tonight. the assad regime overthrown, and a lightning blitz by rebel forces after five decades of iron rule, what's next for the region? >> plus, new photos of the suspect wanted for allegedly gunning down a top insurance executive on the streets of new york city. first, jubilation in syria as rebel forces seize the presidential palace, bashar al assad reportedly fleeing the country. after nearly 14 years of bloody civil war, his government overrun in less than two weeks. a massive defeat for assad's

backers, russia and iran. president biden today calling it a fundamental act of justice. the world bracing for what's to come. the rebels who toppled assad previously linked to al qaeda. president-elect trump saying he wants the u.s. to stay out, arguing it's not our fight, and what it could mean for the roughly 900 troops inside syria, some carrying out air strikes on isis positions today. james longman from the middle east and martha raddatz on the road ahead. also tonight, a new look at the suspect wanted in the shooting death of unitedhealthcare executive brian thompson. the search expanding far beyond new york city. divers scouring a lake in central park looking for the murder weapon and what police found inside a backpack possibly linked to the shooter. >> president-elect trump says he intends to pardon many of the january 6th defendants on day one and he wants to investigate members of the congressional committee that held hearings on the riots, calling out two members by name.

>> chaos at a holiday parade. a police motorcycle veers into a crowd with multiple injuries. the rebirth of notre dame. the first mass is celebrated five years after that devastating fire. the firefighters who saved the cathedral are honored. it's about to get warmer in much of the country, but we have late word on a new flooding threat. dramatic video of a coast guard rescue. two people hoisted to safety after their plane went down in a marshy field. the bracket are set for the expanded college football playoffs. the big surprise on who made it and which powerhouse was left out. >> after nearly two years of shows spread over five continents, taylor swift's eras tour breaking records, tonight taking its final bow. >> announcer: from abc news world headquarters in new york, this is "world news tonight." >> good evening, thanks for joining us on this sunday. i'm whit johnson. as we come on the air tonight, the world is watching the events unfolding in syria.

anxiously anticipating what comes next. in the last 24 hours, rebel forces taking control of the capital damascus, ousting longtime president bashar al assad from power. across the country, people seen celebrating in the streets. the assad family had ruled syria with an iron fist for five decades. earlier today, president biden calling the fall of assad a fundamental act of justice but saying this is also a moment of risk and uncertainty. the rebels who toppled assad had previous links to al qaeda, and the u.s. is clearly concerned about isis taking advantage of the chaos. hundreds of american troops are still serving in syria, even carrying out dozens of air strikes today. as for assad, russian state media reports he's now in moscow given asylum. russia, a longtime backer of his regime. tonight, there is news on an american journalist kidnapped in syria more than a decade ago. martha raddatz is standing by, but first, abc's chief

international correspondent james longman leads us off from beirut. >> reporter: tonight, history unfolding at lightning speed in the middle east. syrian dictator bashar al-assad overthrown by rebel fighters. his presidential palace overrun. his people, oppressed by decades of dictatorship discovering his enormous wealth. the rebels declaring victory from the state tv studios saying “the city of damascus has been liberated, the tyrant bashar al-assad has been toppled.” across the country, symbols of the assad family regime defaced or destroyed. jubilation and relief in the streets. celebrating a moment few could see coming. this man saying, “it has been 13 years that we have been waiting for this day and today is our day.” the islamist leader of the main rebel group abu mohammed al-golani who cut ties with al qaeda years ago. now projecting a more moderate image. speaking triumphantly at the historic oumayyad mosque in the capital city of damascus. saying "this victory, my

brothers, is a new chapter in the history of the entire islamic nation. it is a turning point for the region.” russia's foreign ministry now says assad has stepped down as president of syria and ordered a “peaceful transfer of power.” russian state media reporting he and his family are now in moscow. assad, in power for more than 24 years oversaw the brutal crushing of the revolution against his regime through more than 13 years of civil war. the u.n. says more than 7 million syrians are displaced within the country. with over 6 million more seeking refuge abroad. russia, iran, and hezbollah had helped him cling to power. but with those allies distracted in wars in ukraine, gaza and lebanon the rebels seized the opportunity. president biden speaking this afternoon. >> at long last, the assad regime has fallen. this regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent syrians. >> reporter: 900 u.s. troops are currently in the country as part of the fight against isis. biden indicating that will continue. >> we're clear eyed about the

fact that isis will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its capabilities, to create a safe haven. we will not let that happen. >> reporter: biden still going on to say that u.s. had conducted airstrikes against isis just today. in a truth social post saturday before assad was toppled president-elect trump writing “this is not our fight. let it play out. do not get involved." tonight is a night of real joy for millions of syrians. it's also a time to remember the many, many loved ones killed by the assad regime and their allies. it's also a time of real danger where hope may turn to violence. whit. >> whit: james longman for us, thank you. for more on the fast moving developments in syria, let's bring in our chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz. martha, what more are you learning about this rebel group that seized power and what could this mean for the 900 u.s. troops still in syria? >> reporter: those 900 u.s. troops are in syria specifically to keep after isis, and today is

bombing of 75 isis targets is a reminder isis is still active. so the pentagon says the u.s. forces will remain in sear syria for now and they feel as if they are safe. as for the rebel group now in charge in syria, the u.s. listed the leader as a specially designated global terrorist and even though he says he's now cut ties with al qaeda, this is not going to be a shining democracy, whit. >> whit: approach with caution appears to be the rule here. president biden was also ask today in a missing american journalist austin tice who disappeared in 2012 near the syrian capital. what's the latest on that? >> reporter: tice was believed to be in the hands of the assad regime. president biden said today they believe he is alive and committed to returning tice to his family. but at the same time, acknowledging this is a moment of considerable risk and uncertainty. whit. >> whit: and so much at stake. martha, thank you.

