In Syria, Mohamed al-Bashir has been appointed the caretaker Prime Minister of the transitional government. In a televised statement, Mr Bashir said, he will lead the interim authority till 1st of March, next year with the backing of the former rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad few days ago. Al-Bashir ran the rebel-led Salvation Government before the 12-day lightning offensive swept into Damascus. Mohammed al-Bashir, a figure little known across most of Syria, previously ran an administration in a small pocket of the northwest controlled by rebels.