As Syria's economy collapsed during its civil war, the country became something of a narco state. The regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad earned billions by trafficking in the drug Captagon.

As the world watches Syria grapple with the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad's brutal regime and the formation of a new government, one neighbor has emerged as having great influence over the new Syria.

People in Syria are looking for their relatives and friends in prisons, hospitals and morgues. The U.N. estimates over 100,00 people have gone missing in Syria under the Assad regime.

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is believed to have issued his first remarks, via the Telegram app from Moscow, since opposition forces took over the capital over a week ago.

Israel said Sunday it will close its embassy in Ireland as relations deteriorated over the war in Gaza, where Palestinian medical officials said new Israeli airstrikes killed over 46 people including several children.

Comments by Secretary of State Antony Blinken this weekend were the first time a U.S. official has acknowledged contact with the Syrian rebel group that drove Bashar al-Assad from power.

Morning Edition host Leila Fadel reports from Damascus, in the first week in a half-century that the Assad family did not rule the country.

Assad's fall came too late for the father of NPR's Diaa Hadid, who was briefly detained by Syrian forces during their occupation of northern Lebanon.

Travis Timmerman, a U.S. citizen found wandering barefoot in Damascus after being freed from a Syrian prison following the fall of the Assad regime, was handed over to U.S. forces in Syria on Friday.

In Damascus, people stood shoulder to shoulder at one of Syria's holiest sites, the Umayyad Mosque, in the first Friday prayers since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown less than a week ago.

With a ceasefire in place, Hezbollah wants to rebuild Lebanon. But its supply chains across Syria have been weakened by Israeli airstrikes, rebel fighting and the ouster of its ally Bashar al-Assad.

FIFA's selection of Saudi Arabia to host the World Cup was celebrated in the kingdom but criticized by human rights groups, who fear residents, visitors and migrant workers will be at risk of abuse.

The 29-year-old said he was detained earlier this year after crossing into Syria on foot from Lebanon and held in prison until the fall of Assad. Timmerman's family called it a "Christmas miracle."

Germany hosts almost a million Syrians who fled war and dictatorship. The toppling of the Assad regime has raised questions for exiles about their next step.

Rehab Alkadi and her husband, Feras, fled Syria's war with their young son in 2013. They and other Syrian refugees in the U.S. are now hopeful for their country's future, even as uncertainty remains.