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Syria

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Syria. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Damascus

Head of State

President Bashar al-Assad

Head of Government

Prime Minister Hussein Arnous

A member of the Syrian security forces keeps watch inside a Damascus cafe following a deadly bomb blast. Photo: dpa

Middle East

Bomb blast at Damascus cafe kills 9 near key government building

Deadliest attack in the Syrian capital since last year’s church bombing targets busy area near the Palace of Justice.

3 Jul 2026 - 1:57PM

United States

US Supreme Court paves way for Trump’s mass deportation of Haitians, Syrians

26 Jun 2026 - 1:07PM

Israel

After US-Iran deal, Netanyahu says he will run in coming Israeli elections

16 Jun 2026 - 5:34AMvideocam

Middle East

Syria says Sharaa holds phone call with Trump

Ahmed al-Sharaa tells the US president that ending economic restrictions is essential to reviving Syria’s economy.

1 Jun 2026 - 3:38PM

US President Donald Trump and Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House in November 2025. The two leaders spoke by phone on Sunday. Photo: Syrian presidency via AP

Middle East

Israel launches deadly strike near Beirut as it widens offensive in Lebanon

Escalating hostilities in Lebanon strain a fragile ceasefire ahead of crucial negotiations in Washington.

29 May 2026 - 12:39PM

Australia

Islamic State-linked Australian women charged with keeping slave in Syria

The mother and daughter, accused of ‘crimes against humanity’, were arrested in Melbourne after travelling from a Syrian detention camp.

8 May 2026 - 7:42AM

Australia

Australia warns of arrests as 13 people linked to Isis set to return from Syria

The four women and nine children, who had been living in Roj camp in Syria, are expected to land in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday.

6 May 2026 - 12:52PMvideocam

Members of Australian families at Roj camp prepare to leave for Damascus as part of a second repatriation effort by Syrian authorities on April 24. Photo: AP

Middle East

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

3 May 2026 - 10:30AM

Brics

Iran war tests India’s Brics leadership as ‘political relevance’ questions mount

With Brics members Iran and the UAE as belligerents, the bloc has failed to reach a common position on the Middle East conflict.

30 Apr 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

Middle East

Syria begins long-awaited first trial of Assad-era officials

Atef Najib was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria’s Daraa province under Assad. He faces charges related to the arrest and torture of teenagers in 2011.

26 Apr 2026 - 7:52PM

Judicial officials and people attend the first trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus, Syria, on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

Ukraine and Syria pledge security cooperation as Zelensky expands Middle East tour

Zelensky and Sharaa discuss drone defence and food security as Kyiv seeks to export its military expertise.

6 Apr 2026 - 9:50AM

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

In a time of war, Chinese museums are a safe haven for ancient treasures of Iran

Cultural exchanges established with the Middle East are underscoring China’s role as a safe harbour for vulnerable global heritage.

4 Apr 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Middle East

Syrians protest against alcohol sale limits, personal freedom curbs

Hundreds of demonstrators in Damascus gathered in a silent protest against the move they say deepens sectarian divisions.

23 Mar 2026 - 1:10AM

Hong Kong society

Rodent trip: hamster hitches ride on bus to Sha Tin

Golden brown Syrian hamster spotted by a passenger on KMB bus from Central.

23 Mar 2026 - 5:00PM

A hamster was spotted on the floor of a KMB bus on Sunday morning. Photo: Handout

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war nears 3-front tipping point as Gulf energy hubs burn

Israeli strikes on the world’s largest gas field and Iranian attacks on Saudi and Qatari hubs threaten a global energy crisis.

21 Mar 2026 - 12:30PM

Smoke and fire rise near the South Pars gas field following an attack amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Turkey

Pregnant woman and 5 kids die in container fire in Turkey

The 27-year-old mother was seven months pregnant, with her husband fighting for his life after the blaze.

20 Mar 2026 - 11:18PM

Middle East

Drone and rocket attacks target US embassy as Iraq is pulled into war

Iraq’s Green Zone in Baghdad comes under attack as war rages on multiple fronts in the Middle East.

17 Mar 2026 - 6:39PMvideocam

Middle East

Opinion | How US-Israel war on Iran rocks foundations of the Abraham Accords

For Arab states, the conflict has revealed a paradox: the alliances meant to enhance their security may also have increased their vulnerability.

16 Mar 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Smoke rises from a warehouse in the industrial area of Sharjah city in the United Arab Emirates on March 1 following reports of Iranian strikes. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Nearly 500 dead in Lebanon from Israeli offensive against Hezbollah

As the death toll rises by 100 a day, the Lebanese president proposes a truce with Israel, saying Hezbollah is pushing Lebanon into ‘chaos’.

10 Mar 2026 - 9:13PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Disappointing’: Americans recall desperate, self-funded escapes from Mideast

‘Everyone’s been sending each other resources because, quite frankly, the US has not done a single thing in any capacity,’ a traveller says.

7 Mar 2026 - 11:35AMvideocam

Iran

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

6 Mar 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

The sun sets behind a plume of smoke from a US-Israeli military strike in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Germany

Berlin jails man for 13 years over stabbing at Holocaust memorial

The man, 20, said he had been motivated by his radicalisation and belief he was acting with a religious mission.

5 Mar 2026 - 5:32PM

Police apprehend a suspect at the scene where a person was stabbed near Berlin’s Holocaust memorial in Berlin on February 21, 2025. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

A guide to how the Iran war has ricocheted across the Middle East and beyond

From sunken warships to closed airspaces, here is a country-by-country breakdown of the conflict’s impact so far.

