains a threat to Syria, increasingly relying on small-scale attacks, covert operations, and decentralized cells to target security forces, public facilities, and local communities.