south korea's constitutional court gives president yoon one week to answer questions, as his impeachment trial approaches. welcome to newsday, i'm suranjana tewari. we start with the latest on syria. bashar al assad, who was forced out of power a week ago, has issued what appears to be his first statement since he left the country. in what is believed to be a telegram post from moscow, the statement explains how he left after rebels took over, and that he never intended to seek refuge in russia. it's not certain that the post was written by him. here's our russia

editor steve rosenberg. where is bashar al—assad 7 he hasn't been seen since he fled syria. today, a statement purporting to be from him appeared on the social media accounts of the former syrian president, dateline moscow. it's unclear who controls the accounts and whether assad wrote this: president putin, who met army chiefs today, has reportedly granted assad asylum. but the kremlin leader has said nothing publicly about it. most of this speech was about the war in ukraine — not a word about syria.

despite having this naval base in syria, in tartus, and a major airbase, events there seem to have taken moscow by surprise. was russia too distracted by its war in ukraine? if you think that we focused on ukraine and lost syria, no, we didn't lost syria. we still have bases in syria. but you don't know what the future of those bases will be? of course, and you don't know. for moscow, the issue of the bases is urgent. a kremlin spokesman said moscow was in contact with what he referred to as "representatives of those forces who now control the situation in syria". it is a dialogue that will decide the fate of russia's military presence there. if russia loses its bases, it will lose its foothold in the eastern mediterranean. president putin had invested heavily in syria. what might the russian elite be thinking

about the fall of assad? i think they understand that this is putin's failure. they can't be vocal, they can't say it openly. but this is a precedent, this is an example how the autocratic regime could fail, could fall. as president, bashar al—assad was a regular visitor to moscow. his exact whereabouts now remain a mystery. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. when bashar al—assad was spirited out of syria last week, it was from the russian base in latakia province. that was the regime's power—base. it's the home of the muslim alawite sect, from which the assad family originates. they make up only 10% of the population, but they provided much of assad's political and military leadership. there had been fears of bloody reprisals as the fighters of hts took over. our correspondent quentin sommerville has

a special report on how this divided community is dealing with the new reality. this is who rules latakia, the task you has been reclaimed. all of syria belongs to the people now. it is the flag of a flea —— free syria that now flies in the heartland of the former regime. she had christians came to celebrate with a message of unity. the assad regime warned there would be massacres in the police if they ever lost power instead there are celebrations. even among its core support people suffered. but while there is a lot of joy

suffered. but while there is a lot ofjoy here today, for some, there is fear, there is a worry there may be a reckoning and that they will have to pay for the support of the old regime. some from the alan white minority are too scared to leave their homes, alawite was syria's ruling class but now outlawed. this woman and alan white hated assads but now she feels for her community. whatever conservative ideology takes hold here i don't think so not me my friends or people i know. no, we will all leave the country. we are muslims who pray and fast during ramadan but we don't like being pressured. my mother was veiled but she never pressured me to take the veil. we practised our

faith freddie.— faith freddie. this is who rules latakia _ faith freddie. this is who rules latakia and - faith freddie. this is who rules latakia and much i faith freddie. this is who| rules latakia and much of faith freddie. this is who - rules latakia and much of syria now. a little over a week ago they were enemies of the state. now they are the law of the land. in a city of raging loyalists every corner is a show of force. still, they are greeted as liberators. they are now the city �*s police force. they are going to deal with an assault in the neighbourhood, weapons have been drawn. moving fast to find the suspect to they believe is still armed. as they believe is still armed. as they set up according neighbours identify a man and accuse them of links to the former regime.