turning to the nationwide manhunt for the suspected killing of unitedhealthcare ceo brian thompson. the nypd releasing new images of the suspect appearing to show him on the day of the shooting. officers continuing to scour central park for clues days after they recovered what they think is his backpack. they believe he is long gone from the city. here's abc's senior investigative correspondent aaron katersky. >> reporter: tonight, with the search for a killer on its fifth day, the nypd believes the suspect is seen in these newly released images, entering a taxi on his way out of the city. authorities still have not found or named him but they believe the suspect escaped by bus 45 minutes after united healthcare ceo brian thompson was gunned down. >> i don't want to do anything that's going to tip them off, him off that we're on his trail, but we feel really good where we are. >> reporter: police today searching this pond in central park for a second day. divers scouring the water for evidence, including the distinctive murder weapon and the bicycle the suspect was seen peddling away from the crime scene. the pond is close to the spot

where police found what they believe is the suspect's backpack. sources say it contained a jacket and monopoly money. detectives are trying to determine if the play money was meant as some sort of statement. >> there's almost a game-like quality to this behavior. >> reporter: investigators are working to determine where the suspect boarded a bus to new york on november 24th. the bus originated in atlanta and the nypd is checking every stop in between. police building this forensic timeline. the suspect arrived in new york ten days before the shooting just after 10:00 p.m. and immediately took a cab to the hilton. half an hour later, he took another cab to this hostel on the upper west side where authorities say his face was captured on security cameras. ten days later on december 4th, the suspect left the hostel at 5:30 in the morning arriving near the hilton 11 minutes later. he stopped into a starbucks where he bought a granola bar and a water bottle. then went back to the hilton to wait. at 6:44 a.m., brian thompson is approached from behind, a gunman shooting and killing the health care executive and fleeing on foot through an alleyway.

four minutes later seen entering central park on an e-bike and exiting the park eight minutes later as seen on this video. police say he ditched the bike by 7:00 a.m. and 7:04, hailed a taxi to take him to the bus stop by the george washington bridge and vanished. it appears the nypd dive teams that had been working here all day found no new evidence and police are asking for public patience, even with a killer on the loose. as one chief put it, this is no tv crime drama meant to be solved in under an hour. >> whit: an incredible amount of resources devoted to this case as well. aaron, thank you. tonight, president-elect donald trump offering a clearer picture of his plans for his second administration. and what he expects to do on day one in the oval office. saying he will pardon january 6th rioters and hold the january 6th committee to account. here's abc news white house correspondent maryalice parks. >> reporter: tonight, president-elect donald trump promising his administration will move quickly on day one with a series of executive actions and pardons for

january 6th rioters. >> first day. >> yeah. i'm looking first day. >> you're going to issue these pardons? >> these people have been there, how long is it? three, four years? >> reporter: four years ago trump supporters violently stormed the u.s. capitol to protest the results of the 2020 election. about 140 officers were assaulted, according to the justice department. since then more than 950 defendants have been convicted. nearly two-thirds receiving prison time. trump also saying he will not explicitly direct his justice department nor his nominee for fbi director kash patel to investigate his political enemies, but then said members of congress who served on january 6th committee should be in jail. >> and cheney was behind it. so is benny thompson and everybody on that committee for what they did. honestly, they should go to jail. >> so you think liz cheney should go to jail? >> for what they did? >> everyone on the committee you think. >> i think everybody. anybody that voted in favor. >> are you going to direct them

to send them to jail? >> not at all. >> reporter: abc news learning that president biden, in light of threats like these considering preemptive pardons for people like former congresswoman liz cheney. and major headlines on immigration. trump again saying he wants to deport all undocumented immigrants not just criminals, even if it means deporting entire families. >> i don't want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back. >> reporter: now, trump also said he wants to try to end the idea of birthright citizenship, the guarantee that people born on u.s. soil are then automatically u.s. citizens. it's not clear if he can juice do that through executive action or what it would look like. that's a right that's understood toe enshrined in the 14th amendment of the constitution. whit. >> whit: maryalice parks, thank you. a historic weekend in paris. the iconic notre dame cathedral reopening and packed this morning for the first mass in more than five years since the

