Surprise: Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport and canceled all flights as rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they reached the heart of the city. They are returning for the first time since 2016, when Assad and Russia, Iran and regional Shi'ite militias retook it. The Syrian military said dozens of its troops were killed.
Lebanon: The deal that ended a barrage of Israeli airstrikes and led to a shaky peace took shape over weeks of talks. Hezbollah's chief said he would work with the Lebanese army to implement the deal. Paris' critical role in the negotiations was nearly upended after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
Not tasty: U.S. farm-industry groups want Donald Trump to spare their sector from his promise of mass deportations once he becomes president. Nearly half of the nation's farm workers lack legal status. Trump's threats of tariffs on Canada and Mexico are causing much ruffling of feathers. That includes the oil market. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Friday.
Not sharing is caring: Australia must figure out how to make its historic ban on social media for children aged less than 16 work. The study being undertaken by experts it hired likely will set the course for lawmakers and tech platforms around the world as they try to restrict social media at a time of growing concern about children's mental health and data collection.
Chile's leftist government has sought to prioritize issues around women's rights. Now President Gabriel Boric faces a criminal sexual-harassment complaint. A senior member of his cabinet faces a rape allegation.
"It was an exceptional renovation project." Those are the words of Samir Abbas, a stone carver who along with 1,300 workers restored Notre Dame after fire gutted the historic Parisian cathedral more than five years ago. It reopens this coming week.
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A damaged vehicle sits near the Roman ruins, on the second day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Baalbek, Lebanon. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
The Israeli military said its air force struck a facility used by Hezbollah to store mid-range rockets in southern Lebanon, after both sides accused each other of breaching a ceasefire that aims to halt over a year of fighting. Beirut Bureau Chief Maya Gebeily speaks to the Reuters World News podcast about the challenges around monitoring the ceasefire.
When Russian missiles hurtle towards the Ukrainian power plant and employees scramble for the bomb shelter, a handful of workers stay above ground in a control room protected by sandbags to keep the system running manually.
Australians reacted with a mixture of anger and relief to a social media ban on children under 16 that the government says is world-leading, but which tech giants like TikTok argue could push young people to "darker corners of the internet".
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said she and US President-elect Donald Trump had agreed to maintain a good relationship in a friendly phone call that appeared to ease tensions between the top trading partners amid tariff threats.
A passenger boarded a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Paris without a ticket, somehow evading two boarding pass checks and leading both Delta and the US Transportation Security Administration to say they were investigating how it happened.
Britain's transport minister Louise Haigh has resigned after pleading guilty years ago to an offence in connection with misleading police over a work mobile phone, in another blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
As South Africa takes over the G20 presidency, the first African country to lead the forum, its focus on issues such as inclusive growth and climate change risks bumping up against the hard reality of trade wars and diplomatic tensions.
Business & Markets
Major US retailers stocked their shelves for Black Friday with exclusive products and lots of general merchandise steeply discounted, hoping more people will seek to close out their shopping lists despite a shorter timeframe.
Fast-growing specialty e-commerce sites such as PDD's Temu and its rival Shein are branching deeper into the business of selling toys as many American and European shoppers prepare to seek out steep bargains during the Black Friday weekend.
The Bank of England warned that higher trade barriers could hit global growth and feed uncertainty about inflation, potentially causing volatility in financial markets.
Euro zone inflation accelerated in November and its most closely watched components remained high, adding to the case for a more cautious European Central Bank interest rate cut next month.
Workers at Volkswagen could go out on strike across Germany as soon as next week, the IG Metall union said in a notice, as a clash between labor and management over layoffs and plant closures escalates.
India plans to expand electric vehicle incentives to automakers building models at existing factories in the country, instead of limiting the benefits to automakers willing to build new plants, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The week ahead
Financial markets head into a December laden with uncertainty over geopolitics, global trade and economic growth, here's what to watch in the week ahead.
In France, under fire Prime Minister Michel Barnier is set to deliver the 2025 Social Security budget on Monday and the end-of-year 2024 budget on Wednesday.
On Monday, Joe Biden will be the first US president to visit Angola, and the first to visit sub-Saharan Africa since 2015.
The US Congress returns this week with a looming government shutdown on the agenda in a final 13-day sprint to close out the year.
Starbucks serves South Koreans coffee and glimpse into the North
Customers look at North Korea's propaganda village Kaepoong, in the new Starbucks store at the top of the Aegibong Peak Observatory. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon
The world's last Cold War frontier now has a Starbucks café in South Korea where customers can get a glimpse through the heavily militarized border into the North, all while sipping a latte.
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