Aug 25, 2026
Two bombs exploded near the hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was staying in Damascus during the first visit to Syria by a major Western leader since Assad's fall, wounding at least 18 people including security personnel.
A Syrian court held its first public hearing in the trial of ousted president Bashar al-Assad and senior officials from his former government. Former security chief Atef Najib appeared in person, while Assad and his brother Maher are being tried in absentia.