Damascus

Syria climbed 36 places in the 2026 Reporters Without Borders ranking, but deep constraints on independent journalism remain.

One pilot, who had held senior leadership positions, noted that certain officers were granted special trust by the leadership and were assigned intensive bombing missions.

Syria has opened its first public trial for a former Assad regime official, Atef Najib, marking a shift toward accountability. The trial focuses on crimes committed in Dara’a and Damascus.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the Gulf last week as part of his efforts to shore up support for Damascus across the Middle East and Europe amid rising regional tensions.

Damascus is moving against networks it says planned assassinations, bombings, and rocket fire, raising new questions about sovereignty and power after Bashar Assad’s fall.

Amjad Yousef was arrested in the Hama province in western Syria, where he had been hiding since the overthrow of Bashar Assad in 2024.

The Action Group for Palestinians of Syria complained that at least 14 men were arrested from the Khan Al-Shih camp, Jaramana camp, the Rukn al-Din neighborhood, and the town of al-Hameh.

It was a revival of international basketball competitions that had declined in recent years, both in their organization and their reach across Syrian provinces

Syria, especially Damascus and Aleppo, was home to Jewish communities for centuries, communities woven into the country’s social and cultural fabric.

Rabbi Michael Khoury was the reported target of an attack, state media said that the cell intended to target “a religious figure in the vicinity of the Maronite Church in Bab Touma on April 11."