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SEOUL, South Korea — The South Korean government on Monday ordered an overseas travel ban on President Yoon Suk Yeol as he faces investigation on possible rebellion charges over a short-lived martial law declaration that plunged the key U.S. ally into chaos last week. The martial law order banned all political activity and censored the news media. It was a shocking turn of events for South Korea, which spent decades under military-authoritarian rule before transitioning into a vibrant democracy and the world’s 10th-largest economy. Han also said investigations into Yoon’s martial law declaration would be conducted “rigorously, impartially and transparently” by the authorities. “President Yoon Seok Yeol must be immediately arrested, investigated and stripped of his military command authority,” senior Democratic lawmaker Kim Min-seok said Sunday.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon, Lawmakers, Ezra Acayan, Yoon —, Han Dong, hoon, ”, “, Han Duck, Han, Kim Yong, Lee Sang, ” Han, Yoon Seok, Kim Min, seok, Kim, Han Min, Stella Kim, Janis Mackey Frayer, Jennifer Jett Organizations: South, National Assembly, Lawmakers, People Power Party, U.S, Democratic Party, Democratic, NBC News Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, Korea, Seoul, United States, Japan, Hong Kong

☆ What happened in Syria’s civil war, who took over and what’s next after decades of brutal rule?
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They’re led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the head of militant group HTS, a former al Qaeda affiliate in Syria that used to go by the name Al-Nusra Front. The leader of Syria's Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group Abu Mohammed al-Jolani at the capital's landmark Umayyad Mosque on December 8, 2024. Assad is the second generation of an autocratic family dynasty that held power in Syria for more than five decades. Analysts told CNN the Syrian rebels used a vacuum left by the group to advance in Syria. Syrian rebel fighters and locals celebrate in the central city of Homs early on December 8, 2024, after entering Syria's third city overnight.

Persons: CNN — Long, Assad, Damacus “, Bashar al, ”, Louai Beshara, ” It’s, They’re, Abu Mohammad al, al, Jolani, ” Jolani, Tahrir, Abu Mohammed al, Aref Tammawi, Hafez al, Sam Hariri, what’s, Joe Biden, Abdulaziz Ketaz, Syria Hossein Akbari Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Getty, Operations Command, Nusra, Syrian National Army, Syrian Democratic Forces, United Nations, Baath Party, UN, Amnesty, Saydnaya, Syria's, Ministry, AFP, Rebels, Hezbollah, Analysts Locations: Syria, ”, Russia, Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Moscow, AFP, Iran, Qaeda, al Qaeda, Turkey, Kurdish, United States, Umayyad, London, Ukraine, Israel, Assad Syria, Syrian, Syria's

☆ South Korea President Yoon banned from foreign travel as leadership crisis deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from leaving the country over a failed attempt at imposing martial law, a justice ministry official said on Monday, amid growing calls for him to step down and a deepening leadership crisis. Prosecutors on Sunday arrested ex-defense minister Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, Yonhap reported. Amid the backlash, multiple military officials, including the acting defense minister, have said they would not follow any new order to impose martial law again. The DP has also demanded the arrest of Yoon and any military officials implicated in the martial law fiasco. "Also, unlike a U.S. vice president, a South Korean prime minister is not elected, which means democratic legitimacy is weak.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon, Oh Dong, woon, Bae Sang, Kim Yong, Yonhap, cordons, Han Dong, hoon, Han Duck, Chang Young Organizations: South, People Power Party, Democratic Party, Power Party, School of Law, Korea University Locations: South Korean

☆ How world leaders and countries are reacting to Assad being toppled in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Western leaders view Assad's fall as a hopeful opportunity, not an outright victory. AdvertisementAs Bashar Assad's regime collapsed over the weekend, world leaders and countries issued statements on Syria. Here's how the world's been reacting to Assad's fall. Russia: Foreign MinistryIn a statement on Sunday, Russia's foreign ministry said it was monitoring Syria "with extreme concern." There is no serious threat to their security at the moment," the foreign ministry said.

Persons: Bashar Assad's, Tahrir, Assad, Abu Mohammad al, Al, Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump Trump, Vladimir Putin, Trump, Ursula Von der, Von der Leyen, Keir Starmer Starmer, Starmer, Chancellor Olaf Scholz Scholz, Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Justin Trudeau Trudeau, Hakan Fidan Fidan, Fidan, it's Organizations: Syrian Democratic Forces, ISIS, EU, European, UN Security Council, Foreign Ministry, Islamic, Foreign, Russian Federation, Hmeimim Air Base, Tartus, Base Locations: Syria, Al Qaeda, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Damascus, Germany, France, Canada, China, Iran, Foreign Ministry Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, West Asia, Turkey, Ankara, Moscow, Africa

☆ Meet the Press – December 8, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +64 min

ANNOUNCER:From NBC News in Washington, the longest-running show in television history, this is a special edition of Meet the Press with Kristen Welker. KRISTEN WELKER:We’re going to —PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:For what they did –KRISTEN WELKER:Yeah –PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:– honestly, they should go to jail. PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:For what they did –KRISTEN WELKER:Everyone on the committee you think –PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:I think everybody –KRISTEN WELKER:– should go to jail? KRISTEN WELKER:But you --PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:I want to stop--KRISTEN WELKER:– have talked about --PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:Let me tell you what --KRISTEN WELKER:– the other world leaders. PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:We're talking about --KRISTEN WELKER:You won't touch Medicare --PRES.-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:– theft --KRISTEN WELKER:– Social Security?

Persons: KRISTEN WELKER, Donald Trump, PRES, DONALD TRUMP, Joe Biden, he’s, Carol Lee, “ Playbook ”, Eugene Daniels, Marc Short, Mike Pence, Jen Psaki, Kristen Welker, Grover Cleveland, Decker, AutoZone, it's, Covid, Justin Trudeau, Jerome Powell, Will, –, You've, Biden, who's, We're, they’re, we've, – KRISTEN WELKER, they've, should've, Tom Homan – PRES, Tom Homan, you've, I've, John McCain, Collins, would've, – it's, That's, could've, Obamacare, we're, Roe, Wade, I'm, Trump, Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel, he's, Hillary Clinton, Bill Barr, Christopher Wray, Pam, Pam Bondi, Kash, that's, Trey Gowdy, “, Joe Biden – PRES, We'll, Jack Smith, I’m, ”, Hunter, Everything's, Fani Willis, Fani, Adam Schiff, Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney, Cheney, Bennie Thompson, We’re, – PRES, Assad, Putin, Israel wouldn't, Ukraine would've, Russia's, Ukraine's, Biden should've, Elon, Trump's, Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon Musk, You’re, couldn't, Joe, MAGA, There's, McLaughlin, Fabrizio, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, It’s – KRISTEN WELKER, Politico Playbook, Carol, It's, CAROL LEE, Kristen, they'll, Eugene, EUGENE DANIELS, “ Bennie Thompson, Marc, Johnson's, Trump isn't, JEN PSAKI, Kamala would've, He's, she's, Jen, he'd, Vladimir Putin, Tulsi Gabbard Organizations: Capitol, NBC, Staff, White House Press, Press, Trump, Walmart, Black, Biden, Canada, Mar, Federal Reserve, Democrats, Department, FBI, Truth, Mr, NATO, SpaceX, Government, Social Security, Medicaid, Justice Department, White, Service, America, Politico, Republican, MARC, Republicans, QAnon, Dreamers, Democratic, Ukraine Locations: PRES, Washington, New York, United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Canadian, Liberty, Venezuela, Colorado, Colorado . PRES, America, United States of America, Hegseth, Russia, Hague, Florida, Mar, Damascus, Ukraine, NBCNews.com, Syria

In an interview with Kristen Welker, moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Trump also said he’ll work to extend the tax cuts passed in his first term. Trump said he would fulfill a campaign promise to levy tariffs on imports from America’s biggest trading partners. “Well, I don’t know that you’ll see it at all,” Trump said, adding that health care experts are studying possible alternatives. Foreign policyLater Friday after the interview, Trump flew to Paris for a ceremony marking the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which had been devastated by a fire. On another foreign policy front, Trump expressed doubt that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be able to remain in power.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kristen Welker, ” Trump, Jan, ”, Trump’s, Trump, Welker, “, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, “ I’m, ” He’s, Jeff Bezos, ’ Trump, Joe Biden, Adam Schiff, he’s, Biden, Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, Jack Smith, I’m, Jerome Powell, won’t, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, “ I’ll, Melania Trump, flinch, ” It’s, we’ve, who’ve, “ We’re, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, It’s, Obamacare, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Bashar al, Assad, hasn’t, ‘, ” Welker, MAGA Organizations: U.S . Capitol, NBC, Press, Trump, Social Security, Amazon, The Washington Post, White, FBI, Justice Department, Truth, Federal, West Wing, Democrats, Notre Dame Cathedral, “, NATO Locations: Manhattan, California, U.S, Paris, “, Russia, Ukraine

Smoke rises as a member of the rebels, led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, drives on a motorbike in al-Rashideen in Aleppo, Syria, on November 29. Mahmoud Hasano/ReutersSyria’s rebel coalition consists of Islamist and moderate factions who, despite their differences, are united in fighting the Assad regime, ISIS and Iran-backed militias. He created Jabhat al-Nusra, al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, and operated the group until a public split with in 2016 over ideological differences and opposition to ISIS. The Syrian National Army