The rising stakes in Syria

Hello. Anti-Assad rebels are continuing their lightning offensive through Syria, pushing into a third major city, forcing thousands to flee. Sebastian Usher analyses the onward push to Damascus, the country's capital. Paul Adams reveals the bloody cost of Russia’s “meat-grinder” tactics in Ukraine. In Ghana, we learn how illegal gold mining is poisoning communities and then check in on a cryptocurrency scandal involving "Hawk Tuah girl" Hailey Welch. Elsewhere, we look at a US Olympian taking her sport by storm, despite admitting she's not one of the world's best players.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Damascus and Assad now in Syrian rebels' sights

Rebel advances have stunned Syrian government forces this week. Credit: AFP

Syrian anti-government rebels have pushed into the city of Homs today, as they gain new ground against President Bashar al-Assad - and now the capital city Damascus is in their sights, writes Sebastian Usher. “The stakes have risen precipitously for President Bashar al-Assad and his key backers, Russia and Iran,” he says. “In the end, what Assad's fate seems most likely to hinge on is what the main outside players in Syria decide.” The offensive is the swiftest battlefield advance since the Syrian civil war began 13 years ago, and the rebel gains have been mapped by my BBC Visual Journalism colleagues. Get the latest updates on Syria here.

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PICK OF THE WEEK

How social media made a US Olympian rugby's biggest star

Ilona Maher has just singed for Bristol Bears in England's Premiership Women's Rugby

She's big, strong and fast - but Olympic bronze medallist Ilona Maher is not the best rugby player in the world. And yet, Maher has something that has made her an icon: Personality. With well over eight million followers across Instagram and TikTok, she's the most followed rugby player on social media and is on a mission to bring the game to new audiences.

And finally... in Timor Leste

From Subaun, a settlement in the South Pacific archipelago, local villagers have spotted nearly 3,000 pygmy blue whales over the past 10 years, Kelly Ng reports. The citizen scientists have generated a wealth of information about the whales, whose vast habitats and elusive nature make them challenging to study. Find out how they do it here.