Dec 16 Watch 4:54 Syria's rebel leaders face critical decisions as they chart new path for the country By Leila Molana-Allen, Dan Sagalyn For the first time since he fled the country he ruled with an iron fist and a willingness to kill his own people to hold power, Bashar al-Assad was heard from. In a statement from exile in Moscow, Assad claimed… Continue watching
Dec 16 Study suggests Saturn's rings could be 4.5 billion years old just like the planet By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press New research suggests that Saturn's rings may be older than they look — possibly as old as the planet. Continue reading
Dec 16 Prince Andrew's Chinese spy allegations again pushes King Charles III to rein in scandal-prone brother By Danica Kirka, Associated Press In the latest episode, a Chinese businessman has been barred from the U.K. because of concerns he cultivated links with Andrew in an alleged effort to influence British elites on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. Continue reading
Dec 16 France rushes aid to Mayotte, with hundreds feared dead and hunger rising after Cyclone Chido By Gerald Imray, Thomas Adamson, Associated Press France used ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies to its Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Monday after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. Continue reading
Dec 16 Germany's Chancellor Scholz loses a confidence vote, setting up an early election in February By Geir Moulson, Associated Press Scholz won the support of 207 lawmakers in the 733-seat lower house, or Bundestag, while 394 voted against him and 116 abstained. That left him far short of the majority of 367 needed to win. Continue reading
Dec 16 Gaza death toll tops 45,000 from Israel-Hamas war, health officials say By Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy, Associated Press Efforts to reach a cease-fire have picked up in recent weeks after repeatedly faltering. Continue reading
Dec 16 EU seeks assurances from Syria's new leaders in exchange for dropping sanctions By Lorne Cook, Associated Press European Union nations on Monday set out conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria and kick-starting aid to the conflict-ravaged country amid uncertainty about its new leaders' intentions just over a week after they seized power. Continue reading
Dec 16 Ukraine claims North Korean troops were killed fighting alongside Russian forces By Samya Kullab, Associated Press This is the first reported casualties since the Pentagon and Ukraine announced North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. Continue reading
Dec 16 One of India's most accomplished classical musicians, Zakir Hussain, dies at 73 By Sheikh Saaliq, Associated Press Zakir Hussain, one of India's most accomplished classical musicians who defied genres and introduced tabla to global audiences, died on Sunday. He was 73. Continue reading
Dec 16 Assad says he had no plans to leave Syria, was evacuated by Russians By Associated Press Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad says he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him after their base in western Syria came under attack. Continue reading