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Syria is “not a threat to the world” its new Islamist leader tells BBC | BBC News
The leader of the most powerful group in control of Syria has told the BBC that the country is exhausted by war and is no threat to its neighbours or the West. In an interview in Damascus, Ahmed al-Sharaa told the BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen that sanctions on Syria should be lifted.
Sharaa led the lightning offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime less than two weeks ago. He is the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the most powerful group in the rebel alliance. He was previously known by his wartime name, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
Sharaa said HTS should be de-listed as a terrorist organisation. It is designated as one by the UN, US, and EU, among many others, as it started as a splinter group of al-Qaeda, which it broke away from in 2016.
Sharaa said HTS was not a terrorist group. He said they did not target civilians and considered themselves to be victim of the crimes of the Assad regime. The victims, he said, should not be treated the same way as the oppressors. He denied that he wanted to establish a regime like the Taliban in Afghanistan. Sharaa said the countries had very different traditions. Afghanistan was a tribal society. In Syria, he said, there was a different mindset.
He said he believed in education for women and referred to the high number of women attending university in parts of Syria.
Sharaa was relaxed throughout the interview, wearing civilian clothes, and tried to offer reassurance to all those who believe his group has not broken with its extremist past. However many Syrians do not believe him and fear that a hardline Islamist government will emerge.
Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Jeremy Bowen in the Syrian capital Damascus.
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The Fifa 2026 World Cup kicks off this week.
Beginning Thursday, football – or soccer – matches, depending on your preference, will be played in the US, Mexico, and Canada, with a record 48 nations competing for the trophy.
However, the tournament has been beset by controversies over ticket prices, travel bans that affect fans and officials, and security concerns.
We answer questions from the audience about what to expect from this year’s World Cup, with BBC Sports football issues correspondent, Dale Johnson.
Both Sep Blatter and Michel Platini had their bans reduced – Blatter to six years and Platini to four. In terms of the Swiss court cases, they have both been acquitted – once in 2022 and then again when Swiss authorities prosecuted again and lost again in March 2025.
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
01:52 Is Fifa corrupt?
04:58 Why is it difficult to watch the World Cup in some countries?
06:53 Is Mexico safe for fans?
11:22 Will Iran be able to participate safely?
16:00 The myth of India in the 1950 World Cup
19:30 What impact will the travel bans have on the World Cup?
24:00 Who are the favourites to win the World Cup?
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Keir Starmer says under-16s will be banned from social media by spring 2027.
“A full ban is the right choice… I am not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children,” Starmer said in a televised statement.
As he made the statement live in Downing Street he was watched on The BBC Breakfast sofa by seven parents whose children died while using social media.
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Iran’s chief negotiator says there’s “no point” in continuing talks with the US after Israel launched a strike on Beirut.
It comes after US President Donald Trump said a deal would be signed on Sunday.
Israel says it struck a command centre run by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, and adds that Hezbollah attacked Israel “unprovoked” – Lebanese officials say three people have been killed.
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Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews
For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news
#BBCNews
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James Cunningham hadn’t slept. He’d been up all night “fighting for his life”.
The 27-year-old from Ware in Hertfordshire was trying to save a virtual empire from the brink of destruction – using a keyboard and mouse.
James says he “didn’t expect everything to go wrong”, recalling the explosive conflict that broke out in June 2025. “But it did.”
He’d spent thousands of hours – up to 16 a day – and roughly £6,000 playing EVE Online, a role-playing game played by tens of thousands of people around the world.
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