Prosecutors say a Syrian security official accused of torture hid in plain sight in Europe for years, protected by Israeli and Austrian intelligence agents.

The visit by President Ahmed al-Shara is another step in the transformation of the former rebel leader once wanted by the United States as a terrorist.

© Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press

More than 400,000 Syrians have been displaced in the year since the civil war ended, according to the United Nations, driven by a mix of sectarian violence, acts of revenge and property disputes.

© Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times