♪ >> tonight, the search for the disappeared inside syria goes on as former prisoners speak out about horrific conditions. >> i thoht i saw death in

front of my eyes. we did not have hope that we would see the light again. when i got out and saw the sun, i thought i had been reborn. >> how hurricane helene caused a shortage of iv fluids. in history at the world chess championship. an 18-year-old becomes the youngest champion ever. ♪ >> major funding has been provided by -- and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. and friends.

♪ this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your station from viewers like you. thank you. >> good evening. what comes next in syria now that the assad regime is history was a topic of a meeting in jordan today with top officials from the region, the european union, and the united states. antony blinken outlined some of what they discussed. >> minorities and women should be respected. humanitarian aid should be able to reach people who need it. syria should not be used a base for terrorist groups or

others who threaten people. >> under the assad regime, hundreds of thousands of syrians were swept up by the security apparatus, never to be seen again. we got access to one of the intelligence groups that did that. reporter: the search for the disappeared continues in damascus at the palestine branch of the services. relatives poured over stacks of notebooks. they sift through piles of passports taken by prisoners in hope of finding a trace of their loved ones. they are each looking for their brothers, who have been missing for years. they do not know for sure if they passed through this particular prison. they are flipping through a registry where guards recorded every new arrival. >> everyone who entered, their name is here. the date is here.

what they confiscated, what day, what time. >> the palestine branch was one of several security agencies that enforced assad's to radical rule. each had its own prison where people were disappeared, tortured, and killed. >> they rotated them through a few different branches and each branch did their own investigation as they pleased. reporter: this is the second prison facility they have been to. with each day, the hope of finding their brothers alive fades away. >> god is generous. we do not know if we will find them. but god is generous. they say that the cars took away the prisoners but we do not know where. they took them away wednesday, thursday, and friday just before the liberation.

reporter: knowing the truth at least would provide some closure. the one thing they do know is that justice must be served. >> the person who used to run this branch, where is he today? he is here in this country. no matter who he was, the responsible authorities have to be brought to account for what they did to the people. >> every judge, officer, guard, anyone responsible, must be brought to account. >> everyone who was loyal to them is one of them, whether he was the guard at the door or the head of the prison. reporter: assad's government have meticulous records of its own crimes. that includes the names of his henchmen. the rebel offensive took them by surprise. there was no time to destroy incriminating evidence.

we found a register of rotations of officers who work at this branch. what this book contains are the names of all of the officers who work here who might be responsible for all of the crimes that have been committed. this is a very crucial piece of evidence. the problem is there does not appear to be a process to safeguard these documents, which will inevitably be important for the future. the rebels are now guarding the compound. he was imprisoned for months and this branch before joining the armed opposition. is was the first time he returned. >> the cells are underground. we can go down there. i am shaking. every timi remember this place. reporter: we proceed downstairs, into the darkness, where the prisoners were held. >> there would be 50, 60 people

here in this cell. when they enter the cell, i will show you how it was. whenever they opened this window. reporter: he shows us the position he was forced to take when the guards entered. >> if you do not stand like this, they would start beating you with electric rods. this shocks your brain, your heart, every part of your body, so immediately you have to put your head against the wall. you are not allowed to look. whoever looks gets taken out. that means he could spend a few days under torture. reporter: he was a former officer in the syrian army. he was arrested on suspicion of being sympathetic to the opposition alongside nine others. only three got out alive. >> i thought i saw death in front of my eyes. we did not have hoped we would see the light again. when i got out and saw the sun,

i thought i had been reborn. reporter: there is also a yearning for revenge. >> in my opinion, we should put those who imprisoned us in the same condition so they live through the same suffering and know that god is just. reporter: the new government has yet to announce out will deal with the perpetrators and what will happen to these prisons, the sites of so many injustices and pain. for the relatives of those missing, there are more questions than answers. one of the main questions that remains is how many people exactly disappeared into these prisons. the united nations estimates the number at about 100,000. that figure may arise now that we have access to these institutions. >> you talked about a future justice and accountability process.

