TOPSHOT - Syrian refugees, who were living in Lebanon, carry an elderly man to cross the destroyed border between the two countries in Al-Arida on December 9, 2024, to return to their homeland. Islamist-led rebels took control of Damascus in a lightning offensive on December 8, forcing president Bashar al-Assad to flee and bringing an end to five decades of Baath rule in Syria. (Photo by Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP)