By Tudor S. // PoliticsThe regime change of Syrian President Ahmed al-SharaaCrowds holding Syrian flags assemble at Umayyad Square in Damascus to watch a live broadcast of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s speech at the United Nations, in Syria, September 24, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil AshawiListen to this articleRelated Podcast EpisodesSee what else is making headlinesBy One Decison // PoliticsSyrian economy speeds up as sanctions loosen and refugees come homeSee what else is making headlinesBy One Decison // EconomicsEx-MI6 Chief on Syria’s Bashar al-Assad's fall: Why no one came to “save him”Related Podcast EpisodesSee what else is making headlinesBy One Decison // Politics"The air was thick with this euphoria that Syrians felt," explains former US official Barbara Leaf