Podcasts about bashar al assad

Years of civil war have turned whole areas of the city into rows of empty husks. But after the fall of Assad, Syrians have returned to their old homes determined to rebuild By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Read by Mo Ayoub. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Courage is not loud. Sometimes it is a 13-year-old girl standing in a courtroom, promising to defend dignity no matter the cost.  Noura Ghazi's life was shaped by detention, disappearance, and resistance long before she became a human rights lawyer. Growing up in Damascus with a father repeatedly imprisoned for political opposition, she chose early to confront injustice through law rather than violence. From defending political prisoners during the Syrian revolution to marrying her husband inside a prison and later founding No Photo Zone, Noura has built a life rooted in resilience, civil rights advocacy, and unwavering belief in human dignity.  Now living in France as a political refugee, she continues her work supporting families of detainees, survivors of torture, and the disappeared. Her story is not simply about survival. It is about choosing mindset over fear, purpose over despair, and love even in the shadow of loss. This conversation invites reflection on what it means to remain Unstoppable when freedom, justice, and even safety are uncertain.  Highlights:  00:07:06 – A defining childhood moment reveals how a confrontation in a Syrian courtroom shaped Noura's lifelong commitment to defending political prisoners.  00:12:51 – The unpredictable nature of Syria's exceptional courts exposes how justice without standards creates generational instability and fear.  00:17:32 – The emotional aftermath of her father's release illustrates how imprisonment reshapes entire families, not just the person detained.  00:23:47 – Noura's pursuit of human rights education demonstrates how intentional learning becomes an act of resistance in restrictive systems.  00:32:10 – The early days of the Syrian revolution clarify how violence escalates when peaceful protest is met with force.  00:37:27 – Her marriage inside a prison and the global advocacy campaign that followed reflect how personal love can fuel public courage.  00:50:59 – A candid reflection on PTSD reveals how trauma can coexist with purpose and even deepen empathy for others.  About the Guest:   Noura Ghazi's life has been shaped by a single, unwavering mission: to defend dignity, freedom, and justice in the face of dictatorship. Born in Damascus into a family deeply rooted in political resistance, she witnessed firsthand the cost of speaking out when her father was detained, tortured, and disappeared multiple times. That lived experience became her calling. Since 2004, she has defended political prisoners before Syria's Supreme Security State Court, and when the Syrian revolution began in 2011, she fully committed herself to supporting detainees and the families of the disappeared. Even after her husband, activist Bassel Khartabil Safadi, was detained, disappeared, and ultimately executed, she continued her advocacy with extraordinary resolve.  Forced into exile in 2018 after repeated threats and arrest warrants, Noura founded NoPhotoZone to provide legal aid, psychological support, and international advocacy for victims of detention, torture, enforced disappearance, and displacement across Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. Her mission is not only to seek justice for the imprisoned and the missing, but to restore agency and hope to families living in uncertainty and trauma. Recognized globally for her courage and leadership, Noura remains committed to amplifying the voices of the silenced and ensuring that even in the darkest systems, human rights and human dignity are never forgotten.  https://nouraghazi.org/   https://nophotozone.org/   Book – Waiting by Noura Ghazi - https://www.lulu.com/shop/noura-ghazi-safadi/waiting/paperback/product-1jz2kz2j.html?page=1&pageSize=4   About the Host:  Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.  Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.  https://michaelhingson.com   https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/   https://twitter.com/mhingson   https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson   https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/  Thanks for listening!  Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.  Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!  Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.  Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Michael Hingson  00:09 Well, welcome everyone to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Today, we get to chat with Nora Ghazi, who lives in, I believe, France right now. She was born in Syria. She'll tell us about that, and she has had an interesting life, and I would say, a life that has had lots of challenges and some treachery along the way. But we'll get to all of that, and I will leave it to her to describe most of that, but I just want to tell you all we really appreciate you being here and hope you enjoy the episode. So Nora, how are you? Noura Ghazi  00:49 Thank you, Michael, for having me in this great broadcast, doing well. Michael Hingson  00:57 Well, there you go. Well, why don't we start? I love to start this way. Why don't you tell us kind of about the early Nora, growing up and so on, where you grew up, what anything you want to talk about, regarding being a younger person and all of that and and however we want to proceed, we'll go from there. Noura Ghazi  01:17 Okay, so since I was a child, my childhood wasn't like normal, like all the kids at my age, because my father was like a leader in opposition party against the previous Syrian regime. Michael Hingson  01:34 So you were born in Syria? Noura Ghazi  01:37 Yes, I work in Damascus. I'm from Damascus, but I have some like multiple origin that I'm proud of. But yes, I'm from Damascus. So since I was five years old, my father was disappeared and because he was wanted with other, like fellows at his party and other, let's say aliens, parties of opposition against the previous regime. So he disappeared for six years, then he was detained and transferred to what was named the supreme security state court. So it was during my adultness, let's say so since I was a child like I had at that time, only one sister, which is one year younger than me, we were moving a lot. We had no place to live. So my mother used to take us each few days to stay at some, someone place, let's say so it caused to us like changing schools all, all the time, which means changing friends. So it was very weird. And at that age, okay, I I knew the words of like cause, the words of leader or dictatorship. I used to say these words, but without knowing what does it mean. Then, when my father detained, it was his ninth detention. Actually, my mother was pregnant with my brother, so my brother was born while my father was in prison. And while he was in prison, the last time he disappeared for one year, three months, he was in like a kind of isolation in security facility. Then he was referred to this court. So in one of the sessions of the trials, I had a fight with the officer who, like who was leading the patrol that bring my father and other prisoners of conscience. So at the end of this fight, I promised my father and the officer that, okay, I will grow up and become a human rights lawyer and defend political prisoners, which I did at the end. Michael Hingson  04:05 So what? What was the officer doing? He was taking people to the court. Noura Ghazi  04:12 Yes, because Okay, so there is many kind of prisons now. They became like, more familiar to like public opinion because of, like 15 years of violence in Syria. So there was, like the the central civil prison in Damascus, which we call ADRA prison, and we have said, NIA jail, military prison. So those two prisons, they were like, holding detainees in them. So they they used to bring detainees to the court in busses, like a kind of military busses, with patrol of like civil police and military police. So the officer was like. Heading the patrol that was bringing my fathers from other prison. Michael Hingson  05:05 So you, so you, what was the fight about with the officer and your father and so on? What? How? Well, yeah, what was the fight? Noura Ghazi  05:16 It's very good question, although at that time, it was a very like scary situation, but now I laughed a lot about it. Okay, so they used to to catch all the prisoners in one chain with the handcuffs. So we used to come to hug and kiss my father before entering the court. So I was doing what I used to do during the trials, or just upon the trials, and then one of the policemen, like pushed me away. So I got nervous, and my father got nervous. So the officer provoked me. He was like a kind of insulting that my father is a detainee, and he is like he's coming to this court. So I, like I replied that I'm proud of my father and his friends what they are doing. So he somehow, he threats me to detain me like my father, and at that time, I was very angry, and I curse the father Assad just in on the like in the door, at the door of the court, and there was people and and Like all the the policemen, like they were just pointing their weapon to me, and there was some moments of silence. Then they took all the detainees into the court. So at this moment, while I'm entering the court behind them, I said, I will grow up and become a human rights lawyer to defend political prisoners. Michael Hingson  07:02 What did the officers say to that? Noura Ghazi  07:06 Because they used to look to us as because we are. We were against father Assad and the dictatorship, so they used to see us, even if we are kids, as enemies. Michael Hingson  07:22 Yeah, so the officer but, but he didn't detain you. I was Noura Ghazi  07:27 only 13 years, yeah, okay, they used to to arrest the kids, but they didn't. Michael Hingson  07:37 So did the officer react to your comment? You're going to grow up to become a civil rights lawyer? Noura Ghazi  07:43 He was shocked, was he? But I don't know if he knew that I become a human yes, there at the end, yeah. Michael Hingson  07:54 And meanwhile, what did your father do or say? Noura Ghazi  07:58 He was shocked also, but he was very proud, and until now, he like every time, because I'm also like, very close to to his friends who I used to visit in prison. Then I become a human rights lawyer, and I was the youngest lawyer in Syria. I was only 22 years old when I started to practice law. So during the the revolution in Syria, which started in 2011 some of his friends were detained, and I was their lawyer also. So I'm very close to them. So until now, they remember this story and laugh about it, because no one could curse or say anything not good about father Assad or or the family, even in secret. So it's still, like, very funny, and I'm still like, stuck somehow in, like, in this career and the kind of activism I'm doing, because just I got angry of the officer 30 years ago. So at this, at that moment, I've decided what I will be in the future. I'm just doing it well. Michael Hingson  09:20 From everything I've read, it sounds like you do a good job. Noura Ghazi  09:25 I cannot say it's a job, because usually you you do a job, you get paid for your job, you go at a certain time and come back at a certain time. You do certain tasks. But for me, it's like a continuing fight, non violent fight, of course, for dignity, for freedom, for justice, right, for reveal the truth of those who were disappeared and got missing. So yes, until now, I'm doing this, so I don't have that. Are the luxury to to be paid all the time, or to be to have weekends or to work until like certain hour at night. I cannot say I'm enjoying it, but this is the reason why I'm still alive, because I have a motive to help and support other people who are victims to dictatorship and violence. Michael Hingson  10:25 So your father went into court and what happened? Noura Ghazi  10:31 He was sentenced. At the end, he was sentenced to three years in prison. And it's a funny story, another funny story, actually, because, like the other latines at that at that trial, like it was only my father and other two prisoners who sent who were sentenced to three years in prison, while other people, the minimum was seven years in Prison, until 15 years in prison. So my mother and us, we felt like we are embarrassed and shy because, okay, our father will will be released like in few months, but other prisoners will stay much longer. So it's something very embarrassing to our friends who whom their fathers got sentenced to like more. Michael Hingson  11:30 Did you ever find out why it was only three years? Noura Ghazi  11:33 We don't know because it's an exceptional court, so it's up to the judge and the judge at that time, like it's it's very similar to what is happening now and what happened after 2011 so it's a kind of continuing reality in in Syria since like 63 which was the first time my father was detained. It was in 63 just after the what they called the eighth March revolution. So my father was only 11 years old when he was detained the first time because he participated in a protest. So it's up to the judge. It's not like a real court with like the the fair trial standards. So it's it's only once you know, the judge said the sentences for each one. So two prisoners got confused. They couldn't differentiate like Which sentence to whom, so they asked like again, so he forgot, so he said them again in different way. So it's something like, very spontaneously, yeah, very just moody, not any standard. Michael Hingson  12:51 Well, so Did your father then serve the three years and was released. Or what happened? Noura Ghazi  12:58 He was released on the day that he should be released, he disappeared for few days. We didn't know what happened. Then he was released. Finally he came. We used to live with my my grandma, so I was the one who opened the door, and I saw just my father. So we we knew later that okay, he was moved again to a security facility because he refused to sign a paper that say that he will not practice any oppositional action against the authority. So he refused, yeah, yeah. Michael Hingson  13:43 Well, I mean, I'm sure there's, there's a continuing story, what happened to him after that. So he came home, Noura Ghazi  13:53 he came out to my grandma. It was a big surprise, like full of joy, but full of tears as well. Michael Hingson  14:01 And you're you were 16 now, right? Noura Ghazi  14:04 I was when he was raised. I was 15, yeah, okay, yeah. And my sister was 14. My brother was two years and a half, so for him, okay, the father is this person that we visit behind bars every Monday, not this one who stay with us. So for him, it was weird. For my brother, he was very like little kid to understand. Then my father went to to see his parents as well. Then we came back to our apartment that we couldn't live more than few months because my father was detained. So at this night, everything was very, very, very new, like because before the three years he he was disappeared for six years, so there was. Nine years. We don't live with my father, so my brother used to sleep just next to my mom, actually my sister and me, but okay, we were like a teenager, so it's okay. So my brother couldn't sleep. Because why he keep, he kept asking why my father is sleeping with us while he's not with his friend at that place. And he was traumatized for many days. But usually when, like a political prisoner released, usually, like, we have a kind of two, three weeks of people visiting the family to say, Okay, it's it's good. We're happy for you that he was released. So the first two, three weeks were full of people and like, social events, etc. Then the, the real problem started. So my father studied law, but he was fired from university for security reasons at the the last year of his study, and as he was sentenced so he couldn't work, my mother used to work, and so like suddenly he started to feel that okay, He's not able to work. He's not able to fulfill the needs of his family. He's not able to