Syrians elated but anxious as they pore over ousted Assad's palace

Damascus – Syria's capital city was on auto-pilot Tuesday, with no new government in place in the wake of the dramatic rebel offensive that toppled longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad on Sunday. But as the former al-Qaeda offshoot that led that charge put some of its senior figures in charge of a self-declared transitional administration, many Syrians appeared determined to try to get on with business as usual. 

Some institutions, including Syria's central bank, asked employees to show up for work, and many people appeared to be hoping that just sticking to daily routines would prove the safest option in the face of complete uncertainty over the country's future.

Some efforts are being made to quell concern. Mohamed al-Bashir, a politican who previously led local government in the parts of northwestern Syria and Idlib ruled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, before its extraordinary 12-day lightening offensive, has been named a transitional prime minister for the next three months.