Exclusive: The Guardian gains access to Sednaya jail, where prisoners are rumoured to be trapped underground – as desperate relatives wait for news Syria live – latest updates The celebrations in Damascus were interrupted by a whisper. On the outskirts of the city, a door had been found. Beyond it […]

Rebel alliance includes groups with roots in Islamic extremism, Arab and Turkmen fighters, and Kurdish and Druze coalitions Syria live – latest updates Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS; Levant Liberation Union) is led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, and is the dominant faction in the rebel alliance […]

PM’s words follow Israeli takeover of previously demilitarised zone in Syrian-controlled territory Syria live – latest updates Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel for almost 60 years, will remain part of Israel “for eternity”, amid growing criticism of an Israeli takeover of a previously demilitarised […]

First speech by UK chancellor to eurozone finance ministers since 2020 will promise ‘business-like’ approach to relations Rachel Reeves plans to end the UK’s “fractious” post-Brexit accord with the EU, a relationship she said had been defined by “division and chaos”, by promising closer ties in the first speech by […]

As Moscow’s top diplomat reeled in Doha, his Turkish counterpart appeared to know he had the upper hand Middle East crisis – live updates As celebratory gunfire was heard across liberated Syria, the diplomatic guns of Iran and Russia, in Doha to attend a major dialogue forum, fell silent, rendered […]

Toppled president came to power keen to show he was different from his father but proved to be as repressive Middle East crisis – live updates On the face of it at least, the Bashar al-Assad of 2002 presented a starkly different figure from the brutal autocrat he would become, […]

Men, women and children, many jailed for speaking out against regime, reunite with their families Syria live – latest updates As Syrian rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured city after city on the road to Damascus, forcing Bashar al-Assad to flee the country, they also […]

Citizens dream of a better future but some are wary of Islamist groups claiming to represent them The people of Syria have celebrated the fall of Bashar al-Assad and dared to dream of a better future after five decades of dynastic rule came to a sudden and unexpected end with […]

Thick black smoke fills sky above Brucefield industrial estate near Livingston as drivers told to avoid area Firefighters are tackling a “significant” blaze which broke out at an industrial estate in West Lothian, sending a plume of thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Crews from nine fire engines were […]

Transport police called to Ilford station on Wednesday and Jorge Ortega, 61, was taken to hospital with head injuries Tributes have been paid to an Elizabeth line worker who died after an attack at a railway station in east London. Jorge Ortega, 61, died in hospital after suffering head injuries […]