Sharaa was already de facto head of Syria's government ever since a coalition of rebel fighters swept through most of Syria and ousted Assad's regime.

Syria has entered a transitional phase with its de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed as President Al Jazeera reported citing the state-run news agency

As insurgents raced across Syria in a surprise offensive launched in the country’s northwest late last year, officials from several

Cardinal Gugerotti’s six-day visit, from Jan. 24–29, marks the first time a Vatican envoy has traveled to Syria since the regime change. As part of his special mission from the pope, the cardinal will also meet with Christian leaders and communities across Damascus, Aleppo, and Homs.

With its wide boulevards and tree-lined neighborhoods, Homs bustled with business, an oil refinery, and agricultural production. Sunni and Alawite Muslims, Orthodox and Catholic Christians—diverse groups lived in adjoining enclaves, their ancient mosques and churches dominating the skyline.

Since the sudden downfall of Bashar al-Assad's government 50 days ago, Syria's transitional administration has been grappling with multiple challenges -- from surging violence to staggering economic instability.

EU officials agreed to begin easing sanctions on Syria. Dozens of people were executed this weekend in the city of Homs.

You can’t extinguish fire with fire. You can’t address a mistake with another mistake. You have to correct the situation in Syria.”

Storyline: Syria's Military Operations Administration announced on Wednesday the appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa as president during the transitional period, granting him authority to establish an interim legislative council until a permanent constitution is ratified.

Hastily abandoned documents show how the fallen government’s vast intelligence apparatus struggled to comprehend and stop the rapid rebel advance.

Syrian Investigative Reporting for Accountability Journalism (SIRAJ), a collective of journalists and OCCRP partner, found the documents in late December while combing through files left behind during the hasty collapse of the Assad regime earlier that month.

Weeping, Fairuz Shalish grasps the red earth at an unmarked grave in Syria that she believes may hold her son, one of tens of thousands of people who vanished under ousted president Bashar al-Assad.Thousands poured out of the country's web of prisons in the final days of Assad's rule and after Islamist-led rebels toppled him on December 8.