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Syria

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 woman in a bikini sits at a pool in Freiburg, Germany. Syrian authorities unveiled new clothing rules on Tuesday. Photo: dpa
Middle East

Syria decrees women must wear burkinis, ‘decent’ clothing at public beaches

The order drew concerns among some Syrians about their personal freedoms under the country’s new Islamist authorities.

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Middle East

Israel attacks targets in Syria after projectiles launched, blames new leader

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong nurse honoured with top medal for 15 years of life-saving work

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Donald Trump

Trump attacks ‘scum’ opponents, judges on day honouring US war dead

US president honours fallen soldiers on Memorial Day after posting an all-caps tirade at his enemies on social media.

President Donald Trump at Arlington National Cemetery. Photo: Reuters
Middle East

Syrian government to aid search for missing Americans, US envoy says

The US lifting sanctions paves the way for reconstruction, with authorities relying on foreign help to foot the cost of rebuilding.

Middle East

Syrian government, Kurdish officials visit notorious prison camp

Kurdish-run camps in Syria’s northeast hold tens of thousands of people, many with alleged or perceived links to Isis.

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United States

Opinion | With his ‘historic’ tour, Trump puts US power back in the Middle East

In reasserting the US in the centre of the Middle East’s strategic calculus, Trump also weakens the leverage and influence of Russia and China.

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President Donald Trump visits US troops at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, on May 15. Photo: Reuters
Middle East

Opinion | How Trump’s Middle East tour revealed Gulf states’ priorities

While the Gulf states seek benefits from Washington and Beijing, Chinese leaders must deliver more tangible support to secure recent gains.

Middle East

Syria on the brink? US warns of potential new civil war within weeks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Syria’s transitional government facing potential collapse, more war, and ‘country splitting up’.

Hong Kong society

Letters | Even as HIV rates fall, Hong Kong can’t afford to get complacent

Readers discuss international best practice for HIV prevention, JD.com going head to head with Meituan in delivery services, and civilian deaths in the Gaza war.

Hong Kong has made remarkable progress in HIV prevention, but is still some distance away from achieving the goal of ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030. Photo: Shutterstock
Donald Trump

Trump caps Gulf tour with America-first policy for peace in Middle East

Trump’s vision sits well with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, two Gulf nations closest to Washington, but its feasibility remains to be determined, analysts say.

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US President Donald Trump gestures while delivering remarks to US troops during a visit to Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Middle East

Trump wraps up his Middle East tour with deals galore

The US president made scoring business deals a centrepiece of the first major foreign trip of his second term.

Middle East

Trump says ‘getting close’ to deal to avoid Iran military action

Iran has held four rounds of talks with the Trump administration, which has sought to avert threatened military action by Israel.

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Donald Trump

Trump move to end Syria sanctions catches his own administration by surprise

The very officials who’d be responsible for implementing the policy change were not warned before the US president made his announcement.

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US President Donald Trump attends the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Donald Trump

Trump meets Syria’s rebel leader Sharaa, urges him to establish Israel ties

Sharaa was for years the leader of al-Qaeda’s official wing in the Syrian conflict. The US removed a US$10 million bounty on him in December.

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) watches as US President Donald Trump (middle) meets Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh on Wednesday. Photo: AFP/Saudi Royal Palace/Bandar al-Jaloud
Syrian conflict

Syria’s rebel leader Sharaa’s path from global jihad to Trump meeting

The meeting in Saudi Arabia is a milestone for a man who joined al-Qaeda in Iraq around the time of the 2003 US-led invasion.

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Religion

Pope Leo offers to mediate between world leaders to end wars

Ending conflicts has been a dominant theme in Pope Leo’s addresses since he became pope last week.

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Donald Trump

‘I like him too much’: Trump showers praise on Saudi Arabia’s crown prince

The US president’s rapport with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is far warmer than his White House predecessor’s.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at an investment forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Middle East

Trump says he will remove Syria sanctions in surprise boost to war-torn nation

The US president is expected to meet interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander who spent years in a US prison in Iraq.

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Israel

‘Cease at once’: UN envoy urges Israel to stop attacks on Syria

‘I strongly condemn Israel’s continued and escalating violations of Syria’s sovereignty, including air strikes in Damascus and other cities,’ said Geir Pedersen.

China-Middle East relations

Will Syria challenges stand in the way of China’s Middle East ambitions?

Analysts say Beijing, once a backer of ousted Syrian ruler Assad, has ‘lots to learn’ if it wants to become a mediator in region.

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A masked opposition fighter carries a flag of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus, Syria on December 10. Members of HTS, deemed a terrorist group by the United Nations, now hold pivotal cabinet positions in Syria’s new government. Photo: AP
Middle East

Israeli military attacks target near Syria’s presidential palace

The strike came after days of clashes between pro-Syrian government gunmen and fighters who belong to the Druze minority.

An Israeli fighter jet flies over an area near the Syrian capital Damascus on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Middle East

Israel strikes Syria, saying it hit group that attacked Druze

Israel says it carried out a ‘warning operation’ to protect minority group amid sectarian violence.

China-Middle East relations

Syria’s foreign minister wants to ‘strengthen relations’ with China

At UN meeting, Asaad al-Shaibani said Syria willing to build ‘strategic partnership’ with China, a key backer of ousted ruler Assad.

Middle East

Israel warns Syrian leader of ‘heavy price’ after strikes and ground raids

Israel calls latest strikes on Syria’s military sites and infrastructure a ‘warning for the future’.

Syrians look for metal pieces and unexploded ammunition at the site of an Israeli air strike in northeastern Syria, on December 10, 2024. File photo: AFP

Video | Syria vows accountability after deadly clashes

Syria vows accountability after reports of mass killings spark global condemnation
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Middle East

Syria’s government signs breakthrough deal with US-backed SDF

Deal aims to integrate Kurdish-led SDF-controlled entities into Syrian state institutions.

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Middle East

Syria vows accountability after reports of mass killings spark global condemnation

Syria’s interim leader Sharaa says he will hold perpetrators responsible after a flurry of violence leaves almost 1,000 civilians dead.

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