An areal photo shows crowds of Syrians raising a giant independence-era flag, used by the opposition since the uprising began in 2011, as they celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad earlier this week at the central Umayyad Square in Damascus on December 13, 2024. Thousands of jubilant Syrians also gathered outside a landmark mosque in the capital Damascus to celebrate during the first Friday prayers since Assad's ouster on December 8. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP)