Assad Regime Ends, Sycamore Gap Tree, and Longevity Predictor

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Syrian Government Falls

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad resigned and fled the country yesterday to Russia, ending the Assad regime's 50 years in power. See photos from the streets of Syria here; watch video here.

The announcement came a little over one week after rebels captured the country's commercial capital of Aleppo in a days-long assault. They then captured the cities of Hama and Homs before taking control of the capital, Damascus, yesterday. The stunning offensive ended four years of a relatively quiet ceasefire and 13 years of civil war, in which an estimated 500,000 Syrians have been killed.

The rebels are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, whose leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani established the group as an al-Qaida affiliate in 2012 under a different name. In 2016, the group severed ties with al-Qaida, rebranded, and sought to work closely alongside other rebel groups; it remains designated a terrorist organization by the US and UN.

Yesterday, Golani spoke from the historic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. He declared victory and suggested the current prime minister would stay on until a transition of power is complete. 

Sycamore Gap Tree Trial

Two men are headed to trial today for allegedly cutting down Britain's famous Sycamore Gap tree last year. The 150-year-old tree stood symmetrically in a dip between two hills in northern England and was a major tourist attraction. See photos here.

The tree stood alongside a portion of Hadrian’s Wall, a 73-mile stone barrier built by Roman Emperor Hadrian in 122 CE to protect the empire's northwest frontier. The accompanying tree was planted in the late 1800s by landowner John Clayton. Since then, its placement between two Northumberland hills has made it a destination for marriage proposals and other life events. It was featured in the 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves” starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman (watch the scene here).

The tree—valued at roughly $800K—was cut down in September 2023; a motive has not been publicly disclosed. Saplings have since reappeared, indicating the tree may regenerate itself. Learn about an exhibition honoring the tree here.

College Football Playoffs

The field for the inaugural 12-team college football playoff was revealed yesterday, with Big Ten champion Oregon capturing the top seed. The Ducks are followed by No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Boise State, and No. 4 Arizona State, with each of the top four receiving a first-round bye. 

Under the new system, the opening round will have the higher-seeded teams host games on campus: No. 5 Texas will host No. 12 Clemson; No. 6 Penn State will welcome No. 11 SMU; No. 7 Notre Dame faces No. 10 Indiana; and No. 8 Ohio State will take on No. 9 Tennessee. The biggest debate of selection day was SMU, which lost the ACC championship on a last-second field goal, nudging out Alabama. 

A significant amount of money is at stake. Roughly $115M will be distributed across the conferences based on which teams advance (see details). 

The first round will be held Friday, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21. See the full schedule of bowl games here; see a playoff bracket here. 

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