Assad's secret escape blindsided almost everyone, aides say. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano |
- Bashar al-Assad confided in almost no one about his plans to flee Syria as his reign collapsed. Instead, aides, officials and even relatives were deceived and kept in the dark, more than a dozen people with knowledge of the events told Reuters.
- An Israeli strike on a post office sheltering Gaza residents killed at least 30 Palestinians and wounded 50, according to medics. The Israeli military said it had been targeting a senior Islamic Jihad member. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he discussed a ceasefire agreement with Turkish top officials.
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- Time magazine has named President-elect Donald Trump "Person of the Year" for the second time. Tune in to today's Reuters World News podcast for a discussion with Correspondent Steve Holland about what Trump may tackle on his first day in office on Jan. 20.
- The Trump transition team wants the incoming administration to drop a car-crash reporting requirement opposed by Elon Musk's Tesla, according to a document seen by Reuters, a move that could cripple the government's ability to investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems.
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- Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on Ukrainian energy facilities during the morning rush hour, Kyiv said. Russian forces have been targeting Ukraine's electricity system for most of the year and it renewed its strike campaign last month.
- Switzerland wants to update its network of nuclear shelters, seen as an asset at a time of greater global uncertainty. Thanks to a 1963 law, each of its 9 million residents, is guaranteed a spot in a bunker to protect them from bombs and nuclear radiation.
- South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said the best way to restore order in the country is to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, a day ahead of a planned parliamentary vote over Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law.
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- Britain's economy shrank for a second month in October in the run-up to the new government's first budget. GDP shrank 0.1% month-on-month, as it did in September. Meanwhile, worker shortages raise doubts over Britain's plan to build for growth.
- German exports fell more than expected in October, an indication that the long-awaited recovery in external demand has been delayed. Exports fell by 2.8% compared with the previous month, data from the federal statistics office showed.
- As Donald Trump steps up his tariff threats against China, Beijing is moving to beat the next US president to the punch with its own restrictions and get Washington to the negotiating table ahead of a full-blown trade war, analysts say.
- Elon Musk said that the SpaceX headquarters will now be in the city of Starbase, Texas. In July, the billionaire said he was moving two of his companies - X and SpaceX - to Texas from California, citing a new gender identity law there as the "last straw."
- Meta said it was releasing an artificial intelligence model called Meta Motivo, which could control the movements of a human-like digital agent, with the potential to enhance Metaverse experience.
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- Central banks in the US, Japan and Britain will announce their interest rate decisions. Here's what investors will be watching.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz holds a vote of confidence in parliament on Monday, paving the way for snap elections following the collapse of his three-way governing coalition.
- The US Congress has until Friday to approve additional government funding or face a partial shutdown.
- Google faces a deadline on Friday to file court papers that could offer its own proposal to restore competition after a judge ruled that it illegally monopolized online search.
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Luigi Mangione arrives for an extradition hearing at Blair County Court House in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. REUTERS/Matthew Hatcher |
From Luigi Mangione's hearing in Pennsylvania to wildfires in Malibu to protests in Seoul, we bring you a selection of our top photography around the world this week. |
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Shanghai bear cub Junjun becomes a star. REUTERS/Casey Hall |
Crowds are flocking to a zoo in Shanghai to watch Junjun, a bear cub just 11 months old, as he frolics in his enclosure playing with toys or splashing in a water trough. The brown bear's every move captivates fans as his fame spreads on social media. |
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