DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres appealed to the international community Saturday to support the people in Syria at the start of his first visit to the Arab country as U.N. chief, nearly two years after the fall of Bashar Assad.
Guterres ' visit is the first by a UN secretary-general to the Syrian capital since 2009.
Shortly after his arrival, Guterres held talks with Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, before taking a tour of the old quarter of Damascus and the famous Umayyad Mosque.
Guterres’ visit to Syria comes as the country is trying to recover from the deadly conflict that broke out in March 2011 leaving nearly half a million people dead and causing widespread destruction that would cost tens of billions of dollars to rebuild.
“I have just arrived in Damascus for a visit of solidarity,” Guterres posted on X at the start of his three-day visit. He added that the United Nations stands with Syria at this “pivotal moment.”
“I appeal to the international community to spare no effort to support the people of Syria as well,” the U.N. chief wrote.
Since the five-decade Assad family rule came to an end in December 2024, when fighters led by gunmen loyal to al-Sharaa stormed Damascus, the nation has been struggling to recover from years of conflict and the effects of crippling Western sanctions.
While the United States and Europe have lifted many of the sanctions imposed during the rule of the Assad dynasty, the impact on the ground has so far been limited.
Cuts to international aid have worsened living conditions for many. The United Nations estimates that 90% of Syria’s population lives in poverty.
The World Bank released an assessment last year that said rebuilding Syria after over a decade of civil war is expected to cost about $216 billion.
During his stay in Syria, Guterres is scheduled to visit the U.N. force deployed along the border with Israel.
After taking power, al-Sharaa said that he had no desire for a conflict with Israel. But Israel was suspicious of the new Islamist-led leadership and quickly moved to take control of the buffer zone.
Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military facilities and periodic incursions into villages outside the buffer zone, which have sometimes led to violent confrontations with residents.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, walks with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, at the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Children holding heart-shaped balloons on a string head down an alley in the Old City of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, right, welcomes United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the Syrian presidential palace in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday after weeks of protests that demanded his removal over alleged leaks in some of the country’s most competitive entrance exams and irregularities in the education system.
Pradhan announced the decision in a post on X, handing a major victory to the “Cockroach” movement, which has spearheaded nationwide demonstrations, sit-ins and hunger strikes. His resignation also marks the first significant concession by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to one of the most visible waves of public dissent it has faced in recent years.
The movement began more than a month ago after allegations of leaks in some of India’s biggest entrance exams. It started as a call for education reforms but has grown into a broader protest over unemployment, government accountability and economic opportunities. Students, professionals, families and activists have joined rallies in New Delhi and other cities across India.
News of Pradhan’s resignation sparked celebrations among the thousands of protesters who have camped at New Delhi’s protest site for more than a month. Many embraced each other and waved the Indian flag.
Prachi Kumar, a corporate employee who joined the protests, said Pradhan’s resignation was necessary to restore accountability in the education system.
“This had to be done. Someone must be held accountable,” she said.
The Cockroach Janta Party, which launched the protest movement, declared victory following the resignation, writing on X: “DEMOCRACY WINS!”
The demonstrations have become one of the most persistent challenges to Modi’s government in recent years, with thousands returning to the streets even after police used tear gas and batons to disperse marchers.
Tensions escalated on Monday when police moved to disperse thousands of protesters marching toward Parliament. Several students were injured in the crackdown, intensifying anger among demonstrators.
Modi’s government had earlier sought to ease tensions by announcing fast-track courts for cases involving exam paper leaks and saying it would introduce legislation to strengthen measures against cheating and corruption in the examination system.
The measures failed to satisfy protesters, who said they did not address government accountability. Although Pradhan’s resignation met their main demand, the movement leaders said their campaign would continue as they sought compensation for families of students who died by suicide after alleged exam paper leaks and action against police officers they accused of using excessive force.
“Remember, do not mess with (the) cockroach,” Abhijeet Dipke, a movement leader, said in a written statement.
A protestor holds a placard with a portrait of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi draped in a saree, a traditional garment for women in India, during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in New Delhi, India, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Verda Subzwari)
FILE- India's Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan smiles at the end of a joint press conference in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, April 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)
Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in Mumbai, India, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
A protestor holds a placard with a portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the text "Can't See Your Democracy, My Lashes are Too Long" during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement in New Delhi, India, Thursday, July 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Verda Subzwari)
Student wing activists of different political parties join in a rally demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party's ongoing protest movement, in Kolkata, India, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
