The Economist. Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist. I'm Rosie Bloor. Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

In Latin America, a growing number of women are being trafficked to serve the rising demand for sex tourism.

Our correspondent visited Colombia to meet some of those affected.

And the California Gold Rush brought a massive influx of prospectors to the American West. Now the price of gold is rising again, our correspondent found herself doing her own bit of panning. Thank you. But first... A year ago today, Syria's long-time desperate Bashar al-Assad was deposed. After decades of his

family's iron rule, euphoria swept through the country. Today in Damascus, billboards

plaster the city of the final battle for liberation.

Syrians have traveled to the capital from every corner of the country to toast the new beginnings.

Internationally, Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Shara has moved with remarkable speed to end decades of diplomatic isolation.

He now seems to be a pal of Donald Trump's.

He comes from a very tough place and he's a tough guy. I liked him. I get along with him,

the president, the new president of Syria. Many of the tough sanctions that were devastating Syria have been lifted and more are expected to go. Yet despite the new dawn,

it's not all sunshine at home. Assad is gone, but a year on, Syria is facing a gamut of new problems.

One year after the fall of Assad, things have changed dramatically for Ahmad Shad and Syria.

Gareth Brown is a Middle East correspondent.

The country has come out of a 50-year diplomatic isolation.

The state is being rebranded, sanctions are being lifted.

But if you look closer, I think there are deepening cracks at home.

And life for most Syrians has probably in some ways become harder than it was one year ago.

Gareth, you've spent a lot of time on the ground in Syria. How is the transition going there? How does it feel?

So on the ground in Syria, I think you see some big successes and some failings. Simply put,

Syria hasn't become the Islamic State or,

you know, Afghanistan under the Taliban that many had feared when Ahmad Shadr took over.

...