spend on the family. The problems between him and my mother started. We couldn't as like my sister and me as teenagers. We couldn't really accept him. We couldn't see that. He's the same person that we used to visit in prison. He was very friendly. We used to talk about everything in life, including the very personal things that usually daughters don't speak with fathers about it. But then he became a father, which we we we weren't used to it, and he was shocked also. So I can say that this, this situation, at least on emotional and psychological level, for me, it lasted for 15 years. I couldn't accept him very well, even my my sister and and the brother and it happens to all like prisoners, political prisoners, especially who spent long time in prison. Michael Hingson  17:32 So now is your father and well, are your father and your mother still alive? Or are they around? Noura Ghazi  17:41 They are still alive. They are still in Damascus, Michael Hingson  17:44 and they're still in Damascus. Yes, how is I guess I'll just ask it now, how is Syria different today than it was in the Assad regime, Noura Ghazi  17:56 like most of Syrians, and now we should differentiate about what Syrians will talk. We're talking so like those Syrians, like the majority of Syrians, and I'm meaning here, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be very direct. Now, the Arab Sunni Syrians, most of them, they are very happy. They are calling what happened in in last eight December, that it's the deliberation of Syria, but for other minorities, like religious or ethnic minorities, of course, it's almost the same. For me, I feel that okay, we have the same dictatorship now, the same corruption, the same of like lack of freedom of expression. But the the added that we have now is that we have Islamist who control Syria. We have extremists who control Syria. They intervene even in personal freedoms. They they are like, like, they are committing crimes against minorities, like it started last March, against alawed. It started last July, against Druze. Now it is starting against Kurdish, and unfortunately, the international community turning like an attorney, like, okay. They are okay with with it, because they want, like their own interest, their own benefits. They have another crisis in the world to take care and to think about, not Syria. So the most important for the international community is to have a stable situation in Syria, to be like, like, no kind of like, no fight zone in the Middle East, and they don't care about Syrian people. And this is very frustrating for those who. Who have the same beliefs that I have. Michael Hingson  20:04 So in a lot of ways, you're saying it hasn't, hasn't really changed, and only the, only the faces and names have changed, but not the actions or the results Noura Ghazi  20:16 the faces and names, and most important, the sects, has changed. So it was very obvious for me that most of Syrians, they don't mind to be controlled by dictator. They only mind what is the sect of this dictator? Michael Hingson  20:35 Unfortunately. Well, yeah. Well, let's go back to you. So your father was released, and you had already made your decision about what you wanted to be, what how does school work over there? Did you go to a, what we would call a high school? Or how does all that work? Noura Ghazi  20:58 Yeah, high school, I was among the like the student who got the highest score in Damascus. I was the fourth one on Damascus when I finished. We call it back like Baccalaureate in Syria, which came from French. And I studied law, and I was also very, like, really hard, hard study person. So I was graduated in four years. Actually, nobody in Syria used to finish studying law in Damascus University only in four years. Like some people stayed more than 10 years because it it was very difficult, and it's different than like law college or law school or university of law, depending on the country, than other countries, because we only like study law. Theoretically, we don't have any practice because we were 1000s of students, it was the like the maximum university that include students. And I registered immediately in the Bar Association in Damascus, and I started because we have, like, a kind, it's, it's similar to stage for two years, like under the supervision of another lawyer who was my uncle at the first and then we we have to choose a topic in certain domain of flow, to write a kind of book which is like, it's similar to thesis, to apply it, to approve it, and then to have the kind of interactive examination, then we have the the final graduated. So all of them to be like a practice lawyer. It's around six years, a little bit more. So my specialist was in criminal law, and my thesis, what about what we call the the impossible crime. It was complicated topic. I have to say that in Syria at that time, I'm talking about end of of 90s, beginning of 2000 so we don't have any kind of study related to human rights. We weren't allowed even to spell this word like human rights. So then in 2005 and 2006 I started to study human rights under international laws related to human rights in Jordan. So I became like a kind of certified human rights defenders and the trainer also, Michael Hingson  23:47 okay, and so you said you started practice and you finished school when you started practice, when you were 22 Yes, okay, I'm curious what, what were things like after September 11, of course, you know, we had the terrorist attacks and so on. Did any of that affect anything over in Syria, where you lived, Noura Ghazi  24:15 of course, like, we stayed talking, watching the news for like four months, like until now we remember, like September 11. But you know, I now when I remember, it was a shock, usually for the Arab world, or Arab people like America is against the Arab world. So everything happened against it was like, this was like, let's say 2030, years ago. Everything that caused any harm to America, they celebrate it. So that. At that time, I was 19 years old, and okay, it's the first time we we hear that a person who was terrorist do like is doing this kind in in us, which is like a miracle for us. But then I started to to think, okay, they it's not an army. They are. There are civilians. Those civilians could be against the the policies of the US government. They could be like, This is not a kind of fight for freedom or for rights or for any like, really, like, fair cause. This is a terrorist action against civilians. And then we started, I'm very lucky because I'm from very educated family. So we started to think about, like, okay, bin Laden. And like, which we have a president from Qaeda now in Syria, like, you can imagine how I feel now. Like, I Okay, all the world is against al Qaeda, and they celebrated that the President in Syria is from al Qaeda. So it's, it's very it's, it's, really, it's not logical at all. But the funniest thing that happened, because, like, the name of Usama bin Laden, was keeping on every like, every one tongue. So I have my my oldest uncle. His name is Usama, and he lives in Germany for 40, more than 40 years, actually. So my brother was a child, and he started to cry, and he came to my mother and asked her, I'm afraid, is my uncle the same Usama? So we were laughing all, and we said, No, it's another Usama. This is the Usama. This is Osama bin Laden, who is like from is like a terrorist group, etc. But like this unfortunate incident started to bring to my mind some like the concept of non violence, the concept of that, okay, no civilian in any place in the world should be harmed for any reason, Because we never been told this in Syria and mostly in most of of countries like the word fight is very linked to armed fights, which I totally disagree with. Michael Hingson  27:56 Well, the when people ask me about September 11 and and so on. One of the things that I say is this wasn't a religious war. This wasn't a religious attack. This was terrorist. This was, I put it in terms of of Americans. These were thugs who decided they wanted to have their way with people. But this is not the way the Muslim the Islamic religion is there is peaceful and peace loving as as anyone, and we really need to understand that. And I realize that there are a lot of people in this country who don't really understand all about that, and they don't understand that. In reality, there's a lot of peace loving people in the Middle East, but hopefully we'll be able to educate people over time, and that's one of the reasons I tell the story that I do, because I do believe that what happened is 19 people attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and so on, and they don't represent the the typical viewpoint of most people, religious wise in the Middle East. And I can understand why a lot of people think that the United States doesn't like Arabs, and I'm not sure that that's totally true, but I can appreciate what you're saying. Noura Ghazi  29:28 Yeah, I'm talking about specific communities actually, who they are, like totally against Israel, and they believe that you us is supporting Israel. So that's that's why they have their like this like attitude towards us and or like that US is trying to invest all the resources in the in the Middle East, etc. But what you were mentioning. Is really very important, because those 19 persons, they like kind of they, they cause the very bad reputation for for Muslims, for Middle Eastern because for for for other people from other countries, other culture or other religion, they will not understand that, okay, that, as you said, they don't represent Muslims. And in all religions, we have the extremist and we have those peaceful persons who keep their their religion as a kind of direct connection with God. They respect everyone, and normally in in in Syria, most of of the population like this, but now having a terrorist as a President, I'm not able to believe how there is a lot of Syrians that support him. Mm, hmm. Because when Al Qaeda started in Syria at the beginning, under the name of japet Al Nusra, then, which with July, who is now Ahmad Al shara, was the leader, and he's the leader of the country now most of Syrians, especially the the the Sunni Syrians, were against this, like terrorist groups, because the most harm they cause is for for Sunnis in Syria, because all other minorities, they will think about every Sunni that they, He or she, like, believe and behave like those, which is totally not true. Michael Hingson  31:47 Yeah, I hear you. Well, so September 11 happened, and then eventually you started doing criminal law. And if we go forward to what 2011 with the Syrian revolution? Yeah, and so what was, what was that revolution about? Noura Ghazi  32:10 It was okay. It started as a reaction against detaining kids from school. Okay, of course, this like the Syrian people, including me, we were very affected and inspired about what was happening in Egypt and Tunisia. But okay, so the security arrested and tortured those kids in their south of Syria. So people came out in demonstration to ask for their freedom and the security attack those protesters with, like, with weapons, so couple of persons died. So then it was, it started to be like a kind of revolution, let's say, yeah, the the problem for me, for lot of people like me, that the the previous Syrian regime was very violent against protesters and the previous president, Bashar Assad, he refused to listen to to to those people, he started to, like dissipated from the reality. So this like, much violence that was against us, like, I remember during some protest, there was not like, small weapon toward us. There was a tank that bombing us as protesters, peaceful, non violent, non armed protesters. So this violence led to another violence, like a kind of reaction by those who defected from the army, etc. And here, my father used to say, when the opposition started to to carry weapon in a country that, like the majority of it, is from certain religion, this could lead to a kind of Jihadist methodology. And this is what happened. So for for people like us, which we are very little comparing of like, the other beliefs of other people like we were, we started to be against the Syrian regime, then against the jihadist groups, then against that, like a kind of international, certain International, or, let's say original intervention, like Iran and Russia. So we were fighting everywhere, and no one. No one wanted us because those like educated, secular, non violent people, they. Form a kind of danger for every one of those parties. But what happened with me is that I met my late husband during a revolution at the very early of 2011 and having the relationship with me was my own revolution. So I was living on parallel like two revolution, a personal one and the public one. And then, like he was detained just two weeks before our our wedding. He was disappeared, actually, for nine months, then he was moved to the same prison that my father was in, to the central prison in Damascus that we got married in prison by coincidence. I don't know if coincidence is the right word in this situation, but my late husband was a very well known programmer and activist. So we were he was kind of, let's say, famous, and I was a lawyer and lawyer that defend human rights defenders and political prisoners. And the husband was detained, so I used to visit him in prison and visit other prisoners that I was their lawyers. And because my like, we have this personal aspect that okay, the couple that got married in prison and that, okay, I'm activist as a lawyer, and my late husband was a well known programmer. So we created a very huge campaign, a global campaign. So we invested this campaign to like, to shed the light about detention, torture, disappearance, exceptional courts, then, like also summary execution in Syria. So then, after almost three years of visiting him regularly, he disappeared again in 2015 and in 2017 I knew that he was sentenced to death, and I knew the exact date of his execution, just in 2018 which was two days ago. It was October 5. So this is what happened then. I had to leave Syria in 2018 so I left to Lebanon. Michael Hingson  37:27 So you left Syria and went to Lebanon? Noura Ghazi  37:33 Yes, the The plan was to stay only six months in Lebanon because I was wanted and I was threatened like I lived a terrible life, really, like lot of Syrians who were activists also, but the plan was that I will stay in Lebanon for six months, then I will leave to to UK because I had A scholarship to get a master in international law. But only two months after I left to Lebanon, I decided to stay in Lebanon to establish the organization that I'm I'm leading until now, which was a project between my late husband and me. Its name is no photo zone, so it was a very big decision, but I'm not regrets. Michael Hingson  38:23 You, you practice criminal law, you practiced human rights, you visited your your fiance, as it were, and then, well, then your husband in prison and so on. Wasn't all of that pretty risky for you? Noura Ghazi  38:42 Yes, very risky. I, I lived in under like, different kind of risk. Like, okay, I have the risk that, okay, I'm, I'm doing my activism against the previous regime publicly because I also, I was co founder of the First Family or victim Association in Syria families for freedom. So we, we were, like, doing a kind of advocacy in Europe, and I used to come back to Syria, so I was under this risk, but also I was under the risk of the like, going to prison, because the way to prison and the prison itself were under bombing. It was in like a point that separate the opposition militias and the regime militias. So they were bombing each other and bombing the prison and bombing the way to prison. So for three years, and specifically for like, in, let's say, 2014 specifically, I was among, like, I was almost the only lawyer that visited the prison, and I, I didn't mind this. I faced death more than 100 time, only on the way to prison, two times the person next to me in the like transportation. It's a kind of small bus. He died and fell down on me, but I had a strong belief that I will not die, Michael Hingson  40:21 and then what? Why do you think that they never detained you or or put you in prison? Do you have any thoughts? Noura Ghazi  40:29 I had many arrests weren't against me, but each time there was something that solve it somehow. So the first couple of Earths weren't actually when, when my late husband was detained, he he made a kind of deal with them that, okay, he will give all the information, everything about his activism in return. They, they canceled the arrest warrant against me. Then literally, until now, I don't know how it was solved. Like I, I had to sleep in garden with my cats for many nights. I i spent couple of months that I cannot go to any like to family, be house or to friend house, because I will cause problem for them, my my parents, my brother and sister, and even, like my sister, ex, until like just three months before the fall of the Syrian regime, they were under like, investigation By the security, lot of harassment against them so, but I don't know, like, I'm, I'm survive for a reason that I don't really realize how, Michael Hingson  41:52 wow, it, it's, it certainly is pretty amazing. Did you ever write a book or anything about all of this, Noura Ghazi  42:02 I used to write, always the only book like, let's say, literature or emotional book. It was about love in prison. Its name is waiting. And I wrote this book in English and basil. My late husband translated it. Sorry. I wrote it in Arabic, and Basset translated it into English in prison. So it was a process of smuggling the poems in Arabic and smuggling the them in English, again out of the prison. And we published the book online just after basil disappearance in 2015 then we created the the hard copies, and I did the signature in in Beirut in, like, early 2018 but like, it's, it's online, and it's a very, like light book, let's say very romantic. It's about love in prison. I'm really keen to write again, like maybe a kind of self narrative or about the stories that I lived and i i I heard during my my journey. Unfortunately, like to write needs like this a little stable situation, but I did write many like legal or human rights book or like guides or studies, etc. Michael Hingson  43:34 Now is waiting still available online? Noura Ghazi  43:37 Yes, it's still available online. Michael Hingson  43:40 Okay? It would be great if you could, if you have a picture of the book cover, if you could send that to me, because I'd like to put that in the notes. I would appreciate it if you would, okay, for sure. But anyway, so the the company you founded, what is it called Noura Ghazi  44:02 it's a non government, a non profit organization. Its name is no photo zone. Michael Hingson  44:07 And how did you come up with that name? Noura Ghazi  44:12 It was Vasil who come up with this name, because our main focus is on prisoners of conscious and disappeared. So for him, it was that okay, those places that they put disappeared in them. They are they. There is no cameras to show the others what is happening. So we should be the the like in the place of cameras to tell the world what is happening. So that's why no photos on me, like, means that prisons or like unofficial detention centers, because they're it's an all photo zone, right? Michael Hingson  44:54 And no photo zone is is still operating today. Noura Ghazi  44:58 It's still operating. We are extending our work, although, like we have lots of financial challenges because of, like, funds issues, but for us, the main issue, we provide legal services to victims of torture, detention, disappearance and their families. So we operate in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. We are a French woman led organization, but we have registration in Turkey and Syria, and like in seven years now, almost seven years, we could provide our services to more than 3000 families who most of them are women, and they are responsible about kids who they don't have fathers. So we defend political prisoners. We search the disappeared. We provide the legal services related to personal and civil status. We provided the services related to identification documents, because it's a very big issue in Syria. Beside we provide rehabilitation, like full rehabilitation programs for survivors of detention or torture, and also advocacy. Of course, it's a very important part of our our work, even with the lack of fund, we've decided in the team, because most of the team, or all the team, they they were themselves victims of detention, or family members of victims, even the non Syrian because we have many non Syrian member in the team. So for us, it's a cause. It's not like a work that we're doing and getting paid. So we're, we're suffering this this year with the fund issues, because there is a lot of change related to the world and Syrian issues, which affected the fund policies. So hopefully we'll be, we'll be fine next year, hopefully, and we're trying to survive with our beneficiaries this year, Michael Hingson  47:02 yeah, well, you, you started receiving, and I assume no photo zone started receiving awards, and eventually you moved out of Lebanon. Tell me more about all of that. Noura Ghazi  47:16 During my journey, I I got many international recognition or a word, including two by Amnesty International. But after almost two years, like just after covid, like the start of covid, I was thinking that I should have another residence permit in another country because, like, it became very difficult for Syrians to get a residence in Lebanon. So I I moved to Turkey, and I was between Lebanon and Turkey. Then I got a call from the French Embassy in Turkey telling me that there is a new kind of a word, which is Marianne award, or Marianne program, that initiated by the French president. And they it's for human rights defenders across the world, and they will give this award for 15 human rights defender from 15 country. And I was listening, I thought they want me to nominate someone. Then they told me that the French government are honored to choose you as a Syrian human rights defender. So it was a program for six months, so I moved to Paris with my cat and dog. Then they extended the program and to become nine months. And at the almost at the end of the program, the both of Lebanese and Turkish authorities refused to renew my residence permit, so I had to stay in France to apply for asylum and a political refugee currently. Michael Hingson  49:10 And so you're in France. Are you still in Paris? Noura Ghazi  49:13 I'm still yes in Paris. I learned French very fast, like in four months. Okay, I'm not perfect, but I learned French. Michael Hingson  49:25 So what did your dog and cat think about all that? Sorry, what did your dog and cat think about moving to France? Noura Ghazi  49:33 They are French, actually, originally, they are friends. Michael Hingson  49:36 Oh, there you go. Noura Ghazi  49:38 My, my poor dog had like he he was English educated, so we used to communicate in English. Then when I was still in Lebanon, I thought, okay, a lot of Syrians are coming to my place, and they don't speak English, so I have to teach him Arabic. Then we moved to Turkish. So I had to teach him Turkish. Then we came to. France. So now my dog understand more than four languages, Michael Hingson  50:06 good for him, and and, of course, your cat is really the boss of the whole thing, right? Noura Ghazi  50:12 Of course, she is like, the center of the universe, Michael Hingson  50:16 yeah, yeah, just ask her. She'll tell you. And she's Noura Ghazi  50:20 very white, so she is 14 years. Oh, it's old, yes. Michael Hingson  50:29 Well, I have a cat we rescued in 2015 we think she was five then. So we think that my cat is 15 going on 16. So, and she moves around and does very well. Noura Ghazi  50:46 Yeah, my cat as well. Michael Hingson  50:49 Yeah. Well, that's the way it should be. So with all the things that you've been dealing with and all the stress, have you had? Noura Ghazi  50:59 PTSD, yes, I started, of course, like it's the minimum, actually, I have PTSD and the TSD, and I started to feel, or let's say, I could know that the what is happening with me is PTSD two years ago. I before, like, couple of months before, I started to feel like something unusual in my body, in my mind. At the beginning, we thought there is a problem in the brain. Then the psychologist and psychiatrist said that it's a huge level of PTSD, which is like the minimum, and like, we should start the journey of of treatment, which is like the behavior treatment and medical treatment as well. Like, some people could stay 10 years. Some people need to go to hospital. It's not the best thing, but sometimes I feel I'm grateful that I'm having PTSD because I'm able to deal with people who are in the same situation. I could feel them, understand them, so I could help them more, because I understand and as a human rights defender and like victim of lot of kind of violations, so I'm very aware about the like, let's call it the first aid, the psychological first aid support. And this is helpful somehow. Okay, I'm suffering, but this suffering is useful for others Michael Hingson  52:47 well and clearly, you are at a point where you can talk about it, which says a lot, because you're able to deal with it well enough to be able to talk about it, which I think is probably pretty important, don't you think? Noura Ghazi  53:03 Yeah, actually, the last at the first time I talked about it very publicly in a conference in Stockholm, it was last October, and then I thought it's important to talk about it. And I'm also thinking to do something more about PTSD, especially the PTSD related to to prisons, torture, etc, this kind of violations, because sharing experience is very important. So I'm still thinking about a kind of certain way to to like, to spread my experience with PTSD, especially that I have lot of changes in in my life recently, because I got married again, and even the the good incident that people who have PTSD, even if they have, like good incident, but it cause a kind of escalation with PTSD, Michael Hingson  54:00 yeah, but you got married again, so you have somebody you can talk with. Noura Ghazi  54:06 Yes, I got married five months ago. The most important that I could fall in love again. So I met my husband in in Paris. He's a Lebanese artist who live in Paris. And yeah, I have, I have a family now, like we have now three cats and a dog and us as couple. But it's very new for me, like this kind of marriage, that a marriage which I live with a partner, because the marriage I used to is that visit the husband in prison. I'm getting used to it. Michael Hingson  54:43 And just as always, the cat runs everything, right? Yes, of course, of course. So tell me about the freedom prize in Normandy. Noura Ghazi  54:55 Oh, it was like one of the best thing I had in my life. I. Was nominated for the freedom prize, which is launched by usually they are like young people who who nominate the the nominees for this prize, but it's launched by the government of Normandy region in France and the International Institute for Human Rights and peace. So among hundreds of files and, like many kind of round of, like short listing, there was me, a Belarusian activist who is detained, and a Palestinian photographer. So like, just knowing that I was nominated among more than 700 person was a privilege for me. The winner was the Palestinian photographer, but it was the first time they invite the other nominee to the celebration, which was on the same date of like liberating Normandy region during the Second World War. So I chose, I thought for my for couple of days about what I will wear, because I need to deliver a message. So I, I I came up with an idea about a white dress with 101 names in blue. Those names are for disappeared and detainees in Syria. So like there was, there was seven persons who worked on this dress, and I had the chance to wear it and to deliver my message and to give a speech in a very important day that even like those fighters during the Second World War who are still alive, they they came from us. They came from lot of countries. I had the privilege to see them directly, to touch them, to tell them thank you, and to deliver my message in front of an audience of 4500 persons. And it's like I love this dress, and like this event was one of the best thing I had in my life. Michael Hingson  57:21 Do you have a picture of you in the dress? Yes, I would think you do. Well, if you want, we'd love to put that in the show notes as well, especially because you're honoring all those people with the names and so on. Kind of cool. Well, okay, so, so Syria, you're, you're saying, in a lot of ways, hasn't, hasn't really changed a whole lot. It's, it's still a lot of dictatorship oriented kinds of things, and they discriminate against certain sex and and so on. And that's extremely unfortunate, because I don't think that that's the impression that people have over here, Noura Ghazi  58:02 exactly I had a chance to visit Syria, a kind of exceptional visit by the French government, because, as political refugees were not allowed to visit our country of origin. And of course, like after eight years, like out of Syria after six years without seeing my family. Of course, I was very happy, but I was very traumatized, and I I came back to Paris in in July 21 and since that time, I feel I'm not the same person before going to Syria. I'm full of frustration. I feel that, okay, I just wasted 14 years of my life for nothing. But hopefully I'm I'm trying to get better because okay, I know, like much of human rights violations mean that my kind of work and activism is more needed, yeah, Michael Hingson  59:03 so you'll so you'll continue to speak out and and fight for freedom. Noura Ghazi  59:10 Yes, I continue, and I will continue fighting for freedom, for dignity, for justice, for civil rights, and also raising awareness about PTSD and how we could invest even our pain for the sake of helping others. Michael Hingson  59:29 Well, I want to tell you that it's been an honor to have you on the podcast, and I am so glad we we got a chance to talk and to do this because having met you previously, in our introductory conversation, it was very clear that there was a story that needed to be told, and I hope that a lot of people will take an interest, and that it will will allow what you do to continue to grow, if people would like to reach out to you. And and help or learn more. How do they do that? Noura Ghazi  1:00:05 We you have the the link of my website that people could connect me, because it includes my my email, my personal email, and I always reply. So I'm happy to to talk with the to contact with people, and it also include all the all my social media, Michael Hingson  1:00:23 right? What? What's the website for? No photo zone. Noura Ghazi  1:00:27 It's no photo zone.org. No photo zone.org. Michael Hingson  1:00:30 I thought it was, but I just wanted you to say it. I wanted you to say it. Noura Ghazi  1:00:35 It's included in my website. Michael Hingson  1:00:37 Yeah, I've got it all and and it will all be in the show notes, but I just thought I would get you to say no photo zone.org Well, I want to thank you for being here. This has been a wonderful time to have a chance to talk, and I appreciate you taking the time to, I hope, educate lots of people. So thank you very much for doing that, and I want to thank all of you for listening and watching. We'd love you to give us a five star rating. Give us a review. We really appreciate ratings and reviews. So wherever you're watching or listening to this podcast, please give us a five star rating. Please review the podcast for us. We value that, and I know that Nora will will appreciate that as well. Also, if you if you know any guests, and Nora you as well, if you know anyone who you think ought to be a guest on the podcast, we would really appreciate it. If you would let us know you can reach me. At Michael M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, love to hear from you. Love to hear your thoughts about the podcast. So Nora, very much my I want to thank you again. This has been great. Thank you very much for being here. Noura Ghazi  1:01:56 Thank you Michael, and thank you for those who are listening, and we're still in touch.

En Siria, el acuerdo entre las fuerzas kurdas y Damasco, incluye una sección humanitaria: su objetivo es permitir, a largo plazo, el regreso de los refugiados a sus hogares. Estas familias han huido de los combates que siguieron a la caída de Bachar Al-Assad. Actualmente, se estima que más de 100,000 personas se encuentran desplazadas internamente en la región de Qamishli, en el noreste de Siria. Reportaje de Marie Charlotte Roupie y Abdulrahman Daoud para France 24.

Subscribe now for the full episode. Derek speaks with Alexander McKeever, publisher of This Week in Northern Syria, about the defeat of the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) autonomous project and its integration into the new Syrian state. They discuss the fall of the Assad regime, the March 2025 integration agreement between Damascus and the SDF, the breakdown of negotiations and January fighting in Aleppo, the rapid collapse of SDF control in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, tribal defections and grievances against the autonomous administration, and the uncertain future for Kurdish rights under the centralized Syrian government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the conflict, the Damascus suburb became a killing field. But some of Assad's henchmen are still around – and even working with the new government By Melvyn Ingleby. Read by Selva Rasalingam. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

What kind of life is the deposed former president of Syria and his family living in Russia? With Pjotr Sauer and Will Christou. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

After the US struck ISIS targets in Syria in late December, President Ahmad Al Shara's government stepped up its own operations, carrying out weapons raids and arrests across the country. It came after two American soldiers and an interpreter were killed in Palmyra by a member of the Syrian security forces who may have had links with ISIS. At the time, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said the retaliatory attack was not the start of war but rather “a declaration of vengeance”. But why is violent extremism resurfacing again? And why now? ISIS was defeated in Syria in 2019, but a volatile security situation following the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad has presented challenges to the government in Damascus. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the renewed militant threat in the country and asks whether the US could escalate its campaign. We hear from Aymenn Al-Tamimi, a researcher and historian in Syria, and William Roebuck, executive vice president of the Arab Gulf States Institute and former deputy special envoy to the global coalition to defeat ISIS.

If Israel and the United Arab Emirates have their way, 2026 promises to be a year of further fracturing of the Greater Middle East. Israel's strategy is to balkanise, if not break up states, while the UAE's approach is to capitalise on opportunities failed states offer, much as Iran did with its support for militant non-state actors in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, and the toppled regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Every Monday and Friday for the rest of December we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2025, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we've chosen it. From October: Over a few brutal days in March, as sectarian violence and revenge killings tore through parts of Syria, two friends from different communities tried to find a way to survive By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Read by Mo Ayoub. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Oggi parliamo di politica, poi di clima e inondazioni e infine della nuova vita dell'ex presidente siriano Bashar Assad. ... Per iscriverti al canale Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7X7C4DjiOmdBGtOL3z Per iscriverti al canale Telegram: https://t.me/notizieacolazione Qui per provare MF GPT ... Gli altri podcast di Class Editori: https://milanofinanza.it/podcast Musica https://www.bensound.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Martin Smith discusses his interview with the president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, we meet the new editor in chief of ‘Esquire UK’ and Design Miami’s CEO, Jen Roberts, recaps this year’s fair.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took power in Syria a year ago after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have returned to their country. During the war, many were dispossessed of their land and homes under several laws and presidential decrees aimed at permanently preventing refugees from returning.

A un anno dalla caduta del regime di Bashar Assad (e dopo 14 anni di guerra civile) ci si chiede quale paese sia oggi la Siria, e che cosa è davvero cambiato per la gente comune? Le celebrazioni per la libertà ritrovata hanno lasciato il posto alla preoccupazione e alla paura, visti i recenti massacri contro le minoranze alawite e curde? O restano motivi di ottimismo? Come sono state vissute le recenti elezioni? Lo abbiamo chiesto a persone incontrate lungo un viaggio da Damasco ad Aleppo e ritorno. Fra loro: una ragazza curda, un ex rifugiato tornato in Siria, un attivista che era stato in prigione diverse volte durante il passato regime.

Céline Schmitt, UNHCR's Spokesperson in Syria, outlines the humanitarian situation in Syria, one year after former President Bashar Al Assad was deposed as leader.

A year after the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, more than 110,000 Syrians are still missing, including several thousand children. Were they killed? Illegally adopted? Their fate remains unclear, but testimonies and official documents now reveal that some children were taken from their parents and forcibly placed in orphanages, before disappearing. FRANCE 24's Jenna Le Bras and Jessica Le Masurier report.

