Bashar al-Assad-appointed Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali says gov’t ready to ‘extend its hand’ to opposition, turn its functions over to a transitional government. The leader of the main armed opposition group in Syria says former Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali will supervise state institutions until they are handed over, as fighters declared an end to Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule. Opposition forces on Sunday said they had “liberated” the capital,...

Here are the key developments on the 1,018th day of the Russia-Ukraine war. Here is the situation on Sunday, December 8: Fighting: Ukraine’s air force said its air defence units shot down 28 of 74 drones launched by Russia overnight targeting Ukraine. In a statement on Telegram, it also said 46 of the Russian drones were “lost”, likely neutralised by electronic warfare. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on...

Syrian opposition fighters have taken over the presidential palace in Damascus after a rapid offensive that seized control of the capital and sent crowds into the streets to celebrate the end of the al-Assad family’s 53-year rule. State television on Sunday aired a video statement by a group of men saying President Bashar al-Assad had been overthrown and all prisoners had been set free. The man who read...