Tensions are high on Syria’s border with Lebanon. The ouster of President Bashar al-Assad led to worry that violence could spill over into neighboring countries.

Syria is reopening Damascus International Airport after rebels ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad in December, forcing the temporary closure of their capital’s airport. Ahmad al-Shara, Syria’s new leader and top official of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham,

Syria’s new government is facing backlash after announcing changes to the school curriculum, including introducing what some critics say is an Islamist slant to teaching.

Critics fear increased focus on Islam and removal of content related to Bashar al-Assad’s toppled regime will erode country’s diverse historical and cultural identity

The French and German foreign ministers have met Syria’s new leaders and called for an inclusive transition of power, in the first visit by European Union ministers to Syria since the Assad regime fell in December.

France’s foreign minister, who is in Damascus with his German counterpart, said Friday there is “real hope” for Syria, “but it is a fragile hope.”

Top diplomats from Germany and France went to Damascus on behalf of the European Union. It’s the first such trip in years, part of a flurry of Western outreach.