does anyone have any idea how that will look? >> we do not know much yet. one of the main questions as to exactly will be brought to account? will it only be the high-ranking officers who issued the orders or will a future justice and accountability process also include lower ranking officers and foot soldiers? that is certainly one -- what some of the relatives were demanding. there were more than a dozen different security and intelligence institutions that employed thousands of people. we do not know where these people are at the moment. the institutions have been dismantled. presumably they are in hiding. we might start seeing mass arrests. or perhaps it will be more of a targeted and selective process. >> it has only been a week since we saw pictures of syrians celebrating the fall of the regime. now how are they feeling? reporter: here in the capital,

damascus, we have seen a mix of joy and cautious optimism. syrians are certainly happy that assad is gone. they feel reassured by the statements coming out. they have been reassuring syrians that the new government will be an inclusive one and there will be coexistence between the different sects. according to the constitution, there should be elections within 90 days. we have not heard any announcements in regard to that. while syrians are very excited and there's certainly team to play a role in rebuilding a new syria, there is a question whether they will be given the space to do so or if we will transition to a new, softer form of authoritarian rule. anchor: thank you very much. reporter: thank you.

anchor: elsewhere in the middle east, teams in central gaza are searching through rubble for survivors of an israeli airstrike. at least 10 people were killed. israel says they were targeting gunmen operating from a shelter in the area. in cairo today, there were more talks aimed at a cease-fire deal. jake sullivan represented the u.s. south korean lawmakers voted to him preach -- impeach the president for his surprised and short-lived declaration of martial law, which suspended most of civil-rights. yoon said impeachment is a temporary pause. the prime minister now assumes presidential duties while the constitutional court decides whether to remove yoon from office. nancy pelosi underwent hip

replacement surgery at an army hoital in germany. she tripped and fell yesterday in luxembourg. she is in europe as a bipartisan coalition marking the anniversary of the battle of the bulge. her office says she is well on the mend. abc news has agreed to pay $50 million to the trump library to settle a defamation suit. it stems from a think accurate -- in accurate definition of a trial. abc news said it is pleased that both parties were able to reac an agreement. a somber holiday tradition at arlington national cemetery and as cemeteries across the nation. volunteers placed holiday reefs -- wreaths. this recognizes the sacrifice of fallen american warriors.

about 400,000 veterans and their family members are burieat arlington. up next, how hospitals across the country are dealinwith a shortage of iv fluids. at a new era in chest begins with the youngest champion ever. >> this is pbs news weekend from our studio in washington. anchor: it has been about three months since hurricane helene pummeled the mountains of north carolina. the effects are still being felt well along the path of the storm. reporter: whether you are dehydrated, going under surgery, or receiving medical -- medicine intravenously, iv fluid is a staple of health care. but the supply took a massive hit when hurricane helenetruck north carolina and flooded a

manufacturing site. that one plant produces about 60% of the country's iv fluids. many hospitals felt a squeeze and were forced to delay some surgeries. it forced administrators to rethink how they use and store this commodity. thank you for joining us. take us back to the moment when the hurricane hit. what's this impact felt amelia by hospitals that received these iv fluids? >> absolutely. hurricane helene struck north carolina in late september, floating the largest iv fluid factory in the united states. everyone was surprised that that baxter facility produces about 60% of the nation supply of iv fluids. the medical folks i spoke to were all surprised. they began rationing products. that caused a shortage of iv

fluid products throughout health care facilities in the u.s. that is continuing. reporter: it has been a couple of months since that time. i kn the facility has reopened but is it back to full production yet? >> no. it is now making some iv fluid products but the company has not announced the date when it will be back to pre-hurricane levels. the shortage is continuing. i spoke to a hospital administrator in los angeles the other day and they are still only getting 60% of their iv fluid order. they are still down 40% from what they normally get. reporter: in the meantime, how are hospitals and other facilities dealing with these shortages? >> they are doing a lot to conserve iv fluids. the people who really need iv fluids have always been getting them. folks who are not able to drink. one hospital administrator told me they have slashed iv fluid

use and a half since the shortage began. sometimes that tells -- means telling emergency room patients to drink gatorade or pedialyte. they are also doing some common sense stuff like using up the entire iv bag before starting another. they are also giving some medications intravenously but without a dedicated iv bag. what i talked to nurses about that, they said using these medications takes more time after'-- out ofs a nurse already hectic schedule. it is being given all at once. the iv fluid shortage is ongoing and it could get worse as the end of the year comes up as people get sick with respiratory viruses that send more people to the hospital.