Today marks one year since the regime of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in Syria. The World caught up with Syrians to hear their perspectives as they reflect on the past. Also, the 2025 US National Security Strategy, unveiled late Thursday, has reignited fears of US ‘gunboat diplomacy' in Latin America. And, despite aggressive immigration enforcement activities in the US — both in courts and on the streets — applications for asylum are at an all-time high. Plus, an ancient boat discovered off the coast of Alexandria matches descriptions of what were known in Queen Cleopatra's time as “pleasure boats.” Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fled Syria for Russia a year ago as rebels commanded by Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, seized the country. Initially greeted with some skepticism for his terrorist ties, al-Sharaa is now feted on world stages. Horovitz shares impressions from what he heard from Syrian officials during a recent Damascus trip and how their new leader, under the Trump administration's wing, is increasingly boldly criticizing Israel and its hold on the buffer zone between the two nations. This morning, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz arrived in Israel for an official visit focused on advancing Washington’s peace plan for Gaza. Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza is “almost” complete, and that he expects to move on to its second phase soon, at a joint Jerusalem press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. However, yesterday evening, the premier expressed skepticism about the notion that a multinational force meant to patrol Gaza could successfully disarm Hamas. We speak about Israel's concerns, Hamas's alleged readiness to "freeze" its weapons arsenal and the current facts on the ground in Gaza. Israeli and Qatari officials met in New York on Sunday, according to a report, in the first of a series of trilateral meetings set up by US envoy Steve Witkoff, who is looking to mend ties that were frayed by Israel’s botched September strike on Hamas offices in Qatar. At the same time, the White House is also reportedly looking to broker a summit between Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Horovitz weighs in. During his meeting with Merz yesterday, Netanyahu said that he will not retire from politics in exchange for a pardon in his corruption trial, and also that he is not interested in a plea bargain. Horovitz sets the scene and explains its significance in the ongoing Netanyahu legal saga. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Syria still struggles to heal from civil war, a year after Assad regime’s fall Netanyahu says phase one of Gaza truce ‘almost’ complete, alongside Germany’s Merz Eyeing phase two in Gaza, PM airs skepticism on whether international force can disarm Hamas Hamas ready to discuss ‘freezing or storing’ its weapons, says terror group official Israel, Qatar meet as US looks to mend relations, move to phase 2 in Gaza – report White House said to be pushing for summit between Netanyahu and Egypt’s Sissi Netanyahu says he won’t quit politics in exchange for pardon in corruption trial Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, greets people as he attends celebrations marking the first anniversary of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki) ISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

As Syrians celebrate ‘Liberation Day’, we get the mood on the ground in Damascus and assess how far the country has come. Then: Hong Kong’s local elections in the wake of deadly fires and the future of Hollywood as Netflix buys Warner Bros Discovery. Plus: Monocle’s Christmas market in Paris.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One year ago, Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad fled the country aboard a Russian military aircraft. Twelve months later, the country continues to grapple with the aftermath of more than a decade of conflict. The city of Homs was central to the Syrian revolution. But now, it appears trapped in a vicious cycle of sectarian violence. Despite promises of stability, attacks on Alawites are increasing and violence is escalating. Residents paint a picture of daily life marred by fear and the impunity of those responsible for attacks. FRANCE 24's Dana Alboz reports, with Lauren Bain.

Una de las protagonistas de la tercera entrega de la saga 'Avatar', Oona Chaplin, se asoma a La Ventana para hablar como fue su experiencia trabajando en la película. SIRAT es candidata a mejor película extranjera y banda sonora en los Globos de Oro. Informan nuestros especialistas en cine, Pepa Blanes, jefa de cultura de la SER y José Manuel Romero. Naciones Unidas y distintos informes de ONG han documentado la muerte de, al menos, 157.000 civiles durante la guerra que Al Assad llevó a cabo contra la población que se rebeló contra el régimen durante la primavera árabe. Informa Nicolás Castellano, enviado especial en Al Tayhah, Deraa. 

UN human rights investigators have said that the cycles of vengeance and reprisal must be brought to an end in Syria, as the country commemorates the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. A UN independent commission of inquiry commended the steps taken by Syria's new leadership to address the crimes and abuses of the Assad era. But it said violent incidents in the past year had raised worries about the future direction of the country. Newshour's Lyse Doucet is in Damascus.Also in the programme: we profile Formula 1's new champion Lando Norris; and a new documentary looks at what senior US military officials know about UFOs. (Photo: A drone view shows the parliament in Damascus, Syria, September 21, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Mahmoud Hassano)

A year has passed since Bashar Al Assad's government fell in Syria, marking the end of a brutal civil war that lasted for almost 14 years. In the end, it took less than two weeks last December for an insurgency of rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham to take control of Damascus. It was a euphoric moment for Syrians opposed to the Assad regime. The HTS leader quickly traded his fatigues for a suit, and his nom de guerre for his new title as President Ahmad Al Shara. He was widely accepted by the international community, most notably the US. But even as sanctions were eased and reconstruction pledges rolled in, the honeymoon phase was ending. Sectarian violence, revenge killings, economic despair and devastated infrastructure posed challenges for the transitional government. As Mr Al Shara looks to the West for legitimacy and the region for economic support, the pressure is also mounting on him internally to reunite the fragmented country. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher is joined by Rahaf Aldoughli, assistant professor at Lancaster University, and Charles Lister, director of the Syria Programme at the Middle East Institute. They discuss how Mr Al Shara has fared over the past year and whether Syria is better off today.

