After years in power, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad was toppled with surprising speed. On Saturday afternoon, it became clear rebels who had already taken Aleppo and Hama were closing in on Homs and also had their eyes on the capital Damascus. Just hours later, Assad was reported to have left on a plane. Video editor:…
Reuters The fall of Bashar al-Assad was almost unthinkable just a week ago, when rebels started their astonishing campaign against the regime from their base in Idlib, in Syria’s north-west. This is a turning point for Syria. Assad came to power in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez, who ruled the country for…
Rania Kataf Damascus resident Rania Kataf said “I finally took a breath” Residents in Damascus have told of an anxious wait for news on what was happening in Syria’s capital city overnight. After several hours of reports of rebels getting closer and closer, the forces declared Damascus “free” of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in the…
Getty Images Rebel forces have entered the Syrian capital Damascus with reports that President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country by plane to an unknown location. In a televised announcement, the group said the city had been “liberated, the tyrant Bashar al-Assad has been toppled”. “Long live a free and independent Syria for all Syrians…
AFP In the latest sign of a dramatic deterioration in relations, Niger’s military rulers appear increasingly determined to drive France out of any significant sector in their economy – and particularly uranium mining. This week the French state nuclear company Orano announced that the junta – which deposed France’s ally, President Mohamed Bazoum, in a…
Getty Images People’s Action protested against UnitedHealth Group this summer The “brazen and targeted” killing of health insurance executive Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, outside a New York hotel this week shocked America. The reaction to the crime also exposed a simmering rage against a trillion-dollar industry. “Prior authorisation” does not seem like a phrase…
A pair of ruby red slippers worn by actress Judy Garland in the classic movie The Wizard of Oz have been sold for $28m (£22m) at a US-based auction on Saturday. One of four surviving pairs used in the film, the famed sequined pumps were once stolen from a Minnesota museum. Online bidding started a…
At least five people have died and four others injured after explosions rocked a block of flats in The Hague in the Netherlands, authorities have said. Firefighters rushed to the three-storey building following the blasts that caused the collapse of several homes in the Tarwekamp area at around 06:15 (05:15 GMT) on Saturday. The city’s…
A TV journalist and cameraman have come under attack from masked men while covering pro-EU protests in Georgia. Reporter Maka Chikhladze, from pro-opposition TV Pirveli, was violently thrown to the ground, while cameraman Giorgi Shetsiruli was kicked in the head on a side street in the capital, Tbilisi. They were covering the 10th night of…
The mood in Damascus appears to be one of confusion and fear, with many people unable to find out exactly what is going on as rebel factions approach ever closer. In several suburbs, symbols of the power of the Assad dynasty have been torn down or toppled. The interior ministry says it’s creating a ring…
