Pictures show he and his wife wiping the tears from children's faces and visiting the sick in hospital

As siege for strategic central Syrian city reaches climax, opposition fears rebel fighters will not hold out much longer

Sisi realises Egypt’s relations with Israel are far more important than any coup

Hoshyar Zebari tells Patrick Cockburn that Syria’s President will ‘survive’ rebel uprising

Warning comes as the US and Britain concede that Assad could remain in power for a long while, albeit controlling only a portion of his country

The Israelis will continue to maintain contact with the Hezballah ‘militant staff’ whenever they want a body swap

Brussels has broken ties with military wing of the Lebanese organisation – but what will it mean on the ground?

United Nations officials say war crimes and crimes against humanity are 'the rule' in Syria today

The President would be the FSA’s best ally in war against Islamists, says Robert Fisk

The country has seen a rise in tourism from the Gulf states as they have shied away from Syria and volatile Lebanon

Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister is certain the West’s strategy will fail

The great cultural monuments of Syria, including Damascus, are at risk of damage or destruction

The boom of outgoing artillery fire no longer makes people in Damascus glance up from their work or interrupt their conversation even for a moment. After a year of fighting, it is a background noise so familiar that nobody refers to the thunderous sounds even though they show that the battle for the capital is not quite over.

The Prime Minister has appealed to regime forces to rise up against their President. But this is not Libya