Global National: Dec. 8, 2024 | Assad flees to Moscow after rebels take Syrian capital

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow with his family after rebels took the capital Damascus, according to Russian state media. Assad held onto power with the help of allies like Russia, Iran and its proxies, like Hezbollah. The question now is whether rebel forces, which started as an off-shoot of Al-Qaeda, will rule differently. Eric Sorensen reports on the fast-moving developments inside Syria. The end of Assad’s rule is a major blow to Iran and its proxies. Global leaders are reacting with cautious optimism for Syria’s future and how it could impact the Middle East and the rest of the world. Vincent McAviney reports. Canadians are being told to avoid “all travel” to Syria and those already are urged to leave . In a post on X, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the fall of the Assad regime “ends decades of brutal oppression” and said Canada is “watching the transition closely.” More than 14,000 Syrian refugees have come to Canada since 2015. And now, as Phil Carpenter reports, they are holding their breath, waiting to see what’s next. Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump reiterated his threat of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods. During an interview with NBC on Sunday, Trump detailed what he told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a meeting between the two leaders last week. Mackenzie Gray reports. With just under a week until the federal government’s GST holiday takes effect, local businesses face the confusing task of figuring out which items will qualify. Megan King reports. Notre Dame hosted its first Catholic masses on Sunday, a day after reopening to the public. The iconic 12th century place of worship underwent years of renovation following a devastating fire in 2019. Redmond Shannon has more on the resurrection of the spiritual heart of Paris. Pacific island nations like Fiji are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, even though they only contribute 0.03 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Global’s Megan King was on assignment to Fiji with the help of the Gordon Sinclair Foundation. She says community leaders there are calling on wealthy nations – like Canada – to do more. For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/10907610/jubilation-syria-end-assad-family-rule/ Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ Follow Global News on X HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB #GlobalNews