Appointment by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is latest sign some Arab countries are moving to reengage with Assad regime after keeping distance over brutal civil war

Ancient communal bathing sites, powered by diesel and firewood, enable residents to soak at leisure in hot water rarely available in their homes

Unidentified detainee, who lives abroad, suspected of aiding crimes against humanity committed by Assad regime during civil war

According to figures compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 1,505 of the casualties were civilians and among those 360 were children

Though horrors of war have abated, many have lost hope in a future at home amid poverty and corruption, while some still fear for their personal safety

Geir Pedersen, in Damascus with Foreign Minister Mekdad: 'My message is that there is another possibility... to start to move forward,' after a decade of civil war

Damascus summit is latest sign that some Middle East countries are moving to reengage with Assad regime after distancing themselves over brutal civil war

Syrian Jews from Brooklyn visit synagogue in Damascus, call trip 'extremely normal'; expert says Assad welcoming foreigners to boost reconstruction

Minister says arrival numbers are rising again after period of relative calm following decade of civil war

Trip by top Emirati diplomat, the first since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, comes as Damascus seeks economic opportunity and Gulf looks to counter Iran