Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali said on Monday that he has agreed to hand over power to the "Syrian Salvation Government" (SSG), while opposition leader Muhammad al-Bashir has been tasked with forming a new Syrian government.

Muhammad al-Bashir, born in 1983, an electrical engineer and head of the SSG in Idlib under the aegis of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), will lead efforts to form a new cabinet following the rapid fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government on Sunday, online media outlet Sawt al-Asima reported.

Formed in 2017 by the HTS and other Syrian opposition groups during the Syrian civil war, the SSG wielded administrative and service-related authority in areas under the HTS control in Syria.

The militant groups led by the HTS waged a major offensive from northern Syria since Nov. 27 and had since swept southwards through government-held areas, capturing the capital Damascus within 12 days.

Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Bassam Sabbagh said Monday night that he has presented an initiative to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to launch a political process in Syria.

The Syrian Embassy in Russia confirmed on Monday to Russia's official TASS news agency that Assad is currently in Moscow, but denied that the embassy has had any contacts with him.

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to the international organizations in Vienna also said on Monday via social media that Assad and his family are in Moscow.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia maintains dialogue on the Syria issue with Türkiye and other countries. He said the Astana talks on Syria will continue to play its role as a mechanism for exchange of views.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday after a cabinet meeting that Türkiye is ready to support the Syrian people in the process of rebuilding the country, and Türkiye will open the border gate at Yayladagi to allow Syrians to return home safely.

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

From cutting-edge technology exhibitions to retail stores thousands of kilometers away from Europe and Southeast Asia, China-made robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly becoming a popular choice among consumers worldwide.

At electronics retailers in Berlin, Germany, Chinese brands such as Roborock and Dreame occupy prominent positions in dedicated robot vacuum sections, offering a wide range of products priced between 200 and 2,000 euros.

Many local consumers said that when purchasing smart home appliances including robot vacuum cleaners, they tend to give priority to Chinese-made products.

"It's a good price and good quality. It's also the innovation. I have a feeling that the European brands are not innovating enough," said one customer.

"I think they're always on top of the other technologies. They are getting them out faster. A lot of us are switching to the Chinese technology," another consumer said.

Germany is one of the most important overseas markets for China's floor-cleaning robots.

According to data from market research firm GfK, from January to November 2025, more than six out of 10 robot vacuum cleaners sold in Western Europe were Chinese brands.

Industry data also point to a strong global momentum.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), global shipments of smart robot vacuum cleaners reached 17.424 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent.

Chinese brands including Roborock, Ecovacs, Dreame, Xiaomi and Narwal ranked among the world's top five in terms of shipment volume, with a combined share of nearly 70 percent of the global market.

At a robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, workers were seen stepping up production of newly launched models that recently debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States, which concluded Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The factory adjusted its production lines as early as December 2025 and stocked inventory in advance for overseas markets to ensure that new products could be delivered to global consumers at the earliest possible time.

"In 2025, Roborock's global shipments exceeded 7.2 million units. Since 2024, overseas revenue has accounted for more than 50 percent of our total revenue. Our products have now been sold to more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than 20 million households worldwide," said Quan Gang, president of Roborock.

At another robot vacuum cleaner manufacturing facility in Dongguan, Guangdong, rising overseas orders have prompted the company to upgrade its production lines with intelligent technologies to further boost capacity. The factory is currently operating at full load to meet a growing demand.

"For 2026, we have already obtained overseas orders worth at least 300 million to 400 million yuan (around 43 million to 57.3 million U.S. dollars). In addition, we've engaged in strategic cooperation with European home appliance group Cebos Group, and our total confirmed orders have exceeded 600 million yuan (around 86 million U.S. dollars)," said Zhang Junbin, founder and CEO of Narwal Robotics.

Chinese robot vacuum brands gain strong global traction