This account of al-Assad’s fall, much of which has not been previously reported, is based on interviews with Syrian, Iranian, Iraqi and Turkish officials; Damascus-based diplomats; associates of al-Assad; and rebels who participated in his ouster. Read more here.

Hollywood: Private messages detail an alleged campaign to tarnish the actress Blake Lively after she accused Justin Baldoni of misconduct on the set of “It Ends With Us.” Cycling: Muriel Furrer died a day after the biggest race of her career. The Athletic went to Switzerland for answers.

Assad, Germany faces a heated debate on the future of nearly one million Syrian refugees. Politicians are divided, with some calling for immediate returns while others stress the need for caution. What does the future hold for Syrians in Germany?

Judicial authorities in France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands have initiated proceedings against agents and senior officials of the former government, some of which have resulted in convictions.

The German Development Ministry has warned against repatriating Syrian refugees too quickly after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. In a strategy paper seen by dpa, the ministry said "speculation about the cancellation of the protected status of Syrian refugees - whether in Germany or elsewhere - is clearly premature.

Less than 48 hours after the toppling of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, Germany, home to the largest Syrian population outside the Middle East, says it will pause asylum applications from Syrian citizens.

On Monday Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees put on hold all pending applications from Syrian asylum seekers. This affects 47,270 Syrians in Germany, who are waiting for an answer to their application for asylum.

Chancellor Scholz says Berlin encouraged by signals from Damascus but emphasizes concrete steps toward inclusive government, rule of law, protection of minorities - Anadolu Ajansı

BERLIN - Germany plans talks with representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said, joining the United States and Britain in establishing contact with the Islamist group after it led the overthrow of Syria's Bashar al-Assad.

The Home Office has followed France, Germany, Sweden and Austria in pausing decisions while it "monitors" the situation.

The head of UN's refugee agency cautioned that "patience and vigilance" were needed on the issue of refugee returns.

Germany, France, Austria, and several Nordic countries in Europe stated on Monday that they will freeze all pending Syrian asylum requests.