DAMASCUS A Syrian independence-era flag flutters atop the parliement building in the capital Damascus on Dec. 14, 2024. Syria 's new rulers stepped up engagement on Tuesday with countries that deemed ousted president Bashar al-Assad a pariah, with the French flag raised at the embassy for the first time in over a decade. Assad fled Syria just over a week ago following an offensive by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Rooted in Syria's branch of Al-Qaeda, HTS is proscribed by several

Tag-uri: Islam