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Middle East

How Syrian rebels toppled the Assad regime

Britain

No longer a terrorist group? UK may reconsider HTS’s status after ousting Assad

Syrian conflict

Fall of Syria’s Assad catches Middle East powers and the West off guard

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War and conflict

Explainer | Assad’s fall: 2 seismic weeks that toppled Syria’s government

The sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s rule over Syria marks the culmination of a nearly 14-year rebellion. Here’s a timeline of recent events.

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An anti-government near a defaced portrait of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in the city of Hama. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Trump asks China to help bring Ukraine peace, says he ‘had communication’ with Xi

President-elect says in an NBC interview aired Sunday that he had an exchange with Xi last week.

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Joe Biden

Biden says Assad’s fall a ‘fundamental act of justice’, but ‘a moment of risk’

The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump were working to make sense of new threats and opportunities across the Middle East.

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Syria

Syria’s Assad in Moscow after deal on military bases: Russian state media

Bashar al-Assad and family granted asylum in Russia after his regime was toppled in a lightning rebel advance.

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The Syrian presidential palace in Damascus after Islamist-led rebels took the Syrian capital in a lightning offensive. Photo: AFP
Syria

In Syria, bewildered, elated prisoners pour out as Assad’s jails flung open

Prisons thrown open across Syria as President Bashar al-Assad’s ruling dynasty ends.

Syria

Israel calls Syria its fourth front after rushing troops to the Golan

Israel’s Netanyahu says ‘central link in Iran’s axis of evil’ has fallen in Syria.

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Syrian conflict

Syrian rebels topple President Assad, prime minister calls for free elections

The rebel forces declared Assad ousted after taking control of Damascus, following 13 years of civil war and 50 years of Assad family rule.

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Members of the Syrian community wave Syrian flags on Sunday in Vienna, Austria. Photo: AFP
Syria

Damascus celebrates Assad’s fall as rebels take Syria’s capital

Syria’s capital woke up to cheering in celebration of the fall of President Assad, after rebels said they toppled the long-time ruler.

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Lebanese people celebrate the takeover of Damascus by Syrian rebel fighters, in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Australia

Melbourne synagogue fire an act of ‘terrorism’: Australian PM

Australia’s prime minister said the incident highlights the ‘worrying rise’ of antisemitism in the country.

War and conflict

Syrian rebels say they have toppled Assad in state TV announcement

President Bashar al-Asad has fled Syria after rebels seized control of the capital Damascus.

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How global sea lanes are being weaponised

Attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea as well as tensions in international waters are increasingly affecting global shipping.

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Syrian conflict

Syrian rebels claim they have entered Damascus

Residents in the capital said they heard heavy gunfire, with reports suggesting President Bashar al-Assad has fled the city.

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Armed men pose for pictures near a military vehicle belonging to the Syrian regime forces and seized by anti government forces, with rebels claiming they are on the verge of taking the capital Damascus. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Deepening Hong Kong, Iran ties show US curbs have ‘lost their potency’: envoy

Ambassador Mohsen Bakhtiar says measures have been taken to overcome sanctions restricting Iranian firms from accessing services in the city.

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Syria

Syria rebels say they control Homs, are advancing on capital Damascus

President Assad’s 24-year rule is dangling by a thread, with one US official saying he could be ousted in the coming week.

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Saudi Arabia

Trillion-dollar ambition: Saudi Arabia accelerates metal mining plans

The kingdom has signed a slew of deals with Chinese, Indian and Australian companies amid growing interest in its massive mineral reserves.

Riyadh. Saudi Arabia is looking to become a major global mining and metals player. Photo: Shutterstock
Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s Middle East strategy falters as Aleppo falls to rebel forces

While China has invested in Syria’s reconstruction and seeks to expand its regional presence, the renewed violence has put its ambitions on hold.

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Syria

Syria rebels claim to reach city of Daraa, as they seek to topple Assad

Daraa was the birthplace of a 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad and would be the fourth city his forces have lost in a week.

War and conflict

Opinion | Is the world on the brink of total war?

The political centre is no longer holding as governments misjudge their capabilities on the battlefield and their level of public support.

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Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian targets in Donetsk, Ukraine, on June 24. Photo: AP
Belt and Road Initiative

How a new railway will extend China’s reach into Central Asia

The 523km line linking China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan could eventually be extended to the Middle East, South Asia and Europe.

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The 100,000th China-Europe freight train arrives in Duisberg, Germany in early December. The new railway will offer an alternative to the current route, which runs through Russia. Photo: Xinhua
Syrian conflict

Goal is to overthrow Assad with ‘all available means’: Syria’s rebel leader

Islamist-led rebels were at the gates of Syria’s Homs after wresting other key cities from government control.

Donald Trump

Trump’s threat over Hamas captives stokes fears of higher oil prices for Asia

The US under Trump could take a tougher stance on Iran, which could disrupt oil supplies and push prices up amid hazy outlook, analysts warn.

China-Middle East relations

Chinese embassy in Syria urges citizens to evacuate as civil war reignites

The warning comes as rebels, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, capture major cities Aleppo and Hama.

Syrian opposition fighters stand atop a seized military vehicle on the outskirts of Hama on Tuesday. Photo: AP
Iran

Iran says it conducted a successful space launch

Rocket carried an ‘orbital propulsion system’ and research payloads to a 400km orbit above the Earth.

Iranian satellite carrier ‘Simorgh’ blasting off in January. File photo: Iran’s Ministry of Defence via Reuters
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Hong Kong, Saudi central banks to strengthen roles as financial gateways

Saudi central bank governor Al-Sayari and his delegation were in Hong Kong this week to attend the Financial Stability Board’s Plenary meeting.

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Syrian conflict

Why rebel capture of Syria’s Hama, a city with a brutal history, matters

Islamist-led rebels have captured Hama, a city strategically located between Aleppo and President Bashar al-Assad’s seat of power in Damascus.

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Middle East
Middle East
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last updated:
28 August, 2024
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