5 Mar 2026 - 10:01AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Trump’s Iran attack sparks calls in Russia to abandon Ukraine talks

Some Russian hardliners are urging Vladimir Putin to double down on the war in Ukraine.

4 Mar 2026 - 6:37PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

US and Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation: sources

The prospect of Kurdish groups operating inside Iran signals US consideration for a ground uprising.

4 Mar 2026 - 12:33PMvideocam

The presidential complex in Tehran following air strikes. Photo: Vantor via AFP

Cathay Pacific

432 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and 47 flights cancelled

Cathay Pacific also suspends Dubai and Riyadh flights, as attacks force countries to close airspace.

2 Mar 2026 - 11:04PMvideocam

Flag carrier Cathay Pacific has suspended its Dubai services until Thursday. Photo: Eugene Lee

US-Iran tensions

Airspace closed, flights cancelled amid US-Israel-Iran conflict

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Syria and the UAE all announced at least partial closures of their skies.

28 Feb 2026 - 11:04PMvideocam

Middle East

US presses Syria to shift from Chinese telecoms systems

Washington warned Damascus, which is considering buying Chinese telecoms technology, to buy from US or allied states.

27 Feb 2026 - 6:42AM

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Syria

Bomb blast at Damascus cafe kills 9 near key government building

Deadliest attack in the Syrian capital since last year’s church bombing targets busy area near the Palace of Justice.

US Supreme Court paves way for Trump’s mass deportation of Haitians, Syrians

After US-Iran deal, Netanyahu says he will run in coming Israeli elections

Syria says Sharaa holds phone call with Trump

Ahmed al-Sharaa tells the US president that ending economic restrictions is essential to reviving Syria’s economy.

Israel launches deadly strike near Beirut as it widens offensive in Lebanon

Escalating hostilities in Lebanon strain a fragile ceasefire ahead of crucial negotiations in Washington.

Islamic State-linked Australian women charged with keeping slave in Syria

The mother and daughter, accused of ‘crimes against humanity’, were arrested in Melbourne after travelling from a Syrian detention camp.

Australia warns of arrests as 13 people linked to Isis set to return from Syria

The four women and nine children, who had been living in Roj camp in Syria, are expected to land in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday.

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Iran war tests India’s Brics leadership as ‘political relevance’ questions mount

With Brics members Iran and the UAE as belligerents, the bloc has failed to reach a common position on the Middle East conflict.

Syria begins long-awaited first trial of Assad-era officials

Atef Najib was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria’s Daraa province under Assad. He faces charges related to the arrest and torture of teenagers in 2011.

Ukraine and Syria pledge security cooperation as Zelensky expands Middle East tour

Zelensky and Sharaa discuss drone defence and food security as Kyiv seeks to export its military expertise.

In a time of war, Chinese museums are a safe haven for ancient treasures of Iran

Cultural exchanges established with the Middle East are underscoring China’s role as a safe harbour for vulnerable global heritage.

Syrians protest against alcohol sale limits, personal freedom curbs

Hundreds of demonstrators in Damascus gathered in a silent protest against the move they say deepens sectarian divisions.

Rodent trip: hamster hitches ride on bus to Sha Tin

Golden brown Syrian hamster spotted by a passenger on KMB bus from Central.

Iran war nears 3-front tipping point as Gulf energy hubs burn

Israeli strikes on the world’s largest gas field and Iranian attacks on Saudi and Qatari hubs threaten a global energy crisis.

Pregnant woman and 5 kids die in container fire in Turkey

The 27-year-old mother was seven months pregnant, with her husband fighting for his life after the blaze.

Drone and rocket attacks target US embassy as Iraq is pulled into war

Iraq’s Green Zone in Baghdad comes under attack as war rages on multiple fronts in the Middle East.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | How US-Israel war on Iran rocks foundations of the Abraham Accords

For Arab states, the conflict has revealed a paradox: the alliances meant to enhance their security may also have increased their vulnerability.

Nearly 500 dead in Lebanon from Israeli offensive against Hezbollah

As the death toll rises by 100 a day, the Lebanese president proposes a truce with Israel, saying Hezbollah is pushing Lebanon into ‘chaos’.

‘Disappointing’: Americans recall desperate, self-funded escapes from Mideast

‘Everyone’s been sending each other resources because, quite frankly, the US has not done a single thing in any capacity,’ a traveller says.

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

Berlin jails man for 13 years over stabbing at Holocaust memorial

The man, 20, said he had been motivated by his radicalisation and belief he was acting with a religious mission.

A guide to how the Iran war has ricocheted across the Middle East and beyond

From sunken warships to closed airspaces, here is a country-by-country breakdown of the conflict’s impact so far.

Trump’s Iran attack sparks calls in Russia to abandon Ukraine talks

Some Russian hardliners are urging Vladimir Putin to double down on the war in Ukraine.

US and Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation: sources

The prospect of Kurdish groups operating inside Iran signals US consideration for a ground uprising.

432 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and 47 flights cancelled

Cathay Pacific also suspends Dubai and Riyadh flights, as attacks force countries to close airspace.

Airspace closed, flights cancelled amid US-Israel-Iran conflict

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Syria and the UAE all announced at least partial closures of their skies.

US presses Syria to shift from Chinese telecoms systems

Washington warned Damascus, which is considering buying Chinese telecoms technology, to buy from US or allied states.

Opinion | How US-Israel war on Iran rocks foundations of the Abraham Accords