devastating fire. president-elect trump joining other world leaders including french president emmanuel macron and meeting privately with ukrainian president zelenskyy. abc's foreign correspondent tom soufi burridge from paris tonight. >> reporter: the newly-refurbished notre dame. tonight in its full glory. the bishop of paris, knocking on the vast wooden doors. the bells resonating. the choir back in full voice. and those doors officially reopened, to this truly magical music. notre dame's 8000-pipe organ restored and roaring once again. french president macron inviting first lady jill biden, prince william, president-elect trump and ukrainian president zelenskyy to saturday's opening ceremony. macron also organizing a meeting with trump and zelenskyy at the

elysee palace. >> reporter: back at notre dame, the cathedral's first mass today, in more than five years. since that devastating fire in 2019. the firefighters who bravely saved the cathedral on that day were honored saturday. with a standing ovation. and the cathedral lit up with a message of thanks. there will be ceremonies here at the cathedral each of the next seven days. it's free to visit but online reservations are booked out for the next week and we're expecting long line of hopeful visitors tomorrow morning. whit. >> whit: an inspiring sight in paris. tom soufi burridge, thank you. meantime back here at home, the california highway patrol is investigating a crash at the palm beach festival of lights. ten people including a motorcycle officer were hurt when that officer apparently lost control and slammed into a crowd of spectators. here's abc's jaclyn lee. >> reporter: tonight, shocking video shows the moments a police motorcycle rams into a crowd in the middle of celebrating a

festival of lights holiday parade. hundreds lining the streets in palm springs saturday night. there's two police officers driving their motorcycles with a third officer slamming into a sidewalk filled with people. ten people including that palm springs police officer rushed to the hospital. first responders and bystanders jumping into action to help the wounded, including idell, who put a tourniquet on an injured woman. >> trying to wrap her leg to stop the bleeding and to get help for you guys because nobody is here. >> reporter: all ten suffering non-life threatening injuries. i want to make sure we take a very good thorough look at this. chp is handling the investigation but we'll look at it internally. >> reporter: california highway patrol is leading the investigation and asking for any photos or videos from the public as they determine the cause of the incident. whit. >> whit: an alarming scene. jaclyn lee, thanks so much. we appreciate it. across the country, the first big freeze of the season is giving way to spring-like

temperatures. major cities in the northeast will climb 10 to 15 degrees above normal. let's bring in abc news meteorologist somara theodore. some big changes on the way. >> reporter: yes, whit. that warmup is going to stick around through the middle of the week for a few cities along the east coast. take, for example, new york city. temperatures around 60 degrees on wednesday. atlanta, mid-60s on tuesday before cooling down by the middle of the week and we're tracking rain. rain making its way monday, the start of the work week, from the south into the northeast. by 5:00 p.m., arriving in new york city, hartford, snow even in parts of vermont and new hampshire, then another wave of rain moving in tuesday and wednesday along the i-95 corridor. it's there that we're in a 65% drought in the northeast so this rain could do us some good. whit. >> whit: thank you. college football and the new playoff pick which is now set. who's in and who's gotten the snub. perry russom joins us now. how is the national championship race shaping up?

>> reporter: this is the first year of the new playoff format. with 12 teams in the misthixyear. oregon becoming the number one seed after winning the big ten championship game last night. they're joined by arizona state, boise state, and georgia, all getting first round byes. a major headline, perennial favorite alabama did not make the playoffs. they were the last team out. their three losses catching up to them. they were nudged by smu who took the final spot in the playoffs after losing to clemson in 9al seconds of the acc championship game last night. the playoffs start friday, december 20th, on abc and espn. whit. >> whit: looking forward to it. thanks so much. still much more ahead on "world news tonight" this sunday. a dramatic rescue after a small plane crash. the coast guard swooping in to pull two people to safety. >> and taylor swift's eras tour is coming to an end. what it's meant to swifties all over the world.

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taylor swift and her fans. 152 shows, 54 cities across five continents. the final stop on the eras tour, tonight in vancouver, canada. over its two-year run, an estimated 11 million fans attended, the concert tour breaking records as the highest grossing in history with an expected $2 billion in sales. and those friendship bracelets, a major part of the fan experience. swift's message of inclusivity life-changing. swift's many costume changes inspiring fans to dress up too. 11-year-old henry's halloween costume going viral, catching the attention of taylor's team. >> they are giving us two tickets. it was amazing to see henry being celebrated for who he is.

>> as this eras era comes to a close, another will surely begin. ♪ i had the time of my life with you ♪ >> an incredible run. what an impact. thanks so much for watching tonight. i'm whit johnson. david muir right back here tomorrow night. have a great night.

alfonso: hi, i'm alfonso ribeiro. i hope you're ready for an adventure, because we're heading down under. today, the hannas take on australia. jack tries shearing sheep in the outback. jack: these guys were professional sheep-shearers. alfonso: ...and finds leeches living with kangaroos. jack: this is the first leech i've ever seen. alfonso: the hannas search for rare white wallabies in tasmania... jack: kangaroo playground. look at that. [dr. cochran laughing] alfonso: ...then discover remarkable wildlife along the country's rugged coast. robert: have you ever seen anything that make rocks look comfortable before? jack: it mes