Dec 14 Watch 8:36 Search continues for missing Syrians imprisoned by Assad regime By Simona Foltyn, John Yang, Kaisha Young Under the Assad regime, hundreds of thousands of Syrians were swept up by the government’s security apparatus, never to be seen again. Special correspondent Simona Foltyn gained access to one of the intelligence branches that orchestrated that brutal oppression and… Continue watching
Dec 14 Watch 2:27 News Wrap: Israeli airstrikes kill 10 people in central Gaza as ceasefire talks continue In our news wrap Saturday, medical teams in Gaza say an Israeli airstrike killed at least 10 people at a market, South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach their president, Pelosi underwent hip replacement surgery after a fall in Luxembourg, ABC… Continue watching
Dec 14 Ukraine strikes southern Russia with drones as Kyiv reels from consecutive aerial attacks By Associated Press The Ukrainian strikes came a day after Russia fired 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones at its neighbor, further battering Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, around half of which has been destroyed during the war. Continue reading
Dec 14 Georgian ruling party candidate Kavelashvili becomes president with country's EU bid in limbo By Sophiko Megrelidze, Associated Press Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili became president of Georgia on Saturday, as the ruling party tightened its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia. Continue reading
Dec 14 U.S. has been in direct contact with Syrian rebel group that ousted Assad, Blinken says By Matthew Lee, Associated Press Blinken is the first U.S. official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led a coalition of armed opposition groups that ousted Assad from power last Sunday. Continue reading
Dec 14 South Korea's parliament votes to impeach defiant President Yoon over his martial law order By Hyung-Jin Kim, Kim Tong-Hyung, Associated Press It was the second National Assembly vote on Yoon's impeachment after ruling party lawmakers boycotted the first floor vote last Saturday. Some People Power Party lawmakers had since said they would vote for Yoon's impeachment as public protests intensified and his approval… Continue reading
Dec 13 Watch 5:36 Syrians express jubilation during first Friday prayers since overthrow of Assad By Leila Molana-Allen, Sonia Kopelev Barely a week after Bashar al-Assad fled the country he destroyed, Syrians welcomed the first Friday prayers. There are many unanswered questions about this new Syria, but one thing is for certain, there is unfettered jubilation. Special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen… Continue watching
Dec 13 Watch 7:29 Former ambassador outlines role Syria's neighbors could play in its future By Amna Nawaz Turkey announced it would reopen its embassy in Damascus after closing it 12 years ago as Bashar al-Assad began the murderous campaign against his own people. Turkey and Syria's other neighbors could play a critical role in rebuilding the country. Continue watching
Dec 13 Analysis: How does Assad's ouster in Syria affect Iran's influence over the region? By Ray Takeyh, Council on Foreign Relations The Bashar al-Assad regime’s rapid collapse deals a heavy blow to Iran’s “axis of resistance” and its ability to project power in the region, and it raises fears Iran will focus more on developing its nuclear program. Continue reading
Dec 13 Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure with massive cruise missile and drone attack By Illia Novikov, Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as one of the heaviest bombardments of the country's energy sector since Russia's full-scale invasion almost three years ago. Continue reading