Category: World

Pope Francis had a noticeable bruise on his chin over the weekend. He got the bruise after accidentally bumping his chin on a bedside table. Despite this, the Pope continued with a big event at St. Peter’s Basilica where he welcomed 21 new cardinals into the church.

The 88-year-old Pope looked a bit tired but managed to carry on with the ceremony. He has had some health issues lately and uses a wheelchair because of knee and back pain. In 2017, he also had a black eye when he hit his head on his popemobile during a trip to Colombia.

The story of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria came to an end after a long and hard-fought struggle that lasted almost 14 years. This conflict caused the deaths of many people and forced countless others to leave their homes. Here’s a simple timeline of what happened:

2011: Protests began as people wanted change in Assad’s government. Instead of listening, security forces arrested and shot many protesters. Some of these protesters took up arms, and some soldiers switched sides, making the fight turn into an armed rebellion with support from various countries.

2012: A group linked to al-Qaeda, called the Nusra Front, started its first big attack in Damascus. This group became stronger and started pushing out other groups that wanted freedom. While world leaders talked about how to help, they disagreed on the best way to do it which made it hard to find peace. Assad used airplanes to attack rebels, making the war even more brutal.

2013: Hezbollah, a group from Lebanon, started helping Assad gain back ground against the rebels. There was a deadly gas attack that killed many civilians but didn’t bring any military help from the U.S.

2014: The Islamic State, a terrorist group, took over Raqqa in Syria and began spreading further into Iraq. Some rebel fighters in Homs gave up, marking a significant loss. The U.S. then began attacking the Islamic State from the air, supporting Kurdish fighters.

2015: Rebels started gaining more strength and took control of Idlib, but there were more Islamist fighters in the mix. Russia joined the fight, providing support to Assad, which turned the tide against the rebels for some time.

2016: Turkey looked to stop Kurdish fighters from advancing, so they invaded a part of Syria. The Syrian army managed to defeat rebels in Aleppo, which was a big win for Assad. The Nusra Front began to change its name to appear more moderate.

2017: Israel attacked Hezbollah in Syria to weaken them. U.S.-backed Kurdish forces defeated the Islamic State in Raqqa, taking back important land.

2018: The Syrian army regained control of eastern Ghouta and other areas previously held by rebels.

2019: Islamic State lost its last territory in Syria. The U.S. decided to keep some troops in place to help its Kurdish allies.

2020: Russia helped the Syrian government, leading to a ceasefire agreement with Turkey. By now, Assad had regained control of most of Syria, with rebels holding onto the northwest.

2023: Following the attack on Israel by Hamas, fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah, weakening Hezbollah’s hold in Syria and seriously hurting Assad’s power.

2024: Rebels attacked Aleppo once again. With Assad’s allies distracted, his army fell apart quickly. Just eight days after Aleppo fell, rebels took over most major cities and entered Damascus, forcing Assad to flee.

On Sunday, many Syrians across the country celebrated as they toppled and stomped on statues of Hafez al-Assad, the deceased father of current President Bashar al-Assad. Hafez ruled Syria for nearly thirty years until 2000, when his son Bashar took control. This event marked a powerful moment for a nation that has lived under the harsh rules of the Assad family for over fifty years.

In their capital city, Damascus, people were excited to stand on a broken statue of Hafez, expressing their hope for a brighter future. The celebrations followed reports from rebels, who said Bashar al-Assad had fled the country amid fighting that led to the capture of city after city by the opposition forces.

Bashar al-Assad became president in 2000 after his father’s death and has been in power since then. Since 2011, he has responded to peaceful protests with violence, turning the country into a battlefield and creating one of the deadliest conflicts in recent history, which has killed hundreds of thousands and forced millions to leave their homes.

Hafez al-Assad began his rule in 1970 after a coup. He built a powerful and cruel government where anyone who opposed him could be arrested or killed. Even after he died, many statues and pictures of him were everywhere in Syria, reminding citizens of his long rule.

Recently, the removal of Hafez’s statues has spread beyond Damascus. In cities like Jaramana and Aleppo, protesters celebrated as they brought down his statue, cheering and applauding. In Daraa, where protests began in 2011, a rebel fighter was even seen dragging one of Hafez’s statues behind his motorbike!

In Hama, where a terrible massacre happened in 1982, rebels cheered as they took down another statue. Young people celebrated, shouting “freedom forever.” They also drove cars through the streets, passing buildings with murals of Bashar al-Assad.

Manama: Anwar Gargash, a top official from the UAE, answered questions about Syria and President Bashar al-Assad. In the past, the UAE has tried to improve Assad’s image in the Arab world. When asked about Assad’s possible visit to the UAE, Gargash responded by saying that, at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter where Assad goes. He compared this situation to Kaiser Wilhelm II, who went into exile in 1918, stating that it’s not a crucial part of history. Even when journalists pushed him to confirm if Assad was in the UAE, Gargash did not directly answer. There has been talk that Assad might escape to the UAE, where his family owns properties in Dubai. On Saturday, data showed private jets flying between Syria and the UAE. Gargash shared these thoughts on Sunday during the Manama Dialogue at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain.

A 20-year-old Indian student named Harshandeep Singh was shot and killed in an apartment in Edmonton, Canada, on Friday. Police have arrested two suspects, Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux, both aged 30, and charged them with first-degree murder.

Harshandeep, who worked as a security guard, was found by police in the building’s stairwell after they were called about a gunshot around 12:30 a.m. on December 6. Officers think he was shot from behind while being pushed down the stairs by three people, according to some CCTV footage. After the shooting, the suspects ran away. Emergency services tried to help Harshandeep and took him to the hospital, but he was sadly declared dead.

Police have recovered a weapon and believe Harshandeep was targeted. An autopsy is scheduled for December 9 to figure out more about his death. This incident comes soon after another Indian student named Gurasis Singh was stabbed to death in Ontario. Gurasis was 22 and studying business at Lambton College. A man named Crossley Hunter, aged 36, has been charged with his murder.

The authorities are still looking into both cases but believe Gurasis’s murder was not racially motivated. Lambton College shared their sadness over Gurasis’s passing and said they are helping his family with funeral plans.

On Saturday, the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, officially reopened the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, which was badly damaged by a fire in 2019. He made a special entrance by knocking on the doors, wearing beautiful new vestments and holding a staff made from a beam that survived the fire. Inside, hundreds of important guests gathered to celebrate the restoration of this incredible 12th-century building.

Among the guests were US President-elect Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, who enjoyed the newly cleaned walls and modern lighting that has been added. Outside, many Parisians and tourists stood in the rain and wind to see this beloved monument come back to life. “It looks even more beautiful, especially with the restored spire,” said Marie Jean, a 27-year-old dentist from southern France.

Rebuilding Notre Dame has cost around 700 million euros (about 750 million dollars), funded by donations. The project was completed in just five years, even with challenges like lead pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. Philippe Jost, who took over the project last year, expressed pride in the successful restoration, calling it a great achievement for all of France.

The reopening ceremony included prayers, organ music, and songs from the cathedral’s choir. There was supposed to be a public concert featuring talented musicians Lang Lang and possibly Pharrell Williams, but it was completed the night before due to bad weather.

President Macron celebrated Notre Dame’s reopening as an example of French creativity and determination, especially during tough times. He hopes this event will bring a sense of pride and togetherness to France, similar to what the Olympics did earlier this year.

Macron successfully invited Trump for his first trip abroad after being re-elected, along with 40 other leaders. They discussed important issues, including military support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. While Pope Francis sent a message to be read at the event, he was not there in person.

The cause of the 2019 fire is still a mystery, but officials believe it may have been an accident, like an electrical fault. On Sunday, the first mass since the fire will happen at 10:30 AM, with many bishops and priests attending, followed by another service in the evening open to the public.

South Korea’s Defense Minister, Kim Yong-hyun, has been arrested for his role in declaring martial law earlier this week. This made troops surround the Parliament and brought soldiers onto the streets of Seoul.

On Wednesday night, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, claiming that opposition parties were threatening the country’s democracy. This was a big deal because it was the first time in over 40 years that martial law was used in South Korea. Many people were scared by this sudden move, both in South Korea and around the world.

However, just a few hours later, President Yoon canceled the martial law after facing strong criticism from the National Assembly and protests from the public. The martial law lasted only about six hours and ended early Thursday morning.

The day after, President Yoon accepted Kim Yong-hyun’s resignation, as opposition parties began the process to impeach both him and the president. Recently, it was reported that Kim Yong-hyun has been arrested and is facing restrictions on travel while the investigation continues.

In response to this situation, South Korea’s defense ministry suspended three high-ranking commanders involved in the martial law operation.

Although there was an attempt to impeach President Yoon, it was unsuccessful. Most lawmakers from Yoon’s conservative party did not participate in the impeachment vote. This result might lead to more protests from the public, as many South Koreans support the idea of impeaching the president.

Yoon’s declaration of martial law has been criticized even by members of his own party. They fear they might lose the presidency to opposition parties if they support the impeachment. To impeach Yoon, they needed at least 200 votes in the National Assembly, but the opposition could not gather enough support. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the situation “very regrettable,” saying it was a shame for South Korea’s democracy.

Opposition parties might try again to impeach Yoon after the next parliamentary session opens. There are fears that Yoon may not be able to finish his remaining two and a half years in office because of the damage to his leadership. Some experts think that more members from his party might join the opposition if public pressure continues to grow.