President Bashar al-Assad Flees Syria After Rebel Takeover

President Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria to Russia following a rebel takeover, where President Vladimir Putin granted political asylum to Assad and his family. Meanwhile, both the U.S. and Canada have welcomed the fall of the Assad government.

In a social media post, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that the collapse of Assad's dictatorship marks the end of decades of brutal oppression. Reports suggest that the rebels had informed Turkey six months in advance of their plans to overthrow Assad.

On the other hand, Iran, a key ally of the Assad government, expressed surprise at the coup. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi remarked that he is surprised that the Syrian army could not stop the rebels.

Meanwhile, Canada's Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly issued a statement welcoming the end of the Assad regime, calling it an opportunity to rebuild Syria as a place where all people can live with dignity, regardless of their ethnicity.