in other news, the british prime minister says questions need to be answered after the murder of ten—year—old sara sharif. bell rings and a ringing endorsement for donald trump — time magazine's person of the year — as he opens trading on the new york stock exchange. hello and welcome to bbc news. we start in syria. the leader of the rebel group — hts — which overthrew the assad regime, says the new government will suspend syria's constitution and parliament. abu mohammed al—jolani says a new committee will be established to make amendments to how the country is run over a three—month transition period. our chief international correspondent, lyse doucet, is in damascus. she explained how the new

authorities are now providing a much clearer idea of what they're planning to do. an interim arrangement is now in place and they have been making announcements with everyday. today they announced that they would be dissolving the old security forces and shutting down the prisons run by the former president. they have also been welcoming the decision by many arab countries, as well as italy, to reopen their diplomatic missions here. they have also expressed their gratitude that qatar and turkey, which have close relations with the rebels here, have reopened their missions here. this is a welcoming sign of recognition, even though the main islamist

group is a proscribed terrorist organisation by western governments, as well as the united states. it is notjust in damascus that the new order is taking shape in daily life. it is also taking place across the country, including the north, in the second city of aleppo, where the rebels began their lightning advance which led them to the capital, damascus. our correspondence joins us now from aleppo. it is dark there. here in damascus, the night—time curfew is not in force. tell us about how order has been re—established in aleppo. aleppo. a lot of people are watching events here in aleppo, paying attention to what has been happening in this city, because it was first major city to be captured by rebels in that

astonishing offensive against the regime of basher al—assad earlier this month. the streets have been busy, public squares sling with people. i spent the day in the main square here in central aleppo. day in the main square here in centralaleppo. people day in the main square here in central aleppo. people are still celebrating this new era in the country, people coming to us to talk about how they are happy to see the full of president al assad. i think we are seeing the first indications of this new authority, and they are trying to say that they are very much in power here, we have seen banners and posters across aleppo. there is a banner with a qr code, and people can scan this banner to get access to information about public services, basic services across the city. there is also a billboard here in the city, telling people that freeing detainees is a moral

obligation. i think there has been a focus for this new administration to try to reassure people that there will be some kind ofjustice and that this is a new phase, so they are trying to dismantle they are trying to dismantle the security system that was in place in the assad regime. they announced the closure of prisons known for extreme brutality, violence, people were tortured and killed in those prisons in the assad regime. what we are seeing todayis regime. what we are seeing today is that the main square, the regime flag was being raised. the syrian flags are gone, the billboards with the face of bashar al—assad have been removed and destroyed. so it is a new era for the people here in aleppo and in this country. but they are still in the shadow of the old regime.

aleppo, of course, like many part of syria is known for its diversity. it has a very strong christian community, christmas is not far away, and important holiday in the calendar for the christian community. do you sense that they feel reassured in these times? it’s sense that they feel reassured in these times?— in these times? it's very interesting, _ in these times? it's very interesting, because - in these times? it's very | interesting, because that was one of the first messages of these rebels, led by this islamist group, hts, a tiny minority. notjust across in aleppo but across the country, that they would be safe and not persecuted. it was interesting, talking today with people in the main square earlier, one man told me, look, we hope we get this right, that there is justice, that there is freedom for everybody, that we don't see the return of some kind of repression or heavy—handed

regime where people's freedoms are curtailed. it is a moment where people are hopeful that better days are going to come. but there are concerns about what will happen and what the authorities are planning to do. we have heard some opposition voices saying that this transitional government, these new authorities, are not including some diverse points of view, diverse voices from different sects and communities in the country. but people are still celebrating this new phase in the country. hugo, thank you so much for joining us from aleppo in the north of syria. the second largest city. notjust known for its diversity but it is an industrial and economic heartland for the country. so

its future will matter a lot. hundred of protestors have been marching through the streets of the syrian capital, damascus, in the funeral procession of the activist mazen al—hamada. his body — believed to have been tortured — was found in the city's saydaya prison a day after president assad fled the country. mazen al—hamada had returned to syria in 2020 after seeking asylum in europe, where he'd given graphic descriptions of the rape and abuse he'd endured in prison. sally nabil has this report. they are chancing for freedom. there is a huge sense of anger amongst the people here. we need accountability. mazen al—hamada is believed to have died in the notorious saydaya prison due to torture, but he is not one—of—a—kind. there are many syrians who are widely believed to have faced the same fate. there is a huge sense of anger here among mazen

al—hamada's family members. we spoke to them before he was laid to rest and they say they need all of those involved in the killing of mazen al—hamada to be brought to court. for them, the downfall of bashar al—assad's regime is not enough. on our way here, we have seen dozens of families looking for the loved ones in hospitals, those who have disappeared in the last decade, they don't know whether they are alive or dead or still in prison. jan egeland is the secretary general of the norwegian refugee council. hejoins me from moldova, on his way back from a visit in ukraine. welcome to the programme. in terms of syrian refugees, what do you think of the principal

