Syria assad

Luna al-Shibl, Syrian President Assad's adviser, died after a suspected deliberate car accident in Damascus, amid political intrigues and military reforms in Syria.

The office said in a statement that Rifaat al-Assad, 86, had been charged with "ordering homicides, acts of torture, cruel treatments and illegal detentions."

Ongoing protests see citizens, including Druze spiritual leaders, calling for democratic reform and a halt to economic degradation

In footage posted on activist pages, a group of men could be seen ripping a banner portraying Assad's face that was hanging above the local branch of the Farmers' Union.

"Long live Syria and down with Bashar al Assad!" protesters chanted near police headquarters and the governor's office as security forces nearby avoided confrontation.

Over 10 hours after the explosions were reported, Syrian state media still had not commented on the nature of the explosions.

Syria is accused by Arab governments and the West of producing the highly-addictive and lucrative amphetamine captagon and organizing its smuggling into the Gulf, with Jordan a main transit route.

Having welcomed back Assad, Arab states want him to curb a flourishing Syrian trade in narcotics, which are produced in Syria and smuggled across the region.

Bashar Assad's attendance at the Arab League summit after a 13-year absence signals a potential regional reintegration, despite sparking controversy and eliciting mixed reactions from Syrians at home

While Arab countries appear to have brought Assad in from the cold, they are still demanding that he curbs Syria's drug trade.