Iraq

A call for Syrian refugees to return to their country has been made by the country’s new Prime Minister Mohammed Al Bashir, in an exclusive interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Aegean Airlines is strengthening its routes as of 2025, offering two new destinations abroad and seven new direct domestic flights from regional hubs.

On Monday it announced it will connect Athens with Iraq with direct flights to Erbil, starting on February 23 and operating twice a week, every Wednesday and Sunday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan voiced hope that the new, post-Assad administration in Syria continues with an approach that "encompasses and embraces all sectors" of the Syrian people during a speech at the 15th Ambassadors' Conference on Dec. 10.

Twice-weekly direct flights to Iraq and Azerbaijan are among the new destinations that Aegean Airlines will offer in 2025, the company has said.

The flight to Erbil International Airport in Kurdistan Region, Iraq, will commence on February 23 and will operate every Wednesday and Sunday, while the Athens to Azerbaijan route will open on April 14 and fly every Wednesday and Sunday.

Ahmad al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has become one of the most controversial yet pivotal figures in the Syrian opposition.

Europe maintains a stance of wait-and-see, offering well-wishing statements about a smooth democratic transition and the protection of all national and religious minorities in Syria. This is because the downfall of Assad took European capitals by surprise, and they currently have no access to any of the major players involved in the “great game” that has unfolded.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is nowhere to be found in Damascus, a source told CNN. The official position of the Syrian president’s office is that Assad has not left the capital, however, a source with full knowledge of the situation told CNN that Assad is not in any of the city’s locations.

The jihadists are now just 20 kilometers from the capital Damascus after taking control of Dderaa province in southern Syria, a commander and the non-governmental organization Syrian Observatory for Human Righ

A US-backed rebel alliance led by Syrian Kurds has seized the largest city in the east of the country, the main border crossing with Iraq, putting it in de facto control of the eastern Syrian desert in two surprise moves.

Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko held talks with Turkish citizens who have historical and business-related ties with Japan as part of the royal couple's Istanbul visit on Dec. 6.

The couple met with academicians, representatives of Turkish-Japanese friendship associations as well as Turkish citizens connected with Japan at Çırağan Palace in Istanbul.