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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

The port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on April 17. Photo: EPA/The UAE Presidential Court

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

30 Apr 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

Middle East

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

26 Apr 2026 - 7:52PM

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

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

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.

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

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

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’.

22 Feb 2026 - 10:19AM

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.

19 Feb 2026 - 7:04AMvideocam

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.

18 Feb 2026 - 8:16PM

United States

US civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dies at 84: ‘my constituency is the damned’

The Baptist minister’s two presidential runs helped lay the groundwork for the election of America’s first black president, Barack Obama.

17 Feb 2026 - 6:53PM

Jesse Jackson addresses the “Fairness in Democracy” rally on December 6, 2000. Photo: AFP

Middle East

US pulls out of strategic military base and hands it over to Syria

Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base, ending an American military presence that lasted for more than a decade.

13 Feb 2026 - 12:28PM

A 2025 satellite image showing the al-Tanf base in Syria. Photo: Planet Labs PBC via Reuters

Lebanon

Lebanon’s Tripoli called a ‘disaster-stricken city’ after deadly collapse

Tripoli’s mayor warns that thousands of people remain at risk in unsafe buildings due to years of neglect.

9 Feb 2026 - 4:41PM

Russia

Russia says suspect in shooting of top general detained in Dubai

Moscow says Russian Lyubomir Korba was held in Dubai for a shooting, with two accomplices identified – one in Moscow, while one fled to Ukraine.

8 Feb 2026 - 6:31PM

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Syria

‘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

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

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.

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’.

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.

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.

US civil rights icon Jesse Jackson dies at 84: ‘my constituency is the damned’

The Baptist minister’s two presidential runs helped lay the groundwork for the election of America’s first black president, Barack Obama.

US pulls out of strategic military base and hands it over to Syria

Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base, ending an American military presence that lasted for more than a decade.

Lebanon’s Tripoli called a ‘disaster-stricken city’ after deadly collapse

Tripoli’s mayor warns that thousands of people remain at risk in unsafe buildings due to years of neglect.

Russia says suspect in shooting of top general detained in Dubai

Moscow says Russian Lyubomir Korba was held in Dubai for a shooting, with two accomplices identified – one in Moscow, while one fled to Ukraine.

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