December 9, 2024

*) Syrian spring arrives in winter: 'tyrant' falls, prisoners freed Sixty-one years of Syria’s Baath regime came to an end. The Syrian opposition announced in a televised statement that they had freed Damascus and overthrown Bashar al Assad's 24-year regime. The opposition said it "toppled 'tyrant' Bashar al-Assad." Prisoners in the Sednaya Prison in Damascus, known for its association with the regime and notorious torture practices, were freed by demonstrators who stormed the facility. *) Bashar al Assad, family are in Moscow: Russia Syria's Bashar al Assad and his family fled to Russia and have been granted asylum by the Russian authorities. Moscow said that Assad and his family were granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. The Syrian opposition leaders, meanwhile, have guaranteed the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions inside Syria. *) Israel continues to bomb southern and central Gaza Meanwhile, Israel bombarded central and southern besieged Gaza, killing at least eight Palestinians and wounding several others. A man and his wife were killed, and six others, including their infant daughter, were seriously wounded when an air strike hit the tent where they were staying in the town of Al-Zawayda in central Gaza. Six more Palestinians were killed and several others wounded when an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle and a civilian vehicle in the Khirbat Al-Adas area in Rafah City. *) Trump urges immediate Ukraine truce, hints at possible NATO withdrawal US President-elect Donald Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end what he called "the madness", prompting Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy and the Kremlin to list their conditions. Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal adding that Kiev had lost some 400,000 soldiers. Trump also said in an interview that he would "absolutely" consider leaving NATO if allies didn't "pay their bills." Trump has long complained that European and Canadian governments in the mutual defence bloc are freeloading on military spending by the US, by far the most powerful partner in NATO. *) Türkiye, US defence chiefs discuss Syria and other regional issues Turkish National Defence Minister Yasar Guler and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed the latest developments in Syria and security issues in a phone call. Guler and Austin also discussed bilateral and regional defence issues, the ministry said. It came hours after the collapse of Syria's al-Assad regime after decades in power.