Syria: How Assad fell, the view from Damascus and US response
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Today, a new future for millions of Syrians after a rebel advance ousts President Bashar al-Assad. We speak to our reporters in Syria and around the world on how this happened and the uncertainty over what's next for the region. Plus the latest headlines from South Korea and Taiwan. It's Monday, December 9th.

This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes every weekday. I'm Tara Oakes in Liverpool. When you hear LSEC data and analytics, what do you think of? Comprehensive data you can trust. Exclusive access to Reuters news. Industry-leading analytics and unique insights. Discover new possibilities with LSEC data and analytics. A lightning advance.

marking one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations. Spearheaded by the rebel group Hayat al-Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, the operation seized Aleppo, then, in little more than a week, breached Damascus and put an end to five decades of Assad family rule. Royce's Kindamakia was in Damascus as the rebels advanced.

The week before the rebels entered the city in Damascus was a very scary, silent, intense week. Everybody heard the news. They knew they are very close to Damascus, but also they were scared because they didn't want to witness clashes or maybe mortar shells that they suffered from during the years of the war since 2011.

You could see the supermarkets almost empty of products. The grocery stores, everywhere. They took everything and put them in their home because they knew something is going to happen. When the rebels entered Damascus, we only heard gunfire all night and day on December 8. They entered approximately at 2 a.m. Damascus time.

They started to topple statues of Bashar Assad and his father Hafez. They were celebrating everywhere. They issued some information not to shoot in the air, not to harm anyone. Assad and his family have fled to Russia, where they've been granted asylum.

With him gone, videos posted online show Syrians strolling through his former palaces, posing for photographs and some taking furniture and ornaments. Elated but often confused inmates have been pouring out of jails, holding up their hands to show how many years they've been in prison. Reuters Timur Azari is in Damascus this morning.

Fighters and civilians continue to stream in from other parts of Syria to see their capital city in a completely different light. Many Syrians who were unable to move around the country to different parts, controlled by different armed groups or the regime or others, are now...

here and are seeing it for themselves. The fall of Damascus was initially quite chaotic. The Syrian army essentially took off their fatigues, laid down their weapons and melted back into society before the rebel forces could really take proper control of the city. And so you had looting, you had the central bank partially looted, people also raiding Bashar al-Assad's residence and the presidential palace. When we speak to the rebels now, they say that that's coming to an end.

They are very keen on implementing a security plan that sees life return to normal as quickly as possible. Then comes the work of getting institutions to function again, supplying services for the people. The rebels are very keen to show that they can be a state, that they can transition into one at least. And so that's going to be the test going forward.

Syria sat at the center of what was known as Iran's axis of resistance, which goes from Tehran all the way to Beirut. It is now no longer under the control of Bashar al-Assad, who was a player in that axis. And so it's a seismic shift in the region. The road that Tehran used to transport weapons across Iraq and then Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon is now shut.

Hezbollah itself is significantly degraded. And so you're looking at really a change in potentially in the balance of power in this part of the world. The United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risks. U.S. President Joe Biden taking stock of this new look Middle East.

The White House is also watching statements from the HTS rebel group closely. It's still designated as a terrorist group by the US, Turkey and the United Nations, despite spending years trying to soften its image to reassure international governments and minority groups within Syria. Steve Holland is in Washington, D.C.

Now, Biden does not want to try to write a blueprint for Syria's future. But if he can do something to help facilitate peace in Syria, that he's going to try to do that in his remaining days in office. It presents itself some difficulties because the United States doesn't necessarily have

strong ties with HTS, the main rebel group, or some of these other groups that are operating inside Syria and have been fighting Assad for so long. So that'll be a challenge to see if they can open up some line of communication with these people. And what's going to happen to the 900 US troops that are based in eastern Syria? So far, the US decision is to leave these 900 troops in place at their bases

I wouldn't expect anything to happen to them quickly. There was some question as to whether the United States might use these troops to help secure Syrian stockpiles of chemical weapons. We were told that that's not the case. It's more a case of just maintaining a geopolitical presence in that violent part of the world.

And the Biden administration doesn't have that long left in office. What happens when President-elect Donald Trump takes over? Trump has said that the United States should stay out of this part of the world, that it should leave Syria to work things out for themselves. Now, it'll be a challenge for Trump to maintain this hands-off approach.

Over on markets and a relatively calm reaction so far to the overthrow of the Syrian regime.

Gold and oil prices climbed modestly on the news, but the oil gains are capped by the weak demand outlook for 2025. Saudi Arabia's price reductions and last week's OPEC+ production cut extension both underscoring weak demand from China. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been banned from foreign travel over his failed attempt at imposing martial law. After surviving a weekend impeachment vote in parliament, he faces growing calls to step down.

Taiwan has raised its alert level, saying China has increased its military presence nearby. A senior Taiwan security official told Reuters that China currently has nearly 90 Navy and Coast Guard ships in waters near Taiwan. Security sources expect this move comes ahead of a new round of war games.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on his social media platform, Truth Social. That call coming after an hour-long meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris. And in a Sunday interview with NBC, Trump vowed to act on his first day in office to pardon rioters involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

An amended lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that rap mogul Jay-Z raped a 13-year-old girl along with Sean "Diddy" Combs during a party in 2000. Jay-Z has denied the allegations on social media, calling the lawsuit a "blackmail attempt" by the plaintiff's lawyer. Lawyers for Jay-Z did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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For today's recommended read, a story about how this year will be the world's hottest since records began. And according to scientists, the extraordinarily high temperatures are expected to last into at least the first few months of 2025. You can find a link to the story in today's podcast description. For more on any of the stories from today, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. To never miss an episode, follow us on your favorite podcast player. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.