Assad fled to Moscow after rebels seized Damascus, having previously captured Aleppo, Hama and Homs,Israel bolstered its forces along the border with Syria,and the US military carried out a strike against an "imminent threat" in Syria.Meanwhile, Amnesty International accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza,Israel claimed that six hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 were likely executed,and Hamas and Fatah agreed on a joint post-war Gaza administration.In other news, a Russian-North Korean defense pact came into effect,several diplomats indicated that an immediate invitation for Ukraine to join NATO is unlikely,and France and the UK reportedly considered sending troops to Ukraine.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government collapsed after a historic no-confidence vote,French Pres. Emmanuel Macron rejected calls for his resignation,and South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol faced a treason probe,but survived an impeachment motion,after declaring a brief martial law decree.This comes as Romania annulled the nation's presidential election results amid allegations of Russian interference,protests escalated in the Republic of Georgia following the suspension of EU accession talks,with several officials accusing police of torturing demonstrators,and China banned the export of dual-use minerals to the US.Meanwhile, Namibia elected its first-ever female president,Ireland's two main parties fell short of achieving a majority in the general election,Romania's pro-EU parties agreed to form a coalition,and Meta reported that AI had only a "modest" impact on world elections this year.Elsewhere, Joe Biden became the first US president to visit Angola,Taiwanese Pres. Lai Ching-te stopped over in Hawaii during his Pacific tour,and American, Russian, and Ukrainian foreign ministers clashed in Malta.In other news, Prime Minister Philip Davis rejected US Pres.-elect Donald Trump's proposal to deport migrants to the Bahamas,UK Channel crossings were found to have hit 20K in the Labour Party's first five months of government,and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled six new targets for his government,as he rejected the idea that the UK must choose between the EU and the US.

Donald Trump nominated Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, appointed Peter Navarro as a senior trade counselor, named David Sacks as the White House's artificial intelligence and crypto "czar,"and selected Jared Isaacman as NASA's new chief.This comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pursued a role in Trump's incoming administration,and the president-elect vowed to block a $15B deal between Japan-based Nippon Steel and US Steel.Meanwhile, Joe Biden issued a full and unconditional pardon for his son Hunter, the Biden administration reportedly weighed preemptive pardons ahead of Trump's inauguration,Democrats won the final seat in the House,Jerry Nadler withdrew from the House Judiciary Committee ranking member position,and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced her bid to become the House Oversight Committee's ranking Democrat.

The US Supreme Court heard arguments against Tennessee's ban on transgender treatments for minors,Afghanistan's Taliban banned women from medical training,and Belgium was found guilty of crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was fatally shot in New York City,a US House Democratic staffer was arrested for allegedly attempting to bring ammunition into the Capitol,several US prisons were shut down over allegations of sexual abuse,right-wing pundit Nick Fuentes was charged following a confrontation with an activist outside his home,and Vietnam tycoon Truong My Lan’s death sentence was upheld in a $12B fraud case.Meanwhile, Mexico announced its largest-ever fentanyl bust,Australian police seized a record 2.34 metric tons of cocaine,a blast at an apartment in The Hague killed at least five,and suspected arson damaged a Melbourne synagogue.

OpenAI and defense-tech startup Anduril went into business together,Elon Musk's record $56B pay package was rejected for a second time,Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger resigned,Jaguar revealed its new electric car,and a US court upheld a law to force the sale of TikTok.

The global economy was projected to grow 3.3% in both 2025 and 2026,Bitcoin topped $100K for the first time in its history,the US added 227K jobs in November,and Australia's GDP growth hit a 30-year low.Meanwhile, the UK's Starmer declined to rule out future tax hikes,Finance Secretary Shona Robison outlined Scotland's 2025-26 budget,Brazil’s Treasury forecast a multibillion-dollar primary deficit in 2024,and Diego Guevara became Colombia's new finance minister.

US House Republicans concluded that COVID "likely" originated from a Wuhan lab,the US issued a nationwide milk testing mandate amid concerns over bird flu,dozens died from a mysterious disease in the DRC,and three people died and dozens were hospitalized after consuming endangered sea turtle stew in the Philippines.In other news, researchers found a link between belly fat and Alzheimer’s,porridge and crumpets were classified as "junk food" under a new UK ad ban,and Spain considered implementing health warnings on smartphones.

The International Court of Justice began hearing a landmark climate change case,as global talks to end plastic pollution collapsed,a 7.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a brief tsunami warning on the US' West Coast,and Qatar pledged to invest $1.3B in climate technology in the UK.

A study challenged the established depiction of the neuron,and electrode brain implants allowed two paralyzed patients to walk.

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al was suspended for a late hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Two EU satellites were launched in a bid to create artificial solar eclipses,and NASA delayed its Artemis moon missions.

Japan's sake made it onto UNESCO's cultural heritage list,the world's oldest known wild bird laid eggs at 74,and Iceland issued new five-year whale hunting permits.