Jackie Northam is NPR's International Affairs Correspondent. She is a veteran journalist who has spent three decades reporting on conflict, geopolitics, and life across the globe - from the mountains of Afghanistan and the desert sands of Saudi Arabia, to the gritty prison camp at Guantanamo Bay and the pristine beauty of the Arctic.
Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have been granted asylum in Russia and are now in Moscow. Assad's departure marks the end of nearly 25 years of brutal rule.
In Syria, government forces retreat as rebels capture key cities. The rebels' stunning advance raises questions about the survival of the Bashar al-Assad regime.