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Seismic is an overused word. Not when it comes to events currently under way in Syria, a country straddling the fault lines of the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime will be the most significant event yet in the upheaval that's followed the 7 October attacks by Hamas in Israel last year. Syria latest: President Assad reported to have fled SyriaIt will be the end of a brutal reign of terror that has lasted since the Assad family under patriarch Hafez Assad seized power in the early 1970s. And the end of a devastating civil war that has raged since 2011.The Assads maintained their grip on Syria with diabolical cynicism. They used massacre and torture, chemical weapons and barrel bombs to secure their rule for almost five decades. But they also cleverly leveraged their country's pi...

Aamir Khan, often hailed as Bollywood's Tom Cruise, has built a reputation not just as an actor, director and producer but as a true change-maker in Indian cinema.Known for tackling pressing social issues, his films have long been a catalyst for shifting perspectives in Bollywood. His latest project, The Lost Ladies, is no exception, with a comedic twist that's earned a spot in the BAFTA race and been selected for the Oscars' international category. Image: The Lost Ladies is both funny and thought-provoking Image: Pics: Aamir Khan Productions The film, directed by his ex-wife Kiran Rao, tells the story of two men who mistakenly bring home the wrong brides ...

The Syrian president has fled Damascus on a plane for an unknown destination.That's according to two senior Syrian army officers speaking to the Reuters news agency and Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, speaking to AP. Syria's army command has now notified officers that President Bashar al Assad's rule has ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters.Hours earlier, rebels announced they had gained complete control of the key city of Homs after only a day of fighting.Their lightning offensive threatens to end Bashar al Assad's 24-year rule. Image: Rebel fighters in the Homs countryside on Saturday. Pic: Reuters Read more: Why significance of rebel assault is hugeThousands of S...

In the dot-to-dot of diplomacy - drawing relationships that are worth something - the meeting between the prince and the president-elect was a moment which the British diplomats who made it happen will be thrilled with.When Donald Trump became US president for the first time, in 2016, the British, along with many other countries, were caught short. They hadn't expected the Trump win and hadn't done their homework. British diplomatic contacts with Mr Trump's transition team back then (which was itself novice compared to this time) were poor.This time things are different. British ambassador Karen Pierce and her team in Washington are on good terms with the Trump team and close contacts have been established over months with the president-elect's surrogates, senior staff and cabinet picks. ...

There was a time not all that long ago when the United States would be seeking clearly to drive and define a particular narrative and outcome for the events unfolding in the Middle East.Seeking to mould events to its own benefit has been a central tenet of American foreign policy. But the remarkable and fast-moving developments in Syria, come at an unusual moment for America.Syria latest: Rebels expand controlIn Washington DC, there is a vacuum of leadership. We are in the midst of the transition between President Joe Biden and president-elect Donald Trump.President Biden is still running things at the White House but his ability to influence events in the Middle East, if he is even inclined to, has been shown to be limited. He is the lamest of lame duck presidents. Mr Trump does not b...