Bashar al-Assad appears on Syrian currency for the first time ever .

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appeared on the Syrian currency for the first time since he assumed office after succeeding his father in 2000. His portrait was printed on a new 2,000-pound banknote that went into circulation on Sunday. The 2,000-pound note was printed years ago, Central bank governor Duraid Durgham said, but the decision to put it into circulation was delayed "due to the