folks also schedule surgeries because their health plans reset in january with new deductibles. reporter: i know the shortage was brought on by a natural disaster but it has made hospital administrators rethink their strategies. how might this crisis impacts their decision-making to make sure something like this does not happen again? >> some of the conservation matters -- measures will stick around. some of the more commonsense practices ke using up one bag before starting another. if a patient came in on an ambulance and they already had an iv, it was replaced when they got to the hospital. now they are keeping and using up that bag. another administrator said they are interested in retooling health records. there could be a pop-up that asks if the patient really needs a second bag. how are they doing with eating

or drinking water or juice? if they are doing well, maybe they do not need that bag. these conservation efforts with make a significant debt. hospital administrators are really interested in conserving. reporter: how is assault affecting a patient's experience? >> nurses tell me that initially folks were a lot more understanding because the hurricane is in the news. now that it has been a couple of months, people don't want to think about as much. it is difficult for nurses because it takes them more time to do these push medications. people ask for iv fluids. they know they can make them feel good. i have seen people say that getting a push medication to be painful in some cases. we have not seen any indication that patients are not getting the medical care that they should be getting. but is it -- it is difficult to

get someone to drink a liter of fluid rather than putting it through their arm and it iv. reporter: thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you. ♪ anchor: there is a new chess world champion and he is the youngest ever. the 18-year-old defeated the defending titleholder at the world championship in singapore. he has had a meteorite rise amid a surge in the game's popularity in india. this is what the broadcast looked like when he made a blunder. >> what? what?! >> oh my god!

>> what? >> guys, guys, he took root and bishop -- rook and bishop. anchor: after the match, he talked about going budget jumping. he is the author of a book about chests. i want to ask you about what we just saw. the move that was made. it was instantly recognizable to viewers and commentators that this was a big blunder. what did he do in the simplest terms? and how can a player at that level make a move like that? >> i will try to move -- do my best here. i can summarize this as an interception in the super bowl with 30 seconds remaining. that level of turnaround.

for baseball fans it is a walk-off grand slam. i'm a yankee fan so i'm still licking my wounds. it was a shocking mistake. the reason why it was so shocking was ding had very few pieces remaining. he liquidated those pieces and the board thinking the game would end in a draw. he did not have to do that. it was a self-induced error on the biggest stage of the biggest moment. anchor: list talk about the winter. he was a grand master at 12. he won gold at the chess olympia. he is ranked as both an adult and a junior. what is the significant of them being world champion? >> it is massive. chess has had several stars but one superstar. unlike tennis that has the big three.

we have one star. before him, we had a few strong players. kasparov, who some people might know about. this is the next generation. he is 18. we have been waiting for the next teenage superstar to break through. he was a dominant force for india. he qualified for the world championship and now he is the world champion. anchor: you mentioned a former world champion. he won his first one in 2013 by defeating the only pvious india world champion. it was an chennai. he was a spectator at that match and he said his dream of becoming a world champion started then. >> i really wanted to be the one to bring back the title to india.

is dream that i had more than 10 years ago has been the single most important in my life so far. anchor: what will this do for chess not only in india but around the world? >> it will be massive. the first time india had a world champion, it was their first-ever grand master. they did not have another one. w i believe they have 100. and i believe they are completing -- creating a few new ones every month. it is hard to understate how crazy this will get in india. it will be a hero's welcome of epic proportions. everyone will congratulate him. he may have to stay inside for a little while. it could get a little rowdy. i am so happy for him. i hope this spreads around the world. i thought there would be a similar boom in china but it was

not quite as strong. anchor: this talk more about the former champion. he decided not to defend his title in 2023. he is not competing in the world championship series. when he said he wanted to play him, he said i am not part of that circus anymore. he is spending most of his time and energy on faster formats. what does that say about where the game is right now? >> it does not sound good to the average person. we all have a sport we follow and that sport has a champion at the end of the year. it is not like the kansas city chiefs just wait for somebody to play against them. chess has that format. that boxing system where we bearing -- bring a challenger to a champion. he was not interested in participating in that circus anymore. can we have a review navigation

-- reunification battle? maybe. but this is not a great sign. anchor: now we have an 18-year-old world champion. speed chess is on the rise. as you look forward to the future, what excites you? >> what excites me the most is right now we have a lot of innovators. we have people coming in trying to speed the game up. the biggest problem chess has its it is not a tv product. we need to make it digestible and derstandable for people at home. i'm willing to bet that most people who listen to me right now will agree with this. sometimes i'm in a city where a big event is happening that they do not know it is happening but they love chess. that is what i am excited for us to tackle in the future. anchor: thank you very much. >> thank you. ♪

anchor: that is it for this saturday. for all of my colleagues, thank you for joining us. see you tomorrow. >> major funding has been provided by -- >> two friends set out to make wireless coverage accessible to all. with no long-term contracts, nationwide coverage, and 100% u.s.-based customer support. consumer cellular, freedom calls. ♪ >> and with the ongoing support of these indivuals and institutions -- this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪

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