shouting. across syria, scores are being settled after years of settled after yea rs of o p p ress i o n settled after years of oppression here on this streets there is a thirst for vengeance. it's a situation that could easily spiral out of control. the man they are arresting is accused of being a government informer, a regime informer and neighbours are screaming from the rooftop that is exactly what he was. him and a number of men are being taken into custody. hts are not the only guns in town. they are linked to the alan white neighbourhood and other rebel groups are here too, and for them with links to the farmer regime are easy prey. you have stolen this _ regime are easy prey. you have stolen this house, _ regime are easy prey. you have stolen this house, today - regime are easy prey. you have stolen this house, today you i stolen this house, today you are a thief. this has not been co—ordinated with any faction so we will act accordingly. this woman we see our peer we

are standing outside her apartment she is she said the last few days she has been evicted from her apartment by a rival rebel commander. the thins rival rebel commander. the things that _ rival rebel commander. the things that you _ rival rebel commander. the things that you took - rival rebel commander. tue: things that you took out rival rebel commander. tte: things that you took out of this house, return them all in the house. 0k? this house, return them all in the house. ok? i don't want anything missing. and if the houseis anything missing. and if the house is alawite does that mean you need to raid it and destroy it. there are specialised entities that handle this. you can'tjust entities that handle this. you can't just act entities that handle this. you can'tjust act on your own. she can't 'ust act on your own. she nets can'tjust act on your own. she gets back _ can'tjust act on your own. she gets back inside _ can'tjust act on your own. she gets back inside to _ can't just act on your own. she gets back inside to retrieve some belongings.— gets back inside to retrieve some belongings. they came and broke down _ some belongings. they came and broke down the _ some belongings. they came and broke down the door _ some belongings. they came and broke down the door and - some belongings. they came and broke down the door and took - some belongings. they came andj broke down the door and took my house. , ., ., ., , ., , house. this cctv footage shows the moment _ house. this cctv footage shows the moment of— house. this cctv footage shows the moment of the _ house. this cctv footage shows the moment of the break- house. this cctv footage shows the moment of the break in. - the moment of the break in. armed rebels arrived and smashed their way into the property. the groups commander his family inside, they have now been evicted but she says

she fears for her life. do you feel safe and latakia now? this. feel safe and latakia now? no, never ever. _ feel safe and latakia now? no, never ever, no, _ feel safe and latakia now? no, never ever, no, no. _ feel safe and latakia now? no, never ever, no, no. i— feel safe and latakia now? no, never ever, no, no. iwill- never ever, no, no. iwill leave the moment i get the chance. i need my daughters to survive. this house was built brick by brick with help from my family. and it seems that some people in the neighbourhood noticed how nice it was and became envious. added to this we are alawite and my husband was a high—ranking officer in the regime which made things even worse. i don't feel secure, i will leave with my daughters when i get the chance. fin will leave with my daughters when i get the chance. on the outskirts of— when i get the chance. on the outskirts of latakia _ when i get the chance. on the outskirts of latakia other - outskirts of latakia other residents also adjusting to the new reality on the ground here. russia is drawing down its forces. their ally ousted at this airbase at least some of those who reached a brutal military campaign against syrians are leaving. hundreds

of russian vehicles have been congregating here, heading into that airbase right there. russian troops, still on patrol there, moving around, we can see them with weapons, watching us. cautiously we ask if this is a permanent withdrawal. are you leaving? are you leaving syria? you leaving? are you leaving s ria? ., you leaving? are you leaving syrian. no? _ you leaving? are you leaving syria? tia. no? you are here to syria? no. no? you are here to sta ? that was pretty definitive. he says he isn't leaving. no comment. that was fairly definitive, you can see this as a closed off

area, all sealed, no public allowed here stop probably best if we move out now. here in the former regime's heartland, a new order is taking hold. but this has been a long journey and it won't be born overnight. quentin sommerville, bbc news, latakia. let's get more on this story. i'm joined now by hagar chemali, former director for syria and lebanon in the national security council in the obama administration. many thanks for your time on the programme. syria's de facto leader says international sanctions against a masochist must be lifted, do you see that happening? t must be lifted, do you see that happening?— happening? i don't see it happening _ happening? i don't see it happening until- happening? i don't see it happening until his - happening? i don't see it| happening until his words happening? i don't see it - happening until his words are backed by actions. he is saying all the right things he has promised minorities will be protected, promised to work

with other partners to hold elections, he says he wants peaceful international relations he is saying all the right things but as we know he has a chequered past as a former al-qaeda leader and while he has ties to al-qaeda he governed the north—west corner of syria just up until last week, and a conservative, radical repressive and slimmest based off and so we have two have some time to see if his actions will be backed up by those words before anybody will consider withdrawing sanctions, not just sanctions on consider withdrawing sanctions, notjust sanctions on damascus but sanctions regarding belshazzar because it is designated notjust by the us and uk but the united nations as well. ., ,., and uk but the united nations as well. ., , as well. there are some calls to delist hrs _ as well. there are some calls to delist hts as _ as well. there are some calls to delist hts as terrorists, i as well. there are some calls| to delist hts as terrorists, do you see that happening? hat to delist hts as terrorists, do you see that happening? not any time soon. _ you see that happening? not any time soon. we — you see that happening? not any time soon, we need _ you see that happening? not any time soon, we need to _ you see that happening? not any

time soon, we need to figure - time soon, we need to figure out the true intentions of this group, as recently as september they cracked on on protesters in its loop in north—west syria. they governed in a repressive way and they detained numerous protesters and they have been known to detain activists and journalists and torture them in prisons. there was a british aid worker who was detained and tortured so he claimed, there was a human rights activist who was a human rights activist who was assassinated by islamist militant connected to them. these are facts and this is how they governed up until recently. they are promising a new chapter in the name he now goes by his real name is promising a new future and people can change but everyone is very weary and so they will wait and see how he proceeds if he lives up to his word before removing those sanctions. what

removing those sanctions. what do ou removing those sanctions. what do you make — removing those sanctions. what do you make of _ removing those sanctions. what do you make of the _ removing those sanctions. what do you make of the statements we heard from assad, we cannot verify that what you think was the goal there and what does it mean for the russia drawdown in syria? mean for the russia drawdown in s ria? �* , mean for the russia drawdown in s ria? ,., ., mean for the russia drawdown in syria? assad is on one hand completely _ syria? assad is on one hand completely humiliated - syria? assad is on one hand completely humiliated he i syria? assad is on one hand. completely humiliated he ran syria? assad is on one hand - completely humiliated he ran to moscow like a coward it seems as though it is a last—ditch effort to make it seem as though he was not trying to abandon anybody in syria because that has been the narrative that is coming to him a lot on the ground them military felt he was not there on them and he abandoned them. he is trying to rectify his image to make it seem like that wasn't actually the case and he had no plan and it all happened in the last minute and the russians bought it on. he is not going to say much unless the russians approve it. vladimir putin is not happy with assad because russia has a military base their is mentioned on the coast entire toose are very important military base for them, the only presence they have in the

middle east the main presence and it's a decades old relationship they have with syria, guzan is not happy assad is the one who really did it notjust is the one who really did it not just that he is the one who really did it notjust that he could be so weak that the rebels took control the military what is not behind assad and no dictator can stand without his military and they defected and abandon the posts because they knew there was no strength behind them. president putin says assad was trying to rectify speech. but i believe president putin is not happy with that message. we president putin is not happy with that message.- president putin is not happy with that message. we will have to leave that _ with that message. we will have to leave that there _ with that message. we will have to leave that there are, - with that message. we will have to leave that there are, so - to leave that there are, so much to come on the story. hagar chemali, thank you. she worked on syria and lebanon on the obama administration. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news in the uk. a woman who threw a milkshake over the reform uk leader,

nigel farage, has been given a13—week suspended prison sentence. victoria thomas bowen, who's 25, admitted assault by beating and criminal damage at an earlier hearing. nigel farage criticised the sentence, saying it shows "you can assault a member of parliament "and not go to prison". a 12—year—old girl has appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of an 80—year—old man, who was injured while walking his dog in a park near leicester. bhim kohli died in hospital after the alleged attack in september. the girl cannot be named because of her age. deputy prime minister angela rayner has set out plans for a redesign of local government in england. district councils will be incorporated into wider authorities and new elected regional mayoralties created. ministers say the changes would empower local leaders and could save up to £2 billion. you're live with bbc news.

south korea's constitutional court has asked president yoon suk yeol to provide written answers to a set of questions by december 23 as the court brings preparations for his impeachment trial.