Conselho de Segurança terminou primeira visita ao país; Escritório de Direitos Humanos diz que é preciso fazer mais para impedir violações e garantir justiça.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 0.7-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 27,796 on turnover of $4.99-billion N-T. Government to ban food-waste pig feeding from 2027, with 1-year transition The Cabinet has approved a plan to phase out the use of food waste in pig farming by December 31 of next year - paving the way (為…鋪路) for a full ban starting in 2027. The move is part of the government's efforts to prevent African swine fever outbreaks. Under the policy, food-waste feeding will be permitted only under strict conditions during that period, after which it will be fully prohibited. Farmers will be given a one-year grace period and financial incentives to switch to commercial feed. During the transition year, farms may use food waste only with local government approval and after they meet several requirements - including installing heat-treatment and video monitoring systems and adding G-P-S tracking to transport vehicles. Only business-generated food waste, animal by-products and slaughterhouse scraps (廢料，廚餘) will be allowed - and all household food waste will be banned from use on pig farms. Taiwan and Czech institutes launch African medical aid procurement program Taiwan's Institute for Biotechnology and Medicine Industry has signed an agreement with the Czech Health Technology Institute to jointly launch an African medical aid procurement program. The institutes have been working to help a range of Taiwanese medical products, including handheld (手持式) ultrasound devices, microplate readers and electrocardiography systems, enter Eastern European markets through various projects since 2023. According to the Institute for Biotechnology and Medicine Industry, the latest partnership is aimed at further strengthening ties through the launch of the African medical aid procurement program. The institute says the program will source a range of medical equipment from Taiwan to bolster primary healthcare, maternal and child care, and the resilience of regional and central hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa. US Reviewing Tanzania relationship following election violence The United States is "reviewing" its relationship with Tanzania in the wake of violence that marred the country's elections in October. United Nations experts estimate that hundreds of protesters were killed during the brutal (嚴酷的) election crackdown. Nick Harper reports from Washington. UN Security Council Delegation Visits Syria A United Nations Security Council delegation has visited Syria for the first time since the council's founding in 1945. The visit, on Thursday, comes just before the one-year anniversary of former President Bashar Assad's fall. It marks Syria's reintegration (重新融入) into the international community under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The Security Council president, says the delegation aims to build trust. They met with Syrian leaders, civil society, and communities affected by violence. Discussions included justice, reconciliation, and economic development. Syria's state-run news agency notes that Security Council visits are rare, requiring unanimous agreement. Eurovision Countries Drop Out Amid Israel Participation At least four countries have announced they are pulling out of next year's Eurovision Song Contest. This decision follows the organizers' choice to allow Israel to compete, despite concerns over its conduct in the Israel-Hamas war. Dutch, Spanish, Irish and Slovenian broadcasters announced plans to sit out the context in Vienna next May. It came after the European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, voted to adopt tougher voting rules after allegations of Israel manipulating (操縱) votes. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ 挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行 2025/12/31 前至中國信託銀行ATM領取普發現金一萬元，抽Switch 2主機+瑪利歐組合！ 申購TISA級別基金，有機會將現金放大！每月新臺幣千元就能投資，還享終身免申購手續費( 優惠期間至本行公告截止日止)。 詳情請見活動網站 https://sofm.pse.is/8g33td -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Iain Dale talks to former Conservative MP Brooks Newmark about the rule of the Syrian dictator who eventually fled to exile in Moscow. Brooks met Assad on nine occasions.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, historian and author David Lesch joins Chuck to discuss the new book Dodgers to Damascus — an unexpected blend of Middle Eastern politics and baseball. Lesch traces his path from aspiring major-leaguer to one of America’s foremost scholars on Syria, explaining how the fall of the Ottoman Empire, artificial borders drawn by European powers, and a lack of cohesive national identity still shape the region today. He offers candid reflections on his relationship with Bashar al-Assad, why Syria is likely drifting toward a sectarian majoritarian state, and whether any country in the Middle East is truly positioned to attempt democracy. From Iran’s teetering leadership to the Saudis’ complicated partnership with the West, Lesch unpacks the geopolitical moment with clarity and experience. Chuck and David also dive into the surprising ways baseball helped him understand the Middle East — and vice versa. Lesch reflects on the physical toll of pitching, the Braves’ legendary rotation, and why modern sports medicine might have saved his career. The conversation even explores whether the Middle East could ever embrace baseball, the role of Islamophobia in shaping perceptions, and why travel remains one of the strongest antidotes to fear. Ultimately, Dodgers to Damascus is less a sports memoir and more a sweeping look at a region still wrestling with the consequences of history — and this episode brings that complexity to life. Go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 David Lesch joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Origin of “Dodgers to Damascus” 02:00 It’s weird reading about someone else’s writing about yourself 04:30 What drew David to the Middle East 06:15 Most people don’t understand the Middle East pre 1948 07:00 Fall of Ottoman Empire isn’t covered well in public education 09:00 Artificial divisions in Middle East were to benefit Europe 10:45 Countries in the Middle East lack a national identity 11:30 Davd’s relationship with Bashar Al-Assad 12:30 Assad was raised as an authoritarian and child of conflict 14:30 Any faith in the new leader of Syria to bring about positive change? 16:45 Syria has been helping with counter terrorist operations 18:00 Syria likely on the way to being a sectarian majoritarian state 21:00 Which Middle East country has the best shot at trying democracy? 22:00 Iran’s weakness makes Kurdistan more possible 23:00 Iranian ayatollahs won’t be able hold power when Khamenei dies 24:00 Iran’s government is teetering, and their proxies are weak 25:30 Iran would be an economic power if they became a western democracy 26:15 Israel is at the apex of military power in the region 29:30 The academic case for the Saudis being a partner 30:45 Can the Saudis and Iranians co-exist if Iran moderates? 32:00 How did baseball give you extra perspective on the middle east 34:00 Would modern sports medicine have saved your career? 36:00 The motion for pitching is not meant for human anatomy 37:30 Throwing sidearm is much less damaging for your arm 39:30 The Braves legendary pitching lineup 41:00 David wishes he had at least one year in the majors 42:15 Nolan Ryan’s missing flexor tendon was his superpower 44:30 Teams run the risk of ending pitchers careers early to win a title 46:15 Why is Ohtani so unusual, why haven’t pitchers been able to hit? 48:15 Could you see people in the Middle East getting into baseball? 51:15 Middle East would need a star from that region to rise in MLB 52:00 Islamophobia exists on both sides of the isle 52:30 Travel helps to cure phobias 53:45 Islamophobia is a harder barrier to break than people realize 57:15 Dodgers to Damascus is more of a middle east book than baseballSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down how Donald Trump is being consumed by the growing Epstein feeding frenzy — from his inexplicable softness toward Ghislaine Maxwell to signs he may be genuinely afraid of what she knows. As Trump lashes out at Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene with the same fury he once reserved for impeachment-backers, his grip on the GOP shows early signs of slipping, even as the DOJ considers whether reopening the Epstein investigation could delay the release of sensitive files. With the economy struggling, tariffs quietly being dropped, and ACA subsidies suddenly in play, Trump’s visible panic comes at a politically vulnerable moment. Chuck also recaps conversations from the Texas Tribune Festival, where potential Democratic contenders like Wes Moore and Tim Walz signaled a return to mainstream, service-rooted politics — and where Moore’s centrist lane and military background set him apart as 2028 speculation slowly heats up. Then, historian and author David Lesch joins Chuck to discuss the new book Dodgers to Damascus — an unexpected blend of Middle Eastern politics and baseball. Lesch traces his path from aspiring major-leaguer to one of America’s foremost scholars on Syria, explaining how the fall of the Ottoman Empire, artificial borders drawn by European powers, and a lack of cohesive national identity still shape the region today. He offers candid reflections on his relationship with Bashar al-Assad, why Syria is likely drifting toward a sectarian majoritarian state, and whether any country in the Middle East is truly positioned to attempt democracy. From Iran’s teetering leadership to the Saudis’ complicated partnership with the West, Lesch unpacks the geopolitical moment with clarity and experience. Chuck and David also dive into the surprising ways baseball helped him understand the Middle East — and vice versa. Lesch reflects on the physical toll of pitching, the Braves’ legendary rotation, and why modern sports medicine might have saved his career. The conversation even explores whether the Middle East could ever embrace baseball, the role of Islamophobia in shaping perceptions, and why travel remains one of the strongest antidotes to fear. Ultimately, Dodgers to Damascus is less a sports memoir and more a sweeping look at a region still wrestling with the consequences of history — and this episode brings that complexity to life. Finally, Chuck hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit several pivotal moments in the history of American conspiracy theories that all fell on the same calendar week, plus he recaps the weekend in college football! Go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:00 Trump is being consumed by the Epstein feeding frenzy 04:30 Trump’s leniency towards Ghislaine Maxwell is perplexing 05:15 Trump seems to fear Maxwell…but why? 06:30 There’s something Maxwell knows about Trump that scares him 08:00 Trump goes to war with Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor-Greene 09:15 He’s as mad at Massie and Greene as he was with R’s who voted to impeach 11:00 DOJ can avoid releasing the Epstein files by reopening investigation 12:30 Trump is rattled at a time when the economy is struggling 14:00 Administration dropping tariffs, know they’ve raised costs 14:30 It looks like ACA subsidies will actually have a chance to pass 16:00 Offering cash payouts to pay for premiums is a strange solution 17:30 Trump is letting America “see him sweat” over Epstein 19:15 Trump’s influence over the GOP is starting to wane 19:45 If Massie wins his primary, it will be a major rebuke of Trump 20:30 Trump only punishes Republicans who don’t go along with his lies 22:15 We are witnessing the lame duck period beginning for Trump 23:15 Chuck’s experience at Texas Tribune fest, multiple Dem ‘28 hopefuls 24:00 Wes Moore fully embraced the centrist lane during interview with Chuck 25:15 Wes Moore didn’t join the military to “check a political box” 27:00 Tim Walz & Wes Moore agree Trump’s penchant for action is a strong trait 30:15 Wes Moore will run more as a mainstream Dem, not a progressive 35:00 David Lesch joins the Chuck ToddCast 36:00 Origin of “Dodgers to Damascus” 37:00 It’s weird reading about someone else’s writing about yourself 39:30 What drew David to the Middle East 41:15 Most people don’t understand the Middle East pre 1948 42:00 Fall of Ottoman Empire isn’t covered well in public education 44:00 Artificial divisions in Middle East were to benefit Europe 45:45 Countries in the Middle East lack a national identity 46:30 David’s relationship with Bashar Al-Assad 47:30 Assad was raised as an authoritarian and child of conflict 49:30 Any faith in the new leader of Syria to bring about positive change? 51:45 Syria has been helping with counter terrorist operations 53:00 Syria likely on the way to being a sectarian majoritarian state 56:00 Which Middle East country has the best shot at trying democracy? 57:00 Iran’s weakness makes Kurdistan more possible 58:00 Iranian ayatollahs won’t be able hold power when Khamenei dies 59:00 Iran’s government is teetering, and their proxies are weak 1:00:30 Iran would be an economic power if they became a western democracy 1:01:15 Israel is at the apex of military power in the region 1:04:30 The academic case for the Saudis being a partner 1:05:45 Can the Saudis and Iranians co-exist if Iran moderates? 1:07:00 How did baseball give you extra perspective on the middle east 1:09:00 Would modern sports medicine have saved your career? 1:11:00 The motion for pitching is not meant for human anatomy 1:12:30 Throwing sidearm is much less damaging for your arm 1:14:30 The Braves legendary pitching lineup 1:16:00 David wishes he had at least one year in the majors 1:17:15 Nolan Ryan’s missing flexor tendon was his superpower 1:19:30 Teams run the risk of ending pitchers careers early to win a title 1:21:15 Why is Ohtani so unusual, why haven’t pitchers been able to hit? 1:23:15 Could you see people in the Middle East getting into baseball? 1:26:15 Middle East would need a star from that region to rise in MLB 1:27:00 Islamophobia exists on both sides of the isle 1:27:30 Travel helps to cure phobias 1:28:45 Islamophobia is a harder barrier to break than people realize 1:32:15 Dodgers to Damascus is more of a middle east book than baseball 1:33:00 Chuck’s thoughts on the interview with David Lesch 1:33:15 ToddCast Time Machine 1:33:45 Jonestown, JFK assassination, gap in Nixon tapes same calendar week 1:35:00 Jonestown shows a closed information system can destroy judgement 1:36:00 Jonestown shows the consequences of conspiratorial thinking 1:36:45 JFK conspiracy shows what happens when gov’t can’t convince public 1:37:45 JFK’s death caused boomers to mistrust the government 1:38:45 Nixon tape gap reinforced public’s mistrust in government 1:40:15 The public never received justice for Watergate 1:41:15 Americans now process events through lens of government coverup 1:43:30 Public is correct to believe they aren’t getting the entire story 1:45:30 College football recapSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perfidī diurnāriī Britannicī Tīmotheus Davie, director generālis Britannicae Societātis Divulgātiōnī, quae saepius litterīs compendiāriīs BBC vocitātur, et Deborah Turness, ēius sociētātis diurnāriīs praefecta, coāctī sunt mūneribus abdicāre, cum alia societas diurnāriōrum, quae Tēlegraphēma dīcitur, dēmonstrāvisset diurnāriōs Britannicae Societātis Divulgātiōnī ōrātiōnem praesidis Americānī partibus omissīs aliīsque falsē coniunctīs consultō et cōnsciōs dētorsisse, ut ille contrārium suae ōrātiōnis dixisse vidērētur. Nāvēs prope Americam Merīdiōnālem Britannī diē Martis inhibuērunt quōminus suī speculātōrēs Americānīs auxilium darent, cum ipsī coepissent timēre nē Americānī, quippe quī iam ad octōginta narcotromocratās et mercātōrēs venēnī indemnātōs per mare Caribbicum interfēcissent, iūs gentium violārent. Eōdem diē ad mare Caribbicum advēnit duodecima Americāna classis, Thomā Moninger thalassiarchō, cūius praetōria et āeroplānigera nāvis, Geraldus Ford nōmine, est omnium longārum nāvium maxima. Adsunt etiam secundus exercitus classicōrum, Calvertō Worth imperātōre, cūius nāvis praetōria et helicopterigera appellātur Īwō Jīma; necnōn aliae longae nāvēs missilibus refertae atque etiam nāvēs subaquāneae. Tot et tantīs copiīs convocātīs, quoniam Venetiolānus tyrannus illēgitimus illēgitimō commerciō venēnī lucrātur quō cīvēs Americānī necantur, iūs gentium longē vehementius violārī potest. Magistrātūs Americānī quingentiēns centēna mīlia nummōrum prōmittunt eī, quīcumque Nīcolāum Madūrō tyrannum Venetiolānōrum in dīciōnem reddiderit Americānam. Starmer nōn labefactus Keir Starmer, minister prīmārius Britannōrum quī favōre populī vix fruitur, nēgāvit sē rūmōribus labefactum esse, neque sē in suōs ministrōs neque illōs in sē coniūrāre. Rēspūblica solitō mōre administrātur Senātōrēs factiōnis sinistrae sīve Dēmocraticae, quī quadrāginta diēs recūsāverant nē pecūniam magistrātibus ērogārent ad rempūblicam gerendam, cum nihil quod sperāverant efficere posse vidērentur, manūs tandem dedērunt. Itaque satis pecūniae ērogātur ut magistrātūs rempūblicam diēs gerant septuāginta. Quod comitia populāria ad senātōrēs ēligendōs annō proximō habēbuntur, fierī vix posse vidētur quōminus tālēs rixae iterum iterumque incommoda dītiōribus commeātū āeriō interdictīs et prōlētāriīs congiāriō prīvātīs miseriās afferant. al-Sharā in Americā Ahmed al-Sharā, quī ōlim al-Jolānī vocitābātur, praeses Sȳrōrum, Vasintōniam urbem vīsitāvit diē Lūnae, ubi cum praeside Americānō collocūtus est dē lēge Caesariānā abrogandā. Nam illa lex, quae commercium inter Americānōs et Bashar Assad tyrannum Sȳrōrum interdīxerat, eōdem tyrannō in exilium expulsō nunc obstat, nē post bellum cīvīle Sȳrōrum rēs renoventur. Terror in Indiā Pakistaniāque In capitibus tam Indiae quam Pakistaniae gemina pyrobola dīrupta sunt, quibus ad vigintī hominēs sunt interfectī. Pax tamen, quam mēnse Māiō praeses Americānus utrīque gentī suāsit, manet, dum quaestiō in auctōrēs terrōris habētur. Ūcrāīnēnsēs pecūniā corruptī Cum quaestiō dē pecūlātiōne corruptiōneque in Ūcrāīnā habērētur, ministrī tam iūstitiae quam energīae præfectī honōribus officiīsque sē abdīcāvērunt, ut quī coniūrātī referrentur in pecūlātiōnem. Timur Mindich, amīcus praesidis Ūcrāīnēnsium, quī fōns et princeps coniūrātiōnis esse putātur, fūgit. Mīliēns centēna mīlia nummōrum sublāta esse feruntur. Comitia in Chiliā habenda Diē Sōlis Chiliēnsēs populāria suffrāgia ferent. Doctī hominēs quī populārem ōpīniōnem metiuntur referunt scelera, mīgrātiōnem, gregēs coniūrātōrum latrōnum animōs cīvium magis occupāre quam rem oeconomicam, salūtem pūblicam, īnstitūtiōnem puerōrum. Quamquam Chilēnsēs inter tūtissimās gentēs merīdiōnālis Americae manent, numerus tamen hominum ā percussōribus occīsōrum inter decennium est bis auctus. Quod nōn sēiungitur ab auctō numerō Venetiolānōrum, quī in Chiliēnsium fīnēs ingressī sunt, unde fit ut Chilēnsēs nōmen “Trāminis Arāguae” audīre coeperint. Sinēnsēs Iāpōnēs reprobant Sanaē Takaīchī coram senātū Iāpōnum dīxit sibi necesse vidērī respondēre, sī Formōsa īnsula, quae suī iūris est, ā Sinēnsibus oppugnārētur. Quod Sīnēnsibus, utpote quī Formōsam īnsulam, quae suī iūris est, in suā dīciōne esse falsē dīcerent, offēnsiōnem praebuit. Negāvit autem Takaīchī ab oppositō senātōre diē Lūnae rogāta sē posse nunc negāre Iāpōnēs arma atomica invēntūrōs, factūrōs, habitūrōs. Sola enim est terra Iāpōnica, in quam arma atomica adhibita erant, unde diū negābātur nē Iāpōnēs arma atomica possidērent.

Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/TYT and use code TYT and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Trump reportedly met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and a “former” Al Qaeda leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as he vows to bring “peace to Gaza.” A bombshell report reveals an Israeli spy stayed for weeks at Jeffrey Epstein's mansion. Hosts: Ana Kasparian SUBSCRIBE on⁠ YOUTUBE⁠ ☞ ⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@TheYoungTurks⁠ FOLLOW US ON: ⁠FACEBOOK⁠  ☞  ⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theyoungturks⁠ ⁠TWITTER⁠  ☞      ⁠ https://twitter.com/TheYoungTurks⁠ ⁠INSTAGRAM⁠  ☞ ⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theyoungturks⁠ ⁠TIKTOK⁠  ☞ ⁠         https://www.tiktok.com/@theyoungturks⁠

The Syrian government under Bashar Al-Assad was so successfully demonized by Western imperialist media and governments that many celebrated when Assad was overthrown last December, even though the new puppet government was led by the extremist Al Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda terrorist group. Now, Syria is balkanized and the government is implementing forced displacement and ethnic cleansing. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dan Kovalik, co-author with Jeremy Kuzmarov of "Syria: Anatomy of Regime Change," about the long history of US interference in Syria, dating back to the 1946 coup, how the recent coup appeared to happen so rapidly and the current situation in Syria, as well as the impact of these events on the region. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Na de val van Assad wilde schrijver en hoogleraar Ahmad al Hosain terug naar Syrië, ook al bleef zijn gezin in Nederland. Deze zomer zag zijn dochter (18) hoe het voor hem is weer daar te zijn.Gast: Lize GeurtsStem & montage: Jan Paul de BondtRedactie: Rogier van 't HekCoördinatie: Belle BraakhekkeHeb je vragen, suggesties of ideeën over onze journalistiek? Mail dan naar onze redactie via podcast@nrc.nlZie het privacybeleid op https://art19.com/privacy en de privacyverklaring van Californië op https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

En 2011, el pueblo sirio se alzó contra el régimen de Bashar al-Assad. Fue el inicio de una mortífera guerra civil. En todo el país, miles de hombres, mujeres y niños fueron arrestados arbitrariamente. A lo largo de los 13 años de conflicto, la violación y la violencia sexual se utilizaron sistemáticamente como armas de guerra, sin importar la edad ni el género. Este documental cuenta las historias de tres mujeres que, a pesar del dolor, accedieron a relatar sus vivencias a France 24.

In 2011, the Syrian people rose up against Bashar al-Assad's regime. It was the start of a deadly civil war. Across the country, thousands of men, women and children were arbitrarily arrested. Throughout the 13 years of conflict, rape and sexual violence were systematically used as weapons of war, regardless of age or gender. In this powerful documentary, Asma, Yasmine and Houda chose to share their stories with FRANCE 24 journalists Dana Alboz and Assiya Hamza, who travelled to Turkey and Syria to meet these "survivors".

Over a few brutal days in March, as sectarian violence and revenge killings tore through parts of Syria, two friends from different communities tried to find a way to survive By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Read by Mo Ayoub. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

As Syria turns the page after Bashar al-Assad's fall, the transitional government promises justice, truth, and rule of law. In his first interview since taking office, Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais tells Talk to Al Jazeera how his ministry preserved the regime's court archives from destruction and plans to prosecute crimes from the war years. But critics say the process is too narrow, focused only on Assad-era abuses, while violence and sectarian reprisals create new victims still awaiting accountability. Can post-war Syria deliver real justice?

A huge search is underway for the killer of the influential conservative US activist and ally of President Trump, Charlie Kirk. We hear from our correspondent at the university campus in Utah where the shooting happened. Also: Britain's prime minister has sacked the UK ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over his ties to the late convicted paedophile, Jeffery Epstein; a BBC investigation has revealed the scale of an international charity's involvement in the systematic disappearance of children during former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, and the dark DNA that could explain the extraordinary dancing peacock spider.

On December 8, 2024, Bashar Al-Assad fled Syria, bringing an end to the 13-year civil war that had devastated the country. Syrians who had endured years of conflict and deprivation, took to the streets in celebration. They were suddenly able to imagine a new future for their country. Assad's fall caught the international community by surprise, and policymakers in the region, in Europe, and in the United States were forced to adjust their policies, opening lines of communication to Syria's new leader, Ahmad Al-Shaara. Over the last six months, one issue has dominated the debate over Syria policy—lifting the Syria sanctions.Karam Shaar is the founder of Karam Shaar Advisory, a consulting company. He currently serves as the Chief Economic Consultant to the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Syria and a Senior Consultant at the World Bank. He is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the New Lines Institute.The Sanctions Age is hosted by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj. The show is produced by Spiritland Productions.To receive an email when new episodes are released, access episode transcripts, and read Esfandyar's notes on each episode, sign-up for the The Sanctions Age newsletter on Substack: https://www.thesanctionsage.com/

Jewish Policy Center Senior Director Shoshana Bryen hosted Professor Mark Meirowitz, a foreign policy and Turkey expert from SUNY Maritime College, for a deep dive into Ankara's growing regional role, its involvement in Syria's evolution, and its increasingly fraught relationship with Israel. With characteristic clarity and urgency, Prof. Meirowitz broke down the labyrinth of regional alliances and rivalries, calling the situation “literally mind-boggling” and comparing Syria to a “petri dish for chaos.” HTS, Al-Shara, and the Shake-up in Syria The ousting of Bashar Assad by the jihadist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Ahmed al-Shara (also known as al-Jolani), marks a significant shift in Syria's power structure—and possibly the region's. Once associated with al-Qaeda and ISIS, al-Jolani now wears suits and promotes a veneer of moderation. “Maybe the Turks provided him with some of these outfits,” Meirowitz quipped, questioning the authenticity of his transformation. Al-Jolani was “boosted by” Turkish support, Meirowitz explained, calling him a Turkish client rather than an independent actor. HTS's limited control—bolstered by foreign fighters like Uyghurs—has led to violent, sectarian repression, particularly against Alawites, Druze, Christians, and Kurds. “We're with al-Shara, and a lot of people are depending on him,” Meirowitz said ominously. Turkey's Interests: Stabilizing Syria to Serve Domestic Needs Turkey's involvement, Meirowitz stressed, is strategic. With over 3 million Syrian refugees inside its borders, Ankara is pressuring Damascus to stabilize and repatriate them. “The Turks want them back to Syria,” he said, noting the domestic strain and political sensitivity of the refugee crisis. Turkey has walked a fine line—signing infrastructure and defense agreements with HTS-controlled Syria while avoiding giving it full military autonomy. “Turkey's position is that Al-Shara is the go-to person… Let al-Shara unify the country,” Meirowitz explained. But internal Kurdish dynamics—particularly involving PKK, now in peace talks with Erdogan's government—make full alignment with HTS and Syrian Kurds tenuous. Will Turkey's NATO Membership Complicate It All? One of the more sobering insights from Meirowitz was the hypothetical scenario of Turkey, a NATO power, declaring a no-fly zone over Syria—potentially triggering Article 5 protections if hostilities break out with Israel. “That, to me, is the number one worry… that Israel and Turkey would come to conflict,” he warned. He emphasized the ongoing “deconfliction meetings” between Israel and Turkey, and Israel and Syria—possibly triangulating with al-Jolani himself. But of all the moving parts, Meirowitz emphasized Turkey's NATO status remains a critical leverage point: “Let's be realistic here. If there was a skirmish…Article 5 could be on the table.” Humanitarian Crises and Jihadi Control: Who is Really Running Syria? The ongoing massacres of minorities, particularly the Druze in Suweida, raise urgent questions about al-Jolani's power. “Has he lost control over the jihadis in his own ranks?” Meirowitz pondered, highlighting the grim possibility of Syria spiraling toward becoming a full-blown jihadi state. “The optics are totally opposed to [the idea of moderation],” he said, noting public executions and forced beard-shaving of Druze men as disturbing parallels to Nazi visual propaganda. “Clearly, this is reprehensible. The United States isn’t going to stand for it,” he added, referring to conditional American Congressional support for lifting sanctions on Syria.  Erdogan's Domestic Calculations: Kurds, Elections, and Power Turning inward, Turkey's President Erdoğan is eyeing another term in 2028. Despite constitutional term limits, he may seek early elections or amendments—with the support of Kurdish parliamentarians. “He’s very popular in Turkey,” Meirowitz said, crediting Erdoğan's projection of Turkey as a global power broker. “Turkey's been made into a player on the world stage.” However, he noted Turkey's lira is down, inflation is high, and economic growth is tenuous beneath the surface. This tension is compounded by Erdoğan's crackdown on political opponents, including jailing rivals and invalidating degrees to prevent candidacies. The Bigger Stage: Turkey in Africa, NATO, and the UN Turkey's ambitions extend far beyond Syria. From military expansion in Africa to attempting alignment with BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Ankara aims to diversify its global relevance. “They see themselves as undervalued,” noted Meirowitz. “It's not aggrandizement—it's coming from a feeling of being ignored.” Erdogan's call that “the world is bigger than five” is a veiled critique of the UN Security Council's permanent members—hinting at Turkey's desire for global restructuring that reflects its new stature. “They're trying to flex their muscles,” as one webinar participant insightfully noted.  Israel, Hamas, and the Limits of Pragmatism Meirowitz criticized Turkey's staunch support for Hamas and Hezbollah, calling it “a rabbit hole of disaster.” While support for Palestinian causes earns Erdogan domestic points, it's constraining Turkey's global relationships. “If everybody's a freedom fighter, that doesn't fly,” he said. At times, Israel and Turkey have found pragmatic partnership—like continued trade and oil transits during Syria's civil war—but the anti-Israel posture, sanctions, and rhetoric place those gains at risk. “We need to get together,” Meirowitz relayed from a Turkish businessman. “We like the same things… same food… same values.” Final Thoughts: Cautious Optimism, But Beware the Fault Lines In his closing remarks, Prof. Meirowitz struck a “guarded optimism” tone for Turkey's trajectory. “I believe Turkish leadership is going to give further thought to these directions,” he said, hoping Ankara will reconsider its Hamas alliance for more fruitful cooperation with Israel and the West. Bryen offered sober context: “Israel and Iran were friends once, too—until they weren't.” As Prof. Meirowitz put it, “Hamas is not a future for Turkey.” As the region’s political tectonics keep shifting, one question looms: Will Turkey's pragmatism prevail over ideology—or will ambition lead it down a path of strategic overreach? The answer, as Bryen put it, remains a moving thread.

