Under Mr Assad Syria sank from middle-income status to abject poverty. Women saw branches off trees for heating. Children scavenge in dumpsters for food. Men pull copper wire from buildings and telecoms cables to sell. The government is broke and banks are running out of cash. “The economy is tanking,” says one of Mr Sharaa’s advisers.

Europe has removed Syrian Air from its sanctions list, as part of a wider easing of sanctions aimed at supporting the country’s recovery following the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. “This decision is part of the EU’s efforts to support an inclusive political transition in Syria...

Russia views Libya as an anchor for further entrenchment in the Sahel, where Western disengagement and weakened governments create openings. From oil in Libya to gold in Sudan to uranium in Niger, control of North Africa’s resources would feed Russia’s broader power projection goals.

European legislators have decided to ease certain sanctions against Syrian Arab Airlines, following the collapse of the Bashar Al-Assad government. The European Council states that it is suspending a number of restrictive measures against Syrian entities in order to facilitate recovery in the energy,

Sharaa’s interim government has been trying to court the international community to encourage investment and ease sanctions to allow Syria’s economy to recover.

Hundreds of Syrian politicians and activists gathered Tuesday in Damascus to endorse the opening steps of the country’s political transition, a milestone event after decades of ironfisted one-family rule.

which they touted as as a “rare historical opportunity” to rebuild the country after the fall of former President Bashar Assad and nearly 14 years of civil war. About 600 people from across ...