Damascus

Hundreds of Syrians protested in Damascus on Sunday against new government restrictions on alcohol sales and consumption, as authorities enforce stricter social rules.

A 58-year-old man has been charged with crimes against humanity for alleged atrocities committed in Syria in 2011, in what is considered the first prosecution of its kind in the UK. He is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 10 March.

A former Syrian colonel has appeared in a UK court facing landmark charges of crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, related to alleged activities in Damascus in 2011. The case marks the first prosecution of its kind in the United Kingdom.