Celebrations across Syria as rebels oust Assad; president ‘flees country’; nations urge stability

As the commander of al Qaeda's franchise in the Syrian civil war, Abu Mohammed al-Golani was a shadowy figure who kept out of the public eye, even when his group became the most powerful faction fighting President Bashar al-Assad

Groups of Syrians strolled through the palaces of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday following his ouster, wandering from room to room, posing for photographs, and with some taking items of furniture or ornaments..Video obtained by Reuters showed people entering the Al-Rawda Presidential

"Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by (President) Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

Following are reactions from around the world to events in Syria

In the capital Damascus, people cheered as they stood on a toppled statue of former president Hafez al-Assad, in a highly symbolic moment for a country ruled with an iron fist for five decades by his clan.

The offensive that took the world by surprise

Russian foreign minister says Assad left the country

On July 17, 2000, Assad becomes Syria's new head of state, after the death of his father, aged 69, who ruled Syria with an iron grip for 30 years.

Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that Assad's regime had ended, a Syrian officer who was informed of the move told Reuters.

Jolani heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is rooted in Syria's branch of Al-Qaeda

The timeline shows how the conflict began with peaceful pro-democracy protests, then developed into a multi-sided conflict that sucked in world powers

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad oversaw a merciless crackdown on a pro-democracy revolt that morphed into one of the bloodiest wars of the century

Follow our live updates on current situation in Syria

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali said Sunday he was ready to "cooperate" with any leadership chosen by the people and for any handover process, after rebels said President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country

A senior Saudi royal termed Israel “genocidal” and an “apartheid” state on Saturday, as he called on incoming US President-elect Donald Trump to bring peace to the Middle East.

There are probably easier ways to set a world record, but Rudiger Koch has found his method 11 meters (36 feet) under the sea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed Russia and its President Vladimir Putin over two aerial attacks that killed at least 12 people.

Physics Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton and chemistry laureate Demis Hassabis yesterday insisted on a need for strong regulation of artificial intelligence, which played a key role in their awards.

A new round of negotiations for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal will “most likely” begin in the coming week, a source close to the Hamas delegation told AFP yesterday.