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This is the World In Brief from The Economist.

Our top stories. Rebel forces in Syria declared Damascus, the capital, free.

Army command told officers that the rule of Bashar al-Assad the president had ended, according to Reuters.

The president reportedly fled by plane as insurgents entered the capital.

Residents reportedly celebrated in a central square chanting freedom. Earlier, rebels in the northwest who began a surprise

offensive on November 27th announced they had fully liberated the city of Homs, a strategically

important city and Syria's third largest. South Korean prosecutors arrested Kim Yong Yun, a former defense minister,

over his role in a short-lived coup attempt by Yun-Suk Yul, the president.

Mr. Yun had declared martial law on December 3rd, rescinding it a few hours later.

On Saturday, a parliamentary motion to impeach him

failed to the dismay of thousands of protesters outside the National Assembly.

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