The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative hopes that Syrians might live peacefully and as equals after a half century of authoritarian rule.

Years of strife ruined the energy sector, battered the currency and strangled growth. The West must ease financial controls to help the economy, experts say.

Following the fall of Assad's regime, tensions across the Middle East have continued to remain high prompting concerns from countries in the area.

The high-level delegation arrived to engage in talks with Syria's interim leadership, the State Department confirmed early Friday.

Will he walk the walk and not just talk the talk? And if he doesn’t win in the elections, will he peacefully stand aside for whoever does win?” one analyst said.

Hostage envoy Roger Carstens traveled to Syria Friday, making the first known U.S. in-person contact with the caretaker government, and seeking help in finding missing American Austin Tice.

Even with hopes running high, so much can go wrong when a country ousts a longtime dictator and tries to start anew.

Losing Syrian military bases would hurt the Kremlin’s attempts to project power in the Middle East and Africa.

U.S. officials announced they conducted an airstrike on Syrian soil that killed two ISIS members, including a top official.

Turkey expects foreign countries will withdraw support for Kurdish fighters in Syria following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, President Tayyip Erdogan said, as Ankara seeks to isolate Kurds who have long fought alongside U.

The US has scrapped a $10m (£7.9m) reward for the arrest of Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, following meetings between senior diplomats and representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf said the discussion with Sharaa was "very productive", and he came across as "pragmatic".