In Lebanon, many saw the election on Thursday of Gen. Joseph Aoun, the commander of the Lebanese military, as a crucial step toward bringing stability to the country. It was also seen as a concession by Hezbollah and, some analysts said, an acknowledgment that the group was no longer in a position to paralyze the state.

A new type of Syrian refugee is fleeing across the border into Lebanon: those who once supported dictator Bashar Al-Assad.

Syria was the dominant power in Lebanon for three decades under the Assad family, with President Hafez al-Assad intervening in its 1975-1990 civil war and his son Bashar al-Assad only withdrawing Syria's troops in 2005 following mass protests triggered by the assassination of Lebanese ex-Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.

Syria's new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa and Lebanon's prime minister vowed on Saturday to build lasting ties after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa said the new Syria would "stay at equal distance

Spain's foreign minister raised his country's flag at their Damascus embassy on Thursday more than a decade after Madrid suspended diplomatic activity and as Western countries resume ties following

The foiled attack will stoke fears that Islamic State is hoping to stage a comeback in Syria following the fall last month of President Bashar al-Assad. Some Syrians and foreign powers have worried that the country's new leaders,

Spain raised its flag at Madrid's Damascus embassy Thursday, in the presence of its top diplomat more than a decade after suspending activity and as Western countries resume ties following Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

After nearly a year and a half of war in Gaza, a ceasefire and hostage deal was struck between Israel and Hamas. The deal was mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar and will begin this weekend.

Sarah Ferguson presents Australia's premier daily current affairs program, delivering agenda-setting public affairs journalism and interviews that hold the powerful to account. Plus political analysis from Laura Tingle.

Assad’s regime on December 8 has put Syria in the spotlight once again. Following over a decade of conflict, the killing of

Syrian planes struck targets on the border between Lebanon's Bekaa Valley and Syria on Sunday evening and into Monday, Israeli and Syrian sources said, in a resumption of raids that had curbed weapon flows to the militant group Hezbollah in the year before Bashar Al Assad's downfall.

Islamic State has previously targeted the Zayeda Zeinab shrine, including carrying out an attack in 2017 that killed 40 people.