LIKE Y SUSCRÍBETE AL CANAL

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports a French court is to decide if former Syria leader Bashar Assad can be tried for a chemical attack.

It has been more than six months since Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad was overthrown, ending a bloody civil war and his family's 54-year rule over the Arab nation.

Today, we have an update on one of our most popular Sporkful episodes ever, about a beloved sandwich shop in Aleppo, Syria, and an exiled aid worker named Shadi Martini. When the brutal regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad fell last December, we got back in touch with Shadi. Earlier this year, after 12 years in exile, he returned to Aleppo, and visited his favorite sandwich shop. He tells us about the whole experience in this week's update.The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Publishing by Shantel Holder.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app.

Back in 2017, we aired one of our most popular Sporkful episodes ever, about a beloved sandwich shop in Aleppo, Syria. At that time, Syria was reeling from years of civil war, and the country's leader, Bashar Al-Assad, had been brutally targeting his own citizens. Aleppo was especially hard hit. We heard about that sandwich shop and set out to find out what made it special, and whether it was even still there. At the end of last year, when rebel fighters toppled the Assad regime, we heard from so many of you asking for updates. Well, big news — we have a brand new update to share with you. We'll have that for you next week, but ahead of that, we're resharing this two part story. We'll share Part 2 this Friday, then the new update next Monday. Here in Part 1 we'll take you from Aleppo to Austria, from Detroit to New York to Istanbul, all in search of a sandwich.This episode originally aired on November 6, 2017, and was produced by Anne Saini and Dan Pashman. It was edited by Dan Charles, and engineered by Casey Holford. Additional production and editing help from Peter Clowney, Dalia Mortada, Eva Deutsch, Sruthi Pinnamaneni, Zak Rosen, and Dustin Consentino. Special thanks to Adam Davidson and Jen Banbury. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Publishing by Shantel Holder.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app.

One of the most difficult tests in life is when a person achieves something through effort, wisdom, and strength—and is then told not to attribute the success to himself, but to Hashem. Most people feel proud of their accomplishments, their clever strategies, or their brilliant ideas. But the pasuk reminds us כִּי הוּא הַנֹּתֵן לְךָ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת חָיִל , and the Targum explains, that even our ideas—every single thought that passes through our minds—are gifts from Hashem. It's natural to feel proud after a major achievement, but it is up to each of us to pause and recognize that it was all from Hashem. So often, we fail to see the broader picture—how Hashem orchestrated every detail in advance, setting the stage for us to succeed in a way that appears seamless and "strategic." Recently, the world has witnessed Israel's remarkable military achievements, particularly in the face of Iranian threats. From eliminating key leaders and scientists to achieving aerial dominance, the successes have been astonishing. Add to that America's undetected, precision strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, and one could easily fall into the trap of thinking it's all the result of human intelligence and power. But here, too, we must remember: " לא בחיל ולא בכח כי אם ברוחי אמר ה׳ " —victory does not come through strength or power, but through the spirit of Hashem. All wars are fought and won by Hashem— and only by Hashem . For decades, Israel has known about Iran's nuclear ambitions, yet was unable to act, as Iran lies over a thousand miles away. The logistics of such an operation seemed impossible. Israeli fighter jets could not pass through Jordan, Syria, or Iraq without being shot down. The southern route through Saudi Arabia was blocked, and the northern route through Turkey was a non-starter. But then Hashem changed everything. In December 2024, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown, ending his family's 50-year regime. Hashem opened the Syrian skies. Jordan didn't just permit the use of its airspace—it actively helped shoot down Iranian missiles during the April attack, when Iran launched 300 ballistic missiles toward Israel. Iraq no longer has the capabilities to shoot down planes. Every obstacle was removed—by Hashem. Iran had feared this moment. For years, they armed Hezbollah and Hamas so that if Israel ever struck, they could retaliate from multiple fronts. But over the past year, Hashem gave Israel the strength and intelligence to neutralize the missile capabilities of both Hezbollah and Hamas. And when the moment came to strike Iran, there was no one left to respond. We should be proud of Israel's accomplishments—with the clear understanding that they are Hashem's accomplishments . America's support? Also orchestrated by Hashem, as it says: " לב מלכים ביד ה׳ " —the hearts of kings and leaders are in the hands of Hashem. Hashem can eliminate our enemies without a single soldier taking action. We saw this just a year ago, when the president of Iran and other officials were killed in a helicopter crash—without any military involvement. We saw it when a Turkish legislator who was publicly condemning Israel suddenly collapsed and died of a heart attack. " ה׳ איש מלחמה " —Hashem is a Man of War. He fights—and wins—our battles. The current operation has been referred to as " כִּלְבִיא יָקוּם " , and the Chatam Sofer once explained the word כִּלְבִיא spells out the passuk : כִּ י לֹ א בְ כֹחַ יִ גְבַּר אִ ישׁ - it is not by human strength that wars are won, but through Hashem alone. May Hashem continue to protect His people and bring the final geulah with Mashiach speedily in our days. Amen.

PREVIEW: Key Details of the Rocket Attacks When: Two rockets were fired from Syria into Israel on June 3, 2025, marking the first such attack since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024 The Times of IsraelFDD. Target: The rockets were fired at the Golan Heights, landing in open areas near the community of Ramat Magshimim with no injuries reported Rockets fired from Syria for first time in a year; Israel holds Sharaa responsible | The Times of Israel. Two Terror Groups Responsible Ahmad Sharawi's FDD analysis identifies two distinct groups that claimed responsibility: 1. Mohammed Deif Brigades This group was reportedly founded on May 30, 2025, according to its Telegram channel and is named after the slain Hamas military chief Mohammad Deif, who was killed in July 2024 Syria Archives. The group first surfaced on social media just a few days before the attack Israel says rockets fired from Syria for the first time since Bashar Assad's fall - The Washington Post, with Syrian researcher Ahmed Aba Zeid noting "Until now, it's just a Telegram channel. It's not known if it is a real group" Israel says rockets fired from Syria for the first time since Bashar Assad's fall - The Washington Post. 2. Islamic Resistance Front in Syria - Awli al-Bas This is a militant faction that claims affiliation with Iran's so-called Axis of Resistance and has claimed multiple attacks against Israeli forces operating inside Syrian territory since December 2024 Syria Archives. Its logo mimics the emblem of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)—a raised arm holding an AK-47—indicating alignment with Iran-linked "resistance" groups From Al-Qaeda Commander to Syrian President: Ahmad Al-Sharaa's Ascent. Israeli Response and Syrian Accountability Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa was "directly responsible for every threat and [rocket] fire toward the State of Israel" Rockets fired from Syria for first time in a year; Israel holds Sharaa responsible | The Times of Israel. Israel responded with artillery fire on the source of the rockets and carried out a series of airstrikes throughout southern Syria targeting weapons belonging to the regime Rockets fired from Syria for first time in a year; Israel holds Sharaa responsible | The Times of Israel. Analysis from Ahmad Sharawi Sharawi noted this represents "another testament to Ahmad al-Sharaa's failure to fully control all armed groups and ensure that Syrian territory will not be used as a launching point for attacks against Israel" Sharaa ‘Responsible for Every Threat': Terrorists in Syria Launch Rockets Into Israel. He emphasized that while Sharaa may not yet have full control over all armed actors, Washington should make clear that further cooperation on sanctions relief hinges on Sharaa quietly and fully cooperating with Israel to neutralize any Palestinian factions capable of launching attacks from Syrian soil Rocket Attacks on Israel Underscore Continuing Threat from Syria. The incident highlights ongoing security challenges in post-Assad Syria and the difficulty the new Syrian leadership faces in controlling various militant groups operating within its territory.

Assad fled, rebels took over, and Syria changed overnight. Intelligence analyst Ryan McBeth maps out who won, who lost, and what's next on Out of the Loop! Welcome to what we're calling our "Out of the Loop" episodes, where we dig a little deeper into fascinating current events that may only register as a blip on the media's news cycle and have conversations with the people who find themselves immersed in them. On This Episode of Out of the Loop: After over a decade of civil war, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow when his regime collapsed following a rapid 10-day offensive at the end of 2024. The collapse was accelerated by Hezbollah withdrawing forces to fight Israel, leaving Assad's already weak army severely undermanned. The new controlling force in Syria is HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham), led by Hamed al-Golani. While HTS was formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda, they have since distanced themselves and are showing potentially moderate tendencies, focusing on restoring basic services rather than implementing strict religious law. Turkey emerged as a major winner in this scenario, having strategically supported various rebel groups that helped bring down Assad's regime. Meanwhile, Russia and Iran are significant losers - Russia lost important Mediterranean naval access, and Iran lost a crucial supply route to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Syrian civil war involved over 70 different factions, but they could be broadly categorized into three main anti-Assad groups: Islamist groups (like HTS), Kurdish groups (supported by the US), and moderate opposition groups. This complex web of alliances and conflicts made the situation particularly difficult to resolve. Despite the country's painful history, Syria has immense potential for rebuilding and renewal. The country was historically known for its rich culture, welcoming people, incredible food, and archaeological treasures. The current focus on restoring basic services and apparent willingness of different factions to cooperate suggests that with proper support and governance, Syria could begin healing and rebuilding its vibrant society. Connect with Jordan on Twitter, on Instagram, and on YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on an Out of the Loop episode, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know! Connect with Ryan McBeth at his website, Twitter, Instagram, and on YouTube. If you'd like to stay on top of what's happening in the world, subscribe to Ryan's Substack! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1099

The fall of Syria's regime is a blow to Iran. Iranian money and troops propped up former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. How much do the developments in Syria set back an adversary of Israel and the U.S.? Some American colleges have issued a warning to their international students. They're suggesting students should try to return before Inauguration Day, to avoid any trouble at the border. Also, who's flying drones over New Jersey?Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Didrik Schanche, Steven Drummond, Ally Schweitzer, HJ Mai and Mohamad ElBardicy. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Ben Abrams. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent, and our technical director is Carleigh Strange.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Donald Trump sits down for his first big interview since winning the election and unveils his plans for mass deportations, pardons for January 6th rioters, and revenge against his political enemies. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy explains what they're watching for when his second term begins, the social media frenzy over the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and how the end of Syria's dictator Bashar Assad's regime could impact Tulsi Gabbard's nomination for Director of National Intelligence. Oh, and just in time for the holidays, Trump is launching a new fragrance: Fight, Fight, Fight—the perfect gift for anyone who wants to smell like grievance and power!