Bashar al-Assad has fled to Russia after opposition forces entered the capital Damascus.

The leader of the main Syrian opposition armed group that seized Syria’s capital, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, has said the Syrian people are the “rightful owners” of the country after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, and declared a “new history” has been written for the entire Middle East.

Al-Julani previously led the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, al-Nusra Front, before distancing himself from the group.

US President-elect Donald J Trump expected cabinet appointments will see a number of “China Hawks” in key roles such as the United Nations ambassador, National Security Adviser, and Secretary of State, signalling a shift in US foreign policy to refocus on the Indo-Pacific region.

The police in Mozambique have been accused of killing at least 18 unarmed bystanders following protests against the recent presidential election result.

Donald Trump has been declared the winner of the 2024 US presidential election. The Republican candidate beat Kamala Harris of the Democratic party. World leaders have begun sending in their congratulations.

^{Photograph: Gage Skidmore}