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Rebecca Rommen

Elon Musk has stirred controversy in Germany after calling Chancellor Olaf Scholz an "incompetent fool" and backing the country's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

In a post on X, Musk first reshared a video by right-wing influencer Naomi Seibt in which she criticizes Friedrich Merz, one of the leading candidates to become Germany's next chancellor.

"Only the AfD can save Germany," Musk, who is the richest person in the world, wrote alongside the post.

Musk then weighed in on news of an attack on Friday on a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg that killed at least five people.

Musk reshared a post purportedly showing an image of the suspect that said the attack was a "DIRECT RESULT of mass unchecked immigration."

"Scholz should resign immediately. Incompetent fool," Musk added in a separate post.

Leading right-wing figures across Europe have seized on the incident to promote anti-immigrant rhetoric and call for tighter border controls.

Musk's comments, which come just two months before Germany is set to hold a snap federal election, have sparked backlash in the country.
By WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — More than 45,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants, Palestinian health officials said Monday, as often-stalled ceasefire negotiations appeared to be gaining ground again.

More than 50 dead were brought to hospitals across the bombed-out territory over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

Qatar, Egypt and the United States have renewed efforts to broker a ceasefire deal in recent days, and mediators have said there appears to be more willingness from both sides after 14 months of war.

The health ministry said 45,028 people have been killed and 106,962 others have been wounded since the war began, and warned that the real toll is higher because thousands of bodies are buried under rubble or in areas that medics cannot access.

The ministry’s count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but it has said more than half of fatalities are women and children. The Israeli military says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war is by far the deadliest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas, with the death toll amounting to roughly 2% of Gaza’s prewar population of about 2.3 million.
By Max Kim

SEOUL —  South Korean lawmakers voted Saturday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose short-lived declaration of martial law this month upended the democratic order and sparked a crescendoing campaign for his ouster.

Yoon’s presidential powers have been formally suspended, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo now serves as interim president. The country’s Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule whether to uphold the impeachment motion. If so, Yoon will be formally removed, triggering a snap election within 60 days to choose a new president.

Outside the National Assembly, loud cheers washed over a large crowd of pro-impeachment protesters, some of whom had set up free coffee and food stalls for fellow demonstrators. Elsewhere in the city, people were glued to their smartphones and televisions, anxiously watching the page turn on the surreal political moment.

But the uncertainty is hardly over. In a televised address to the nation shortly after the impeachment vote, Yoon was defiant, saying he had worked “without a moment of rest” for the good of the country.
By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s parliament on Saturday impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his stunning and short-lived martial law decree, a move that ended days of political paralysis but set up an intense debate over Yoon’s fate, as jubilant crowds roared to celebrate another defiant moment in the country’s resilient democracy.

The National Assembly passed the motion 204-85. Yoon’s presidential powers and duties were subsequently suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s No. 2 official, took over presidential powers later Saturday.

The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or restore his powers. If he’s thrown out of office, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.

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 rating plummeted.
By Mick Krever, CNN

CNN — The collapse of the Assad regime has prompted a punishing military response from Israel, which has launched airstrikes at military targets across Syria and deployed ground troops both into and beyond a demilitarized buffer zone for the first time in 50 years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a rare press conference on Monday evening that the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime was “a new and dramatic chapter.”

“The collapse of the Syrian regime is a direct result of the severe blows with which we have struck Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran,” he said. “The axis has not yet disappeared but as I promised – we are changing the face of the Middle East.”

Israeli officials have reveled in the downfall of Assad, a staunch ally of Iran who allowed his country to be used as a resupply route for Hezbollah in Lebanon. But they also fear what could come from radical Islamists governing Syria, which borders Israel in the occupied Golan Heights.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told journalists on Monday that Israel was bombing Syrian military facilities housing chemical weapons stocks and long-range missiles to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.”
By Andrew Osborn and Maxim Rodionov

Dec 8 (Reuters) - Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow with his family after Russia granted them asylum on humanitarian grounds, a Kremlin source told Russian news agencies on Sunday, and a deal has been done to ensure the safety of Russian military bases.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said earlier that Assad had left Syria and given orders for a peaceful transfer of power, after rebel fighters raced into Damascus unopposed on Sunday, ending nearly six decades of his family's iron-fisted rule.

