If I were the Syrian presidency I would have probably not attempted to brag about what happened in 2020 and just to let the occasion pass quietly. https://twitter.com/Presidency_Sy/status/1344946699626754048

Sure, brilliant year: massive spread of COVID-19 unnoticed, 100s of crops fires, historic bread & fuel shortages, more thugs becoming MPs and Chamber of Commerce members, desperate attempts at robbing citizens of $$, forgoing all talk of conscription exemption limits for more $$

Assad giving a speech about drug-flavoured neoliberal bread and how not following the parents' religion contrary to human nature, a murderer freed because he's Assad's relative, Putin summoning Assad to Russian HQ in Damascus, anti regime protests in Sweida and Daraa

Assad clan feud, mostly with Rami Makhlouf, increased electricity cuts, former intelligence officers on trial for crimes against humanity, unprecedented lira devaluation and concomitant inflation, massive shortage of medicines that saw pharmacies and factories stop operating

Robert Fisk dying, SANA quoting obscure Czech and Egyptian figures for lack of anyone recognised and sending stupid personal messages as push notifications, childish constitutional committee behaviour, saying that only thing preventing "natural relations" with Israel is Golan

Criticism of Assad personally and his regime in Russian media, Daraa still out of control amid growing Russia-backed 5th corps ambitions there, a new government that failed to bring any symbolic change, let a lone real one, servicemen shooting a man dead in the middle of Damascus