A woman exits a taxi during rush hour in central Damascus, Syria. Some people in the Syrian capital have been able to enjoy a semblance of normality since fighting ended in May, but in the shattered, destitute towns nearby, life couldn’t be more different. Held by the government throughout the war, Damascus suffered much less damage compared to opposition-held areas.

(Marko Djurica / REUTERS)read more

Photographer Amit Pasricha’s project puts the spotlight on monuments like the Alamgir mosque, built by Aurangzeb in 1669. The structure with a three-chambered facade was once accentuated by a pair of slender corner minarets that rose 50 metres above the terrace.

read more

A video of his capture has surfaced on Twitter and shows Miah saying he has lived in Syria for nearly four years. read more

Iranian defence minister Amir Hatami travelled to Damascus on Sunday for a two-day visit, meeting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and senior military officials, local media reported. read more

Equipped with paint brushes and pencils, around 12 young artists were seen with their easels in the once-crowded camp turned Damascus suburb, now largely abandoned after seven years of civil war. They set out to translate suffering into art in a neighbourhood ravaged by years of bombardment and siege.

(Maher Al Mounes / AFP)read more

Vienna broke Melbourne’s sever-year reign to clinch the title, scoring a “near ideal” score of 99.1 on 100. Damascus came in last as the least liveable city. read more

The suicide bombings in the city of Sweiba were apparently timed to coincide with attacks by a militant group linked to the Islamic state in a number of villages in the province, also called Sweida. read more

Many of the Syrian troops and residents of Ain Terma, just outside the capital Damascus, who were watching the World Cup final on Sunday were hoping that Croatia would win. The neighbourhood is located next-door to Douma, the location of an alleged chemical attack and heavy fighting between the Syrian government and rebels until just a few months ago. Since then, residents have begun to return and rebuild with some saying that the opportunity to watch the game provided a welcome distraction from the war and destruction that the area has seen. (Video: SNTV). (Hindustan Times)read more

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the warplanes used Saturday -- based on type, location, munitions and flight patterns -- had come from the Russian-operated Hmeimim base in coastal Syria. read more

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad also slammed the United States and British military actions in Syria as “colonial” while praising supporter Russia. read more

The northwestern Idlib region remains the largest populated area of Syria in the hands of insurgents fighting the Damascus government. read more

Both countries have faced international isolation, North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme, and Syria over its tactics during a bloody civil war. read more

The Syrian government forces captured the southern Damascus, the al-Hajar al-Aswad District. The Syrian military’s complete control over Damascus and its suburb areas came after seven years of fighting. Al-Hajar al-Aswad District is seven kilometres to downtown Damascus. The government troops on April 19 began its military operation to take back the district, along with the adjacent Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp. The military used airstrikes and intensive cannon and rocket strikes. The Syrian government denied reports that the government forces observed a brief ceasefire with extremists on 20th May. The recapture of al-Hajar al-Aswad District marks the complete liberation of Damascus since 2011. The government forces will continue to sweep houses and tunnels for hidden suicide attackers and snipers next. (Muhammed Asad)read more

Syrian state media made no mention of a deal to allow the militants to leave the enclave centred around the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp. read more

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said that 15 buses carrying hundreds of fighters and their relatives left the towns and were heading towards opposition territory in northern Syria. read more