Defined as a shrewd and ambitious man, the leader of the Arab country has combined a firm hand with openness since bringing down the Assad regime

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday became the first American president to meet with his Syrian counterpart in a quarter of a century, holding informal talks with the country's transitional leader,

Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa has transformed himself from al Qaeda militant to Syrian president in a dramatic political rise capped on Wednesday by a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.