Assad Flees as Syrian Rebels Seize Damascus, Ending 50-Year Rule
Bashar Assad, the former Syrian dictator, has fled the country following the takeover of Damascus by opposition forces, according to Russia's Foreign Ministry. Assad resigned and instructed a peaceful transfer of power, though his current whereabouts are unknown amid unconfirmed reports of his death in a plane crash. Russia has called for a non-violent, political resolution to the governance issues in Syria.