Exodus casts pall over Christmas in south Syria Gerges Rizk puts the final touches on a newly-renovated church in the southern Syrian city of Daraa ahead of Christmas mass that will lack the hundreds of congregants who once packed its nave. Retaken in July 2018 by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad following a series of surrender deals with rebels, Daraa is struggling to revive its Christmas cheer. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES