Middle East/Levant & Turkey

The new government's intelligence services are using 'all capabilities to face all attempts targeting the Syrian people in all its components'

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (of the Shi'ite Amal party) adjourned the session for two hours for "consultations," before the second round of voting resumed

Lebanon is geared to select a new president this week as the army has made significant strides in taking over for IDF troops deployed in southern Lebanon

'Our armies continue their commitment against ISIS,' France's foreign minister wrote on X

Ahmed al-Sharaa expressed his hope that incoming US President Donald Trump will lift the sanctions on Syria, and that Russia will continue having a part in the country

According to the new Syrian interior minister, remnants of the previous regime were killed by forces loyal to the new government, while calm prevails in the areas inhabited by the Alawites

The announcement comes after Kurdish groups said they had launched a counteroffensive against Turkish forces that entered Syria and taken territory

Asma al-Assad is displeased with the conditions in Russia after she and her husband fled Damascus amid the rebel takeover of Syria, according to reports in Arabic and Turkish media

Reports from Turkish and British claimed that Asma al-Assad was encouraged by her mother to file for divorce because of poor conditions in Russia, coupled with a lack of adequate leukemia treatment

'They are violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,' Guterres said of IDF strikes, despite Israel moving in only after UNDOF came under attack by gunmen in the demilitarized zone

'We urgently request you pause strikes on this area and deploy Israeli assets to search for Austin Tice and other prisoners'

The former president said on Telegram that he is filled 'with hope that Syria will once again be free and independent'

While optimistic regarding relations with Israel going forward, Syrian National Salvation Front leader Fahad al-Masri called Israel's operations in Syria a mistake – watch the exclusive interview

'Israel never wanted Bashar to leave,' Turkey's FM said – 'Even after the start of the rebels' revolution, the Americans told us that Israel does not want Bashar to go - even up until the last day'

The village of Hader held a town meeting over the weekend, with residents heard calling for Israel to annex the Syrian community rather than coming under the rule of jihadists

'I have been waiting for a moment like this for all of my life,' one man said – 'Most of the people's problems in Syria are Bashar al-Assad – nothing else'

'I thought the guards were still there, so I thought the warfare could have been more active than it ended up being…once we got out, there was no resistance, there was no real fighting'

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei apparently referred to Turkey, a supporter of the rebels, as the 'neighboring country' involved, while putting the weight of responsibility on the US and Israel

Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was transferred to Russia 'in the most secure manner,' according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov

The Russian army relies on agreements with rebel organizations that will allow it to leave the country 'without disturbance' • For this reason, Moscow stopped calling the rebels 'terrorists'

The new government will soon publish a first list of names of individuals who have tortured the Syrian people

Rebel groups are seeking to reach underground sections of the infamous Saydnaya prison, where opponents of the Assad regime are held • A cash reward has been offered, but so far without success

Air raids attributed to Israel were carried out around Damascus, targeting sophisticated weapons and military installations – as well as a facility holding chemical weapons