Syrian general and commander at the heart of the regime
Syria has named Abdul Hamid Raslan as central bank governor, replacing Abdul Qadir al-Hasriya, who will become ambassador to Canada. Raslan, a longtime banker and former head of the Syrian Development Fund, inherits a system seeking to reconnect with global finance after a period of sanctions and upheaval. The move follows a wider government reshuffle announced by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Christians in western Idlib are returning to their villages, reopening churches and repairing homes after years of displacement. Residents describe a sense of belonging returning as they reopen Al-Quniyah and nearby areas, while broader reconstruction faces funding and infrastructure challenges.
Maj. Gen. Adel Issa, a former commander tied to Assad’s regime, has been detained in Beirut after entering Lebanon illegally. Lebanese authorities are awaiting Damascus’s extradition charge sheet; a transfer would be the first since Assad’s fall. Issa faces multiple accusations and his case sits within Syria’s broader reckoning with the past.