Syrian former general and cousin of Bashar al-Assad, now central to war-crimes prosecutions in Daraa
A blast near Damascus’s Palace of Justice has killed several people and wounded many more. State media says the explosion came from an improvised device planted in a cafe, while authorities pledge accountability. No group has claimed responsibility; analysts warn the attack targets the judiciary amid ongoing trials from the former regime.
A sequence of bombings in central Damascus has killed and wounded civilians, with authorities announcing arrests of suspects and pledging to pursue those behind the attacks as Macron’s visit to Syria unfolds amid security concerns.
Unified Syrian and Lebanese security concerns frame talks on potential cross-border operations. While Washington presses for pressure points, Damascus faces internal and regional costs. A range of options is considered, from border controls to limited troop movements, with Iran’s retaliation potential guiding calculations.
A Damascus criminal court has sentenced ousted president Bashar al‑Assad, his brother Maher and several senior former officials — including Atef Najib, who is in custody — to death for murders, torture and crimes against humanity committed during Syria’s 14‑year conflict. The rulings have been issued in absentia for Assad and Maher, who are in Russia.
Lebanon has passed legislation abolishing the death penalty and replacing it with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour. Parliament has also approved a separate general amnesty law that will reduce some long sentences and free inmates detained more than 12 prison years while awaiting trial; the measures respond to severe prison overcrowding and political pressures.
A Damascus court has sentenced Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia after a rebel-led rise toppled decades of his family’s rule. He has fled to Moscow, where he is coordinating a new chapter for Syria as international investigations exposed state-led abuses during his reign. The trial marks a decisive moment in a long civil war that drew in regional and global powers.
Lebanon has passed a landmark amnesty law in a show-of-hands vote, replacing death sentences with long prison terms and reducing others. The law aims to ease prison overcrowding but faces opposition from families of soldiers and some factions. Repeal of the death penalty follows years of debate and sectarian pressures.