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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
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

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.

Middle East

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

Australia

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

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

Syrians protest against the Damascus governorate’s decision to restrict alcoholic drinks sales to designated areas in the city, in Bab Touma Square, Damascus, Syria on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

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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.

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.

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Smoke and fire rise during reported drone and rocket strikes at the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. Photo: Reuters
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.

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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’.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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A billboard in Moscow advertising contract military service in the Russian unmanned systems forces. Photo: EPA
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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Photo: Reuters
Middle East

US ambassador says Israel has right to much of Middle East, sparking uproar

Mike Huckabee’s comments were condemned by Arab and Muslim nations as ‘extremist rhetoric’.

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US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is seen during an interview in Jerusalem in August 2025. Photo: AP
Middle East

US pulls forces from Syria as new government exerts control

The Syrian army has already taken control of Al-Tanf military base, ending an American military presence that lasted for a decade.

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Australia

Australian citizen in Syria with alleged Isis ties banned from returning home

This is the first known use of a temporary exclusion order introduced in 2019 to prevent high-risk citizens from returning to Australia.

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