—— are the principal considerations? -- are the principal considerations? that the refugees _ considerations? that the refugees want _ considerations? that the refugees want to - considerations? that the refugees want to return l considerations? that the - refugees want to return when they can, but they cannot at they can, but they cannot at the moment, most of them. syria is in a deep economic crisis, there is no work, most of those who fled to lebanon, turkey and elsewhere had their homes either destroyed or severely damaged. i was in syria myself a month ago and i was shocked that nothing has been rebuilt from the enormous war that took place over a decade there. so the european countries that are sending signals that, now we will force you back, syrian refugees, are sending the wrong signal, at a time when the new rulers in damascus and elsewhere are sending the right signals that they want to rebuild a society to which the

refugees and displaced can return voluntarily.- refugees and displaced can return voluntarily. would your advice to those _ return voluntarily. would your advice to those european - advice to those european countries at this stage to be to pause, not to make any rash decisions, to see what happens on the ground with these rebels? ., , on the ground with these rebels? . , ., ., rebels? yeah, but also to invest in _ rebels? yeah, but also to invest in rebuilding, - rebels? yeah, but also to invest in rebuilding, in i rebels? yeah, but also to i invest in rebuilding, in hope and rehabilitation, in building and rehabilitation, in building a new syria. what is happening at the moment is that israel is bombing and they have done so for the last 72 hours. turkey is still bombing, there are american and russian troops there. iran is in this place. to have these countries also saying, we will deport refugees there, means the international community is doing their utmost to tear syria apart at a time when, for once, the syrians have hope of a better future, because the rotten and brutal

regime has fallen. but there are many groups there now as part of the new mosaic that is syria's future. it part of the new mosaic that is syria's future.— syria's future. it is a tricky one, because _ syria's future. it is a tricky one, because many - syria's future. it is a tricky | one, because many people syria's future. it is a tricky - one, because many people will want to go back home, but others will have started new lives in whatever countries ended up in. lives in whatever countries ended up im— lives in whatever countries ended u- in. . ., , , ended up in. yeah, absolutely. many are _ ended up in. yeah, absolutely. many are also _ ended up in. yeah, absolutely. many are also returning, - many are also returning, including from lebanon, which has come through a heavy bombardment in the head —— in the war with israel. many are living in damaged and destroyed housing. they need emergency relief. the aid organisations in syria have been staff for funding for the relief

operations for a long time. there hasn't been food for children, they have been starving, so now is the time to invest from the outside world invest from the outside world in a better future for and with the syrian population, and then many will return. first in the qr those in lebanon and then turkey and thenjordan, and then finally europe, which can house the refugees for a few months longer. i house the refugees for a few months longer.— house the refugees for a few months longer. i know you are on our months longer. i know you are on your way — months longer. i know you are on your way back _ months longer. i know you are on your way back from - months longer. i know you are on your way back from a - months longer. i know you are on your way back from a visit | on your way back from a visit to ukraine. i want to ask you about that because we are going into the third winter for ukrainians. in terms of what you witnessed, what is the immediate need, do you think, from the places and people you have seen?— from the places and people you have seen? i'm 'ust back today, actuall , have seen? i'm 'ust back today, actually. from — have seen? i'm just back today, actually, from odesa _ have seen? i'm just back today, actually, from odesa and -

actually, from odesa and another front line for city, the provincial capital that was captured by the russians in their invasion, and it is been a front line community now for more than two years. 30,000 times, there have been an attack or an explosion from the russian side. all sorts of drones are hitting civilians, aid workers, ambulances, hospitals all the time. so the ukrainian population is exhausted, they have exhausted all of their resources, they are tired, they are freezing, a lot of pensioners, disabled people here, so the world must continue in showing solidarity, especially europe, with continue in showing solidarity, especially europ