Syria's new rulers have appointed a foreign minister, the official Syrian news agency (SANA) said on Saturday, as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.

But there were complaints of what was seen as heavy-handed rule by the authorities. When we visited earlier this week, streets were relatively clean, traffic lights and lamp-posts worked, and officers were present in the busiest areas.

Will he walk the walk and not just talk the talk? And if he doesn’t win in the elections, will he peacefully stand aside for whoever does win?” one analyst said.

Syria’s transitional government on Saturday named Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani as its new foreign minister, less than two weeks after toppling the Bashar al-Assad regime.

The Islamists who now lead Syria have ruled the city of Idlib for years. Residents say they imposed some strict laws, but also heeded some complaints and improved public services.

How the rebels governed Idlib offers insight into how they might rule Syria. Experts and residents of Idlib describe their governance as pragmatic and influenced by internal and external pressure. However,

Sham, which toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad, governed Syria's Idlib province with a mix of repression and pragmatism. Led by Abu Mohamed al-Golani, the group is said to be moderating.

After public protests and then rebellion erupted in Syria in 2011, Assad’s regime clung to power through systemic torture and relentless military campaigns with support from Iran, Russia, and an array of allied militias.

Assad’s regime fell. This is a fact, but it woefully understates the enormity, speed, and consequences of what has transpired. The brutal dictatorship that ruled Syria for more than 50 years disintegrated in fewer than 10 days.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative ... Over years of control in the northwest Syrian province of Idlib, HTS allowed Christians and Druze to practice without interference. HTS is led by a former al-Qaida member ...

The road to Idlib, a remote corner in north-west Syria, still has the signs of the old front lines: trenches, abandoned military positions, rocket shells and ammunition. Until a little more than a ...