"Syrian President Assad of Syria and members of his family have arrived in Moscow. Russia has granted them asylum on humanitarian grounds," the privately-owned Interfax news agency and state media quoted the unnamed Kremlin source as saying.

Interfax cited the same Kremlin source as saying Russia favoured a political solution to the crisis in Syria, where Moscow supported Assad during the long civil war.
MSN

Quneitra, Syria - The Israeli military on Sunday invaded a demilitarized zone in southwest Syria abutting the illegally annexed Golan Heights after Damascus fell to rebel forces.

Israel had already said the day before, as rebels swiftly advanced across Syria, that its soldiers had entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone to "assist" peacekeepers in repelling an attack.

On Sunday, the army announced a troop deployment there, citing "the possible entry of armed individuals into the buffer zone."

"Following the recent events in Syria... the IDF (army) has deployed forces in the buffer zone and in several other places necessary for its defense, to ensure the safety of the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel," a military statement said.

Israeli forces "will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to preserve the buffer zone and defend Israel," it added.

The Israeli military also claimed it was "not interfering with the internal events in Syria".
ABC News

In a stunning turn, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appears to have fallen after rebels advanced into the capital Damascus, catching government forces by surprise 10 days after a lightning advance by insurgents first began.

Early Sunday morning local time, the rebel military operations command for the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, claimed the president was no longer in the capital, writing: "We declare the city of Damascus free of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad."

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a Sunday morning statement that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "decided to leave the presidential post and left the country, giving instructions to transfer power peacefully." Russia and Iran were the two most important foreign backers of Assad's government. Assad's whereabouts remain unknown.

Videos on social media showed Syrian forces abandoning their posts and melting away. There were also reports of Syrian military troops surrendering in other cities.

Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region.
Story by Альона Сонько

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s call for an “immediate ceasefire,” saying peace cannot be achieved with just a piece of paper and a few signatures.

He emphasized that a ceasefire without guarantees could be easily broken, as Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has done before.

Zelenskyy stressed that lasting peace with Russia requires reliable guarantees to prevent further casualties and ensure that occupation is not ignored.

Zelenskyy also noted that the only thing Putin fears is “America and the unity of the world,” urging the U.S. and the international community to support Ukraine’s push for peace through strength.

He highlighted that true peace requires real, effective guarantees for Ukraine’s people and state.

On Dec. 8, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Ukraine needs an “immediate ceasefire” and called for negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.

Trump also stated that Zelenskyy wanted to “stop the madness” and referenced the significant loss of life in Ukraine.

On Dec. 7, Zelenskyy attended a trilateral meeting with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where they met face to face for about 35 minutes, according to Zelenskyy’s press secretary.
Story by Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY

South Korean lawmakers began impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol after he briefly imposed martial law and then reversed course on that decision just hours later.

Yoon claimed martial law was necessary to protect the country from "North Korea's communist forces" and to "eliminate anti-state elements." However, the move came as Yoon is embroiled in a dispute with opposition lawmakers over budget proposals and mired in a series of scandals linked to corruption and influence-peddling.

The martial law declaration caught South Korea's political establishment and U.S. officials by surprise. Yoon rescinded the measure only after a broad coalition of lawmakers in the National Assembly − South Korea's Parliament − voted to block it and the country appeared to be heading toward wide-scale protests.
Story by MCZ

"The military contingent of the aggressor state, Russia, fled from Hama and evacuated to the Humaymim base. The commander of the Russian coordination staff, Gen. Aleksandr Zhuravlev, admitted that the situation had gotten out of hand for the Assad regime," Ukrainian intelligence reported on Monday.

The opposition forces against the Russian-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad are actively moving south in the country. The first urban battles have occurred in Hama, Homs, and As-Suwayda.

Intelligence: Russians fleeing Damascus
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the first armed riots have started in Damascus. Russian military personnel and diplomats have begun hastily and urgently leaving the capital of Syria. "The Syrian defeat. Russians also left the military base in the city of Khan Shaykhun, leaving a significant amount of weapons and military equipment there," reads the communication from the Ukrainian military intelligence, HUR.

For comprehensive updates on political developments and global conflicts, turn to Conflict Watcher. Our platform provides curated, in-depth news coverage, ensuring you stay informed with the most accurate and timely information. Follow us to stay ahead with the ultimate source for essential news.
Story by Charlie Bradley, Hannah Broughton

An expert has raised alarms that Vladimir Putin is orchestrating efforts to cause "mass casualty events" in Europe.

