Syrian security forces are reported to have carried out a mass execution of fifty-two people of the Alawite minority in the coastal province of Latakia. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says activists have released footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled in the yard of a house. The incident follows clashes in the province between government forces and supporters of the former president Bashar al-Assad, which left more than seventy people dead. We speak to a local resident in Latakia.

Also in the programme: Russia targets Ukraine's energy infrastructure in a missile and drone attack overnight; and Lady Gaga on her new album and the long, hard road to get there.

(Picture: Syrians demonstrate in support of the Syrian government, after attacks carried out by groups loyal to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad in the Latakia region on March 7, 2025. Credit: Mahmoud Hassano/REUTERS)