With so much news circling around about the events in Syria over the weekend, we’ve taken a Quick Look at what has happened and how it affects us.
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00:00There's been a lot of talk in the news about Syria and the fall of Bashar al-Assad
00:03But what actually happened and what does it mean for us?
00:05Well there were mass celebrations in St.
00:07Peter's Square this Sunday with hundreds of Syrians hitting the streets to rejoice in the collapse of Assad's regime. Bashar al-Assad became president
00:13of Syria in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez and gained a reputation for ruthlessness.
00:18He gained notoriety in 2011 with his heavy-handed response to a peaceful pro-democracy
00:22uprising which ignited a civil war which has claimed the lives of more than half a million people. Many Syrians who were seen as potential
00:28disruptors against Assad's regime had to flee the country to protect themselves and on Sunday
00:33it was announced that Assad had fled the country for Russia after a decisive rebellion campaign led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an
00:39Islamist militant group. The rebels have promised to build a homeland for all but questions will linger over the group's former association with al-Qaeda.
00:46Early signs are positive though with members of the former cabinet working with the rebels to ensure a smooth handover
00:50with the promise of free elections on the horizon. Altogether it means more instability in the Middle East
00:55but there is hope that Syria could be a positive example of what change can bring.