Ties between Moscow and the West have frayed beyond repair following Russia's hostile incursion into Ukraine.

Lately, following permissions from the UK and US for Ukraine to counterattack Russian soil with their armaments, Putin and his cohorts threatened retaliation.

Now analysts are convinced that Russia has commenced covert offensives against Britain and its European allies who support Ukraine.
Story by Emily Wright

The world's biggest iceberg that "refuses to die" is on the move after 30 years - but scientists cannot work out where it is headed.

Iceberg A23a first broke away from the Filchner Ice Shelf, in the southern Weddell Sea on Antarctica, back in 1986.

But almost immediately after that it became stuck in the sediment at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, kept in place by a 350-metre-deep ice keel anchor. It then remained there for more than 30 years.

It gradually melted until 2020, which enabled the berg to re-float and continue on its journey.

However, the current debate is where A23a will end up, as it continues to throw surprises at scientists and has been dubbed the iceberg "that refuses to die".
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive that captured Aleppo, one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient hub of Middle East culture and commerce. The push is the rebels’ strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country’s borders.

It was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal Russian air campaign retook the northwestern city for Syrian President Bashar Assad after rebel forces had seized it. Intervention by Russia, Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power within the 70% of Syria under his control.

Insurgents led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched the two-pronged attack on Aleppo last week and moved into the countryside around Idlib and neighboring Hama province. The Syrian military and its foreign allies have rushed reinforcements and launched airstrikes as they attempted to stall their momentum.
By Ivana Kottasová and Dana Karni, CNN

CNN — The Israeli military said Monday that Omer Maxim Neutra, an American-Israeli citizen who was previously believed to be alive and held hostage in Gaza, was killed during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.

Neutra, 21, served as a tank platoon commander in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during the time of the attack, the IDF said, adding that Neutra’s body is still being held hostage in Gaza. It is unclear what caused the IDF to make the announcement. In previous cases when a hostage was declared dead, the finding was based on new intelligence and evidence.

“Omer loved sports, playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and served as the captain of his school’s sports teams,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “Family and friends described him as a warm, optimistic, and caring individual who ‘lights up the room the moment he enters.’”

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Neutra “fell in a heroic battle near Nir Oz on October 7.” Nir Oz, a small kibbutz near Gaza in southern Israel, was one of the communities worst impacted by the terror attacks of October 7, with one in four residents murdered or kidnapped.
By Lex Harvey, CNN

CNN — Days of protests have rocked Georgia following the government’s controversial decision to delay the former Soviet country’s bid to join the European Union.

Tensions have been brewing for months in the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million people, where critics accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of following increasingly authoritarian, pro-Russia policies in a turn away from the West that has tempered hopes for Georgia’s long-promised path to EU membership.

The protests have been met with a violent police crackdown as the ruling party and thousands of protesters become locked in a deepening battle over the country’s future and whether Georgia should forge closer ties with Russia or Europe.

Here’s what you need to know.

What sparked the protests?
Tensions intensified in late October when Georgian Dream claimed victory in a contested election that was widely seen as a referendum on joining the EU.

Georgia, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has for years pursued EU membership, with the goal of joining the bloc written into its constitution.
Group of 85 countries and blocs press for ambition in plastic waste treaty after no agreement was reached in Busan
Sandra Laville Environment correspondent

Binding global targets to cut plastic production must be at the centre of any continuing negotiations to secure the world’s first treaty to tackle plastic waste, a group of 85 countries has said.

Talks in Busan, South Korea, attempting to secure agreement between more than 200 countries on the details of a plastic pollution treaty ended in failure over the weekend.

Graham Forbes, the lead delegate for Greenpeace at the talks, said on Monday: “We stand at a historic crossroads. The opportunity to secure an impactful plastics treaty that protects our health, biodiversity and climate remains within reach.”

The week-long talks, known as INC-5, which were supposed to be the last before the first treaty to cut plastic pollution was signed, ended without agreement in the early hours of Monday in a deadlock over the inclusion of cuts to plastic production between so-called ambition countries and fossil fuel states, which object to any reductions in production.
By Reuters

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday demanded that BRICS member countries commit to not creating a new currency or supporting another currency that would replace the United States dollar or face 100% tariffs.

"We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy," Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
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