Syria

• Five years after the Taliban seized power in Kabul, Afghans face a starkly divided reality where some report improvements while many others endure increasing hardship. • Syria continues to struggle with the aftermath of over a decade of conflict, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and a massive global displacement crisis. • These reports highlight the ongoing humanitarian challenges and slow recovery processes in regions destabilized by long-term political upheaval and war.

Verdict relates to atrocities committed during the country’s 14-year civil war in which about 500,000 people diedA Syrian court has sentenced the country’s former president Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes during the 14-year civil war, in which about half a million people died.The two men fled to Moscow after being ousted by a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024 which toppled the dictatorial regime in just 11 days. Continue reading...

• Israel has launched air and ground assaults in Syria, viewing the current regime as a significant security threat. • Despite the United States easing sanctions and Arab states pledging financial aid, the country continues to face instability and minority tensions. • Humanitarian conditions remain dire as the nation struggles with a weak recovery process following years of conflict.

• The UN Security Council is conducting its monthly debate on Syria as Secretary-General António Guterres travels to Damascus. • The session occurs amid reports of an Israeli attack in occupied territory and ongoing tensions regarding the US-Iran war. • Members are discussing the development of a multi-national oil pipeline to mitigate the economic risks of closing the critical Strait of Hormuz.

• India's U17 women's national team has been drawn into Group E for the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers. • The "Young Tigresses" will face opponents Malaysia, Syria, and Iraq in a series of matches hosted by Malaysia. • The qualifying tournament is scheduled to take place from October 5-11, 2026.

Blasts did not interrupt French president’s visit but are setback for Syrian leaders’ attempt to project stabilityExplosions rocked Damascus near the hotel where French president, Emmanuel Macron, was staying on Tuesday, wounding at least 18 people, Syrian authorities said.Macron was in the presidential palace for a meeting with the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, when two improvised explosive devices detonated near the Four Seasons hotel where Macron was reported to be staying. Continue reading...

• Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, met with the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Doha. • The two officials discussed the current state of bilateral relations and explored strategies to further support and develop diplomatic ties between the two nations. • The meeting focused on the latest developments within Syria and addressed several other issues of common interest to both countries.

• Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz held a phone call with Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab on Saturday to reaffirm the Kingdom's steadfast support for Damascus. • The two officials reviewed bilateral relations and discussed specific strategies to enhance security cooperation and coordination between their respective ministries. • This diplomatic engagement highlights Saudi Arabia's ongoing efforts to strengthen ties and maintain regional stability through direct high-level communication with Syrian leadership.

• Following the collapse of the previous regime, the U.S. faces a strategic opening to negotiate a transactional bargain with Syria's new leadership. • The author argues that Washington should avoid open-ended missions and instead use its leverage to establish enforceable conditions that permanently lock Iran out of the country. • This approach prioritizes strategic results over trust, as the new government is composed of former insurgents who may not be inherently reliable.

• The government of Bashar al-Assad collapsed in late 2024 following a successful offensive by Turkish-backed opposition forces. • This power shift has intensified the long-standing regional rivalry between Turkey and Iran, as Turkey expands its influence over the Syrian landscape. • Despite the fall of the Assad regime, Iran continues to maintain a strategic presence and influence within Syria, preventing a total exit from the region.

• Syria's intelligence chief, Hussein Al-Salama, informed the UN on Monday that the country has transitioned from "managing crises" to "building sustainable stability." • This shift follows the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, marking a significant political turning point for the nation. • Al-Salama warned that ongoing Israeli shelling and military incursions remain a primary threat to this newfound stability and the country's recovery.

• The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on ideological lines to allow the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of immigrants. • The decision affects approximately 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians who were granted legal protections after fleeing war, natural disasters, or other catastrophes. • This ruling is significant because it removes the legal shield preventing these individuals from being deported from the United States.

• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing the removal of legal protections for thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants, which may lead to their deportation. • In separate rulings, the Court sided with the administration regarding asylum claims and supported gun owners by overturning a concealed carry restriction in Hawaii. • A federal judge blocked key portions of President Trump’s executive order on mail voting, ruling that attempts to intervene in state-run elections are unconstitutional.

• The Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Homeland Security possesses the legal authority to cancel Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from unsafe countries, including Haiti and Syria. • The decision resolves a dispute over whether judges or the executive branch holds the power to end these protections, with Trump's lawyers arguing that the law allows for "no judicial review." • This ruling significantly impacts approximately 1.3 million people from 17 different countries currently living in the U.S. under TPS.

Decision effects hundreds of thousands of people who have permission to live and work in the US because their home countries are unsafeSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe US supreme court on Thursday ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s bid to strip temporary protected status (TPS) from hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians, who were legally in the US and protected from deportation.People with TPS are given the permission to live and work in the US because the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deemed their home countries to be unsafe due to war, political instability or natural disasters. In the past year, Trump officials have attempted to cut the program for various countries, opening the door to the removal of hundreds of thousands of protected immigrants in the US. Continue reading...

• Syria is experiencing significant spillover effects from the ongoing conflict involving Iran, despite the Syrian government maintaining a position of neutrality. • Analysis by journalist Cian Ward suggests that while the regional instability creates a crisis, Damascus may be seeking strategic opportunities to leverage the situation. • The situation highlights the precarious balance Syria must maintain to avoid direct involvement in the war while managing the resulting economic and security pressures.

Home affairs minister Tony Burke says return permit ‘has to be issued’ following advice from agencies and lawyersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian woman linked to the Islamic State group has been given authorisation to return to Australia, after the government was advised it could no longer enforce a criminal exclusion order.The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said the woman would face an unprecedented level of security monitoring once she arrives in the country, including constant monitoring and requirements to report to authorities regularly. Continue reading...

With more than 177,000 people forcibly disappeared since 2011, short doc Maybe Tomorrow captures ‘the violence of waiting’ experienced by familyWhen Wafa Mustafa was a child, she remembers her father playing the music of Umm Kulthum non-stop at home in Syria, humming along to the legendary Egyptian singer’s melodic tones. One day, in an effort to encourage his daughter to appreciate music, he asked her to take a pen and paper and write the lyrics of a song she loved. Wanting to impress him, Mustafa chose an Umm Kulthum song called “Aghadan Alqak”, which translates to: “Will I meet you tomorrow?”“The lyrics are literally about someone who’s gone, about the waiting for them and the love you have for them,” says Mustafa. “It feels like I knew what was coming … as if I manifested my life since I was very young.” Continue reading...

Federal minister Tanya Plibersek says the group will face same repercussions on arrival in Australia as previous returneesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe last remaining Australian women and children left stranded in the al-Roj detention camp have reportedly left north-east Syria for Damascus, ahead of an expected return to Australia.Vision obtained by an ABC news crew in Syria showed a minivan leaving the camp, which it reported was transporting all the remaining seven women and 14 children from the camp, though this has not been officially confirmed. Continue reading...

Kawsar Ahmad, 53, also known as Abbas, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmad, 31, did not apply during brief hearingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo Australian women charged with slavery offences that allegedly occurred while they lived under Islamic State rule in Syria have faced a Melbourne court.Kawsar Ahmad, 53, also known as Abbas, and her daughter, Zeinab Ahmad, 31, were arrested by officers from the Victorian joint counter-terrorism team at Melbourne airport on Thursday. Continue reading...

Four women and nine children expected to return to Australia on Thursday with all apart from a mother and her child expected to go to VictoriaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAuthorities in two Australian states are preparing to resettle children returning from squalid detention camps and life under Islamic State rule, as at least some of their mothers face possible criminal charges.Four women and nine children are expected to return to Australia on Thursday, with all of them apart from a mother and her child bound for Melbourne. Continue reading...

Home affairs minister says government continues to refuse to assist the group of 13, who are expected leave Syria soonThe Albanese government has confirmed that four Australian women and nine of their children who were linked to suspected Islamic State fighters in Syria are set to travel home.The group of 13 were expected to fly into Australia very soon, the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

New government accused of ‘performative justice’ and making deals with suspects in 2013 Tadamon massacresAhmad al-Homsi is a deep sleeper, but when he was woken last month and told that Amjad Youssef, a Syrian intelligence officer who killed civilians in the 2013 Tadamon massacres, had been arrested, he bolted out of bed. He ran into the street to find other people already celebrating the news.“We stayed out for almost three or four days celebrating. People from neighbouring areas sent camels, sheep, livestock for us to slaughter and distribute them to people. The tears of joy didn’t stop,” said al-Homsi, a 33-year-old activist with the Tadamon Coordination Committee, which documented the atrocities in the Damascus neighbourhood. Continue reading...

Kurdish Syrian man, 26, said he fled forced conscription by YPG militia because he ‘didn’t want to kill people’An asylum seeker sent back to France under the controversial “one in, one out” scheme faces being returned to Syria after authorities in Paris ruled it was safe to do so, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind.When the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced the “groundbreaking” deal in July 2025 to stop small boats crowded with asylum seekers from crossing the Channel – by forcibly returning one small-boat asylum seeker to France in exchange for bringing one in northern France legally to the UK – they emphasised that France was a safe country for returnees. Continue reading...

• Hundreds gathered at the U.S. Supreme Court on April 29, 2026, for arguments on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians, with justices scrutinizing President Trump's authority to end the program. • The bench appeared skeptical of broad executive power to revoke deportation amnesties, per reports from the hearing. • A ruling could impact thousands facing deportation and test limits on immigration executive actions ahead of midterms.

Syrian officials say a group of Australians are ‘awaiting a solution’ as Albanese government refuses to repatriate themThe Trump administration says it is in “active communication” with countries, urging them to repatriate citizens stranded in Syria, while the Australian government maintains its hardline stance towards Australian women and children detained since the fall of Islamic State.A group of four women, their nine children and grandchildren left al-Roj camp, in Syria’s north-east, last Friday in a bid to return to Australia, with reports on Thursday morning that the Albanese government’s refusal to help them has left them stuck in Damascus. Continue reading...

Fadi Saqr is accused of mass killings of civilians in Tadamon, Damascus, where people say he must face justiceA Syrian rights commission is preparing a case accusing Fadi Saqr, a militia leader within the Assad regime, of involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes, a senior Syrian official has told the Guardian.Saqr is a former commander of the National Defence Forces (NDF) militia and is widely accused of involvement in the mass killing and forcible disappearance of civilians in the Tadamon neighbourhood of Damascus, as well as other parts of the Syrian capital. Continue reading...

Case looks at whether Trump administration has authority to strip hundreds of thousands of immigrants of TPSThe supreme court will hear oral arguments on Wednesday over whether the Trump administration can strip the temporary protected status (TPS) of hundreds of thousands of Syrians and Haitians, under a program that has protected them from deportation due to safety concerns in their home countries.People with TPS are given the permission to live and work in the US because the government has deemed their home countries to be unsafe due to war, political instability or natural disasters. In the past year, the Trump administration has attempted to cut the program for various countries, opening the door to the removal of hundreds of thousands of protected immigrants in the US. Continue reading...