Syria's Damascus Syria was associated with violence, war, and the familial dynasty's visitation of its own people for over ten years. Then, this week, everything changed in the blink of an eye. President Bashar al-Assad only left the nation last Sunday after insurgents took over Damascus. Since then, Syrians have peeled back the curtain on Assad's brutal tyranny and destroyed statues of him. In one of many amazing outcomes, U.S. journalist Austin Tice's desperate quest for a missing American led to the discovery of another American, a pilgrim, while hundreds more were left searching the infamous locations for their loved ones. hundreds more were released from horrific jails. A former Al Qaeda affiliate claims to have moderated, but concerns remain about Syria's future. While Israel strik...

BAGHDAD When she was sold into marriage to a man 36 years her older, she was only 11 years old. She claimed that in the nine years that have passed, she has been raped, beaten, divorced, and sent back to her family, who have compelled her into slavery and hidden her away out of embarrassment. She just relocated from the capital, Baghdad, to the Iraqi city of Erbil, where she now works as a prostitute. Batta claimed that three years after their marriage, her husband sent her back to her family after raping her on their wedding night and beating her frequently. She claimed that they treated her like a pariah rather than showing her sympathy. She consented to only use her parents' first names and not her real name, as NBC News typically does not identify suspected victims of sexual abuse. S...

Syria's Damascus Two Islamist fighters, equipped with assault guns, pious beards, and pointed inquiries, arrived on the door of Father Rafaat Abul Nasser's Lady of Damascus Church less than two days after President Bashar al-Assad's administration fell. On Wednesday, the pastor told NBC News, "I'm telling you, I wasn't afraid." since St. Paul exhorts us to have faith in the Lord. As they walked around the elaborate shrine, the troops took pictures of the icons and inquired about the significance of the crucifix and cross. After that, they departed. And that was mercifully it, Nasser remarked. However, the spooky visit is representative of the apprehensive optimism that permeates this new Syria, where many people question whether the new government would actually implement the liberalism...

Tornado alley it's not, but as a storm swept across California on Saturday, a rare tornado struck a portion of the state, causing five injuries and flipping cars. About six miles north of Santa Cruz, in the small city of Scotts Valley, a tornado "threw multiple cars off the road," according to the city police department's Facebook page, which also included pictures of overturned cars. Five people were hurt, none of them seriously, according to Police Capt. Scott Garner. The majority of them were in cars that the tornado threw or moved. According to him, two refused on-scene care, while three were admitted to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. According to a National Weather Service damage assessment, an EF1 tornado with a peak wind of 90 mph made landfall in Scotts Valley at ...

SAN DIEGO Authorities and the Humane Society say three dogs killed their owner and injured another person Friday when they mauled him in a San Diego park. According to Nina Thompson, spokesperson for the San Diego Humane Society, the three dogs were put down on Saturday. San Diego police informed NBC San Diego that the attack occurred at Mesa Viking Park in the Mira Mesa district at around noon on Friday. According to Thompson, the owner's death was confirmed by the Humane Society and police. Nobody knew who he was. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family," she said. A second victim is recuperating from hospitalization, according to the Humane Society, which has a contract with the city for animal welfare and control services. According to Thompson, police have security fo...

LAS VEGAS The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 110-102 on Saturday to progress to the NBA Cup finals. A few hours later, the Bucks will play in the championship game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who defeated the Houston Rockets 111-96. The Eastern Conference clubs faced battle first in the back-to-back semifinals held in Las Vegas. Damian Lillard contributed 25 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. A game prior to the final, the Indiana Pacers defeated Milwaukee, retaliating for their defeat in the previous year's semifinals. Regarding his team's strategy for the Cup, coach Doc Rivers stated, "Accept the challenge, that's all I've been talking about." We discussed how we tend to shy away from obstacles, so let's ac...

With the championship game scheduled for Tuesday, the NBA in-season tournament, formally known as the Emirates NBA Cup, is coming to an end. The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will host the event. What is the NBA Cup and how does it work? According to the NBA, group play for the second annual in-season tournament began on November 12 and involved the random assignment of all 30 NBA clubs into conferences of five teams based on their win-loss record from the previous regular season. Each team played four group play games on "Cup Nights" until December 3; two of these games were played at home and two away. Each team played one game against each of its group opponents. Following that, eight clubs advanced to the knockout stages, with one wild card from each conference and the team with the b...

Tornado alley it's not, but as a storm swept across California on Saturday, a rare tornado struck a portion of the state, causing five injuries and flipping cars. About six miles north of Santa Cruz, in the small city of Scotts Valley, a tornado "threw multiple cars off the road," according to the city police department's Facebook page, which also included pictures of overturned cars. Five people were hurt, none of them seriously, according to Police Capt. Scott Garner. The majority of them were in cars that the tornado threw or moved. According to him, two refused on-scene care, while three were admitted to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Cars were scattered on and around Mount Hermon Road, the city's major thoroughfare and retail sector, when the tornado made landfall in...

The Heisman Trophy, college football's most coveted individual prize, was given to Travis Hunter of Colorado, who became the first recipient in over 20 years to play important roles on both offense and defense. Hunter was the overwhelming favorite to win and one of four Heisman finalists on Saturday. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Miami quarterback Cam Ward, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel were also finalists. 928 voters—including members of the media, former Heisman winners, and one fan—decide who gets the prize. Hunter defeated runner-up Jeanty by a narrow margin, earning 552 first-place votes, 2,231 total points, and 80.14% of the potential points. Hunter's victory margin of 214 points was the weakest Heisman's has seen in 15 years. Ward placed fourth in the poll, while G...

The Heisman Trophy, college football's most coveted individual prize, was given to Travis Hunter of Colorado, who became the first recipient in over 20 years to play important roles on both offense and defense. Hunter was the overwhelming favorite to win and one of four Heisman finalists on Saturday. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Miami quarterback Cam Ward, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel were also finalists. 928 voters—including members of the media, former Heisman winners, and one fan—decide who gets the prize. Hunter's two-way brilliance is uncommon; no Heisman winner has played both sides of the ball since Charles Woodson of Michigan in 1997. It was no gimmick to Hunter. This season, Hunter was named a finalist for the Heisman Award and the accolades for the best defens...