内容摘要：Under the local authority's constitution, councillors must appoint a leader at that session, although they can subsequently remove them and appoint another.

Under the local authority's constitution, councillors must appoint a leader at that session, although they can subsequently remove them and appoint another.

But Hama fell to the rebels on Thursday, after several days of fierce battles that eventually prompted the military to withdraw.The rebels declared their next goal was to take Homs, Syria's third-largest city, and achieved that on Saturday night after only a day of fighting. At the same time, other rebel factions reached the suburbs of Damascus.

Early on Sunday, HTS-led rebels announced they had entered Damascus and released detainees atLess than two hours later, they declared: "The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled."The rebels also promised to build a "homeland for all, including all sects and social classes".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, reported that at least 910 people had been killed, including 138 civilians, since the start of the rebel offensive.The Islamist militant group that led the offensive against Assad was set up in 2012 under a different name, al-Nusra Front.

Al-Nusra Front, which pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda the following year, was regarded as one of the most effective and deadly groups fighting President Assad.

But it was feared for its jihadist ideology, and was seen as being at odds with the largely secular main rebel coalition - the Free Syrian Army.On Tuesday, Zelensky said he was ready in principle to see Trump in Rome. "We are always ready to meet with our partners from the United State of America," he said.

The following day, Trump said he had "a lot of meetings set up" but did not say with whom. Zelensky's presence was initially in doubt following the latest Russian strikes on Kyiv, but his arrival in Rome was confirmed by a Ukrainian presidential spokesman on Saturday.The diplomatic focus will be on the part of St Peter's Square where presidents and prime ministers, princes and monarchs will sit waiting for the obsequies to begin. That will be the main opportunity for them to mingle and discuss the issues of the day, to make contacts and establish relationships.

The journey to Rome could also provide an opportunity for diplomatic encounters. The Vatican said 170 delegations were coming including about 50 heads of state, 15 heads of government and 12 reigning monarchs. The chances of them meeting at one of Rome's two airports on arrival or departure is high.But while funerals can present diplomatic opportunities, they can also pose threats. There is the possibility of leaders coming into contact with an adversary. That is because politicians who are subject to European travel sanctions can visit Vatican City because it is considered neutral territory. Crucially, neither President Vladimir Putin of Russia, nor President Xi Jinping of China are due to attend.