Syrians grow frustrated as soaring living costs threaten recovery

Fuel price increases sparked protests across Syria last month, the largest display of discontent since President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power two years ago. The government later reversed the increase after people condemned the rising cost of living and the higher prices of essential goods. Many Syrians say their finances have worsened since Bashar al-Assad was ousted, as the government cuts subsidies and tries to revive an economy battered by war and years of mismanagement. In Damascus, 50-year-old cleaner Fatima Saleh Eid says her family is eating more sparingly; her husband has only recently found work after a year of unemployment.