Syria

• Syria, Rebuilding its Military, Relies on Loyalists and Religious Teaching - Critics say Syria’s fledgling government is hobbling military preparedness as it redoes the country’s forces from scratch.
• Syrians Celebrate Anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s Fall - A year ago, rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad, ending decades of dictatorship and civil war. But challenges remain for the new leadership.
• On anniversary of the fall of Bashar Assad, Syrians and their country struggle to heal - A year ago, Mohammad Marwan found himself stumbling, barefoot and dazed, out of Syria’s notorious Saydnaya prison on the outskirts of Damascus as rebel forces pushing toward the capital threw open its doors to release the prisoners. Arrest
• Thousands Greet Pope Leo in Lebanon, as He Prays at Beirut Blast Site - A prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut explosion and a waterfront Mass capped his three-day visit to the Middle Eastern nation with the highest proportion of Christians.