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You're listening to a special edition of the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service.
Hello, I'm Oliver Conway.
We are recording this at 18 hours GMT on Saturday, 7 December.
Rebels in Syria are bearing down on the capital Damascus, from the north and south.
Government forces say they've put a strong cordon around the city,
but the insurgents are reported to have closed to within 10 kilometers.
And there have been protests in the suburbs.
We'll ask, is this the end for President Assad or can his Russian and Iranian allies save him once again?
Ever since the uprising sparked by the Arab Spring nearly 14 years ago,
the Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has maintained his grip on power.