WorldAhmad Badreddin Hassoun, a senior Muslim religious official under ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has received a life sentence for crimes committed during Syria’s nearly 14-year war. A Damascus criminal court found him guilty of inciting violence and granting the al-Assad regime religious and political legitimacy.
WorldTom Barrack, the US ambassador to Türkiye and envoy to Syria, says the intelligence behind an Israeli strike on a Syrian air base was wrong and that Turkish forces were not moving military assets there. The admission comes as Syria becomes an increasingly sensitive source of friction between Ankara and Tel Aviv.
WorldUS Ambassador to Türkiye and Syria envoy Tom Barrack says the intelligence that prompted an Israeli attack on a Syrian air base was wrong. He says the Turkish military had not been moving assets to the base, as Syria becomes a major source of tension between Ankara and Tel Aviv ahead of Israel’s October elections.
PoliticsThe United States is preparing to remove Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list after nearly 50 years. The step follows Washington’s decision last month and the completion of a congressional review period, Al Jazeera reports.
WorldSyrian officials say an investigation found no evidence of deliberate physical abuse in the custody death of former White Helmets volunteer Mohammad Ghamira. Ghamira, who had haemophilia, died of a brain haemorrhage after being detained over a financial dispute. A police officer accused of slapping him has been detained and referred for prosecution.
WorldMourners gathered in Al-Bab for Mohamed Ghamira, whose death in police custody investigators attributed to a single slap despite his hemophilia. The officer has been detained and faces prosecution. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said the findings showed a commitment to uncovering the truth and holding accountable those found to have overstepped.
WorldThe program focuses on rising tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria, alongside coverage of Trump’s actions targeting Iran’s economy and broader Middle East and Africa market analysis.
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WorldTurkey firmly rejected what it called Israel’s “untenable allegations” about its military position in Syria after Israeli airstrikes hit the Abu al-Duhur air base near Aleppo and the Turkish border. Israel said Syria was close to allowing Turkish troops to deploy there, while a U.S. envoy called the attack an “unnecessary escalation.”
WorldIsrael accused Turkey on Tuesday of threatening it by preparing to deploy troops to a Syrian base that was struck by Israel. The United States condemned the attack and blamed its ally, highlighting Israel’s extraordinary defiance of Washington’s efforts to support Syria’s new government, led by a former jihadist allied with Turkey.
CultureAfter years of conflict and devastation, Syrians are seeking to reclaim their heritage. Night-time tours in the ancient city of Palmyra offer a way to reconnect with the country’s history and revive a site seized by Islamic State in 2015, where the group carried out one of its worst atrocities.
WorldA Damascus court sentenced Wassim al-Assad, cousin of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to death after convicting him of premeditated murder, torture and inciting violence during Syria’s civil war. The court said he commanded militias responsible for war crimes in places including Eastern Ghouta and Syria’s coastal provinces, and ordered his assets seized and victims compensated. Survivors welcomed the verdict.
WorldSyria remains on the US list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, but President Donald Trump has told Congress he wants to remove it. Trump is seeking more in return and has even floated Syria confronting Hezbollah directly. Al Sharaa is taking a safer approach, intercepting weapons at the border rather than drawing Syria into the war in Lebanon.
WorldMohammed Ghmeira, a former White Helmets volunteer, died after an alleged beating while in police custody in Latakia, despite officers being warned that he had haemophilia. The case has prompted protests, while a Syrian rights group cites 19 testimonies alleging deaths in custody and abuse, including electric shocks.
WorldWaseem al-Assad, a member of Syria’s former Assad regime, is facing trial on allegations that he led militia groups involved in attacks, intimidation, kidnappings, field executions and looting during the conflict. Residents say fighters entered homes and shops and took furniture, appliances and other goods.
WorldThe Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus has sentenced Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of ousted Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, to death after convicting him of crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14-year war, including premeditated murder and torture.
WorldSyrians are outraged by Mohammed Ghmeira’s death after he entered a police station in Al-Haffa to settle a financial dispute. His family and the emergency minister say beatings in custody caused a brain haemorrhage and internal bleeding despite warnings that he had haemophilia. Reports of other abuses have fueled protests in Aleppo and Damascus.
PoliticsIn an extended interview, Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, discusses his plans to transform the country into a modern Arab democracy. The interview follows the collapse in December 2024 of the al-Assad dynasty’s 53-year rule after an overwhelming armed opposition offensive, which forced Bashar al-Assad from office and into exile in Russia before al-Julani took power and became president.
WorldAleppo, Syria’s economic capital, was largely reduced to ruins by fighting between regime and rebel forces from 2012 to 2016. A 2023 earthquake inflicted further severe damage on the old city, but reconstruction is now advancing, especially at its treasured historic monuments.
PoliticsSyrians have long demanded accountability for murders, disappearances and torture attributed to Bashar al-Assad’s regime during almost 14 years of war. A Damascus court has now sentenced Assad, his brother Maher and six other former senior officials to death in absentia over crimes committed during the conflict. Assad’s cousin, Atef Najib, the former security chief of Deraa province, attended the trial and also received a death sentence. The verdicts are being welcomed by supporters of accountability, while questions remain over Syria’s ability to deliver transitional justice.
WorldA Syrian court has sentenced ousted leader Bashar al-Assad to death following a trial held in absentia. The ruling convicted him of crimes that include killings, torture and arbitrary arrest. The landmark judgment has prompted reactions from Syrians. The video contains sensitive footage that may disturb some viewers.
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WorldA criminal court in Damascus has sentenced Atif Najib, a former Syrian security chief in Daraa, to death for taking part in the 2011 crackdown on protesters. Eight other former regime figures were also sentenced in absentia, including Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher. The convictions cover war crimes, crimes against humanity, murder, arbitrary detention and torture, including abuses involving children. The ruling is being regarded as a landmark step toward transitional justice.
WorldPeople in Syria’s Deraa have welcomed death sentences handed to former President Bashar al-Assad and senior figures in his security apparatus. The convictions concern war crimes and crimes against humanity. Among those sentenced is Assad’s cousin Atef Najib, who formerly led political security in Deraa and was accused of directing the harsh crackdown on protesters there in 2011. Assad and other senior officials fled to Russia after his government was overthrown in December 2024, making extradition unlikely.
WorldA Syrian court has sentenced former regime leader Bashar al Assad and a senior security official to death in absentia. The verdicts concern alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes. Middle East commentator Chris Doyle assesses what the rulings could mean for Syria’s new government. The focus is on their political significance as well as their legal weight.
WorldA Syrian court has sentenced former ruler Bashar al-Assad to death following a trial held without him. The court convicted him of atrocities committed during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war. The ruling was issued on Tuesday, August 11. Assad was tried and sentenced in absentia.