Mass rallies are taking place across Syria to celebrate the end of five decades of authoritarian rule by the Assad regime
Images from Damascus and other cities show people taking to the streets after Islamist rebels seized power last Sunday
Former President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, where he and his family have been given asylum, after rebels captured the capital Damascus
Rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has pledged to pursue officials suspected of torture and said he would close notorious Assad-era prisons
Elsewhere, diplomatic moves are gathering pace to stabilise the country - with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken making an unannounced visit to Iraq for talks
