Hello. Half a century of rule by the al-Assad family in Syria has ended. Our correspondents witness celebratory scenes after rebel forces entered the capital Damascus on Sunday. We're also covering the latest Trump interview and Ghana's election result. In France, Gisèle Pelicot's lawyer in her mass rape trial speaks to Andrew Harding about her ordeal. Finally, a musical about Australia's controversial Olympic breaking performance ends before it begins.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Jail searched after Assad flees Damascus

Assad came to power in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez, who ruled the country for 29 years. Credit: Getty Images

Bashar al-Assad's rule over Syria was marked by the brutal repression of peaceful, pro-democracy protests in 2011. The ensuing civil war killed more than half a million people and forced 12 million others to flee their homes. Assad has now fled himself, reportedly to Russia where he's been granted asylum, after rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of Damascus. In the capital, Barbara Plett Usher saw civilians flashing peace signs, saying things would be better now that Assad was gone. Prisoners are being freed from government jails, including the notorious Saydnaya complex, where the civil defence group White Helmets are investigating reports that inmates were being detained in underground cells.

• Explainer: What you need to know about the rebel offensive that toppled a 50-year regime in less than a fortnight. 

• Political forces: Despite HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's efforts to bolster his legitimacy, the Islamist group is not the only player on the scene, writes Lyse Doucet.

• View from Russia: Having spent nearly a decade supporting the Assad regime, its unceremonious demise is a blow to Moscow's prestige, writes Russia editor Steve Rosenberg.

WORLD HEADLINES

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

How Gisèle Pelicot found her voice

Gisèle Pelicot has come to understand the uniqueness of her case gave her an opportunity to stand up for others. Credit: EPA

Gisèle Pelicot's lawyer Stéphane Babonneau has guided her for two years through the case against her ex-husband, Dominique, and fifty other men now on trial for allegedly raping her. He told Andrew Harding how his client has handled herself in court, and the way she has slowly and methodically sought to rebuild her life and, to a limited extent, her peace of mind.

And finally...

A musical parody focused on Australian breaker Rachael Gunn's journey to the Paris Olympics has been cancelled. Lawyers acting for the Olympian known as Raygun, whose performance proved divisive at the time, have sent organisers a cease and desist letter, arguing she owned the dance moves.