Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers welcome to our live coverage of the ongoing developments in Syria following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad.

These are some of the key developments in Syria unfolding following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, with banks and shops resuming operations in Damascus:

• Three days after the collapse of the Assad government, banks and shops in the Syrian capital have reopened. The newly appointed police chief has vowed to restore "full security and order" to the city

• A commander from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced a ceasefire with the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army after several days of clashes near the northern city of Manbij

• Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led opposition forces are pressing forward with their offensive in eastern Deir Az Zor province. They recently seized the city of Deir Az Zor from Assad’s forces and Iran-backed militias. Kurdish forces maintain control over parts of the governorate

• Amnesty International criticised European nations for suspending the processing of asylum applications from Syrian refugees. Human Rights Watch warned against the forced return of those fleeing the conflict

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken engaged in discussions with officials in Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE to promote the creation of an inclusive Syrian government. Meanwhile, NBC News reported that the Biden administration is considering removing HTS from its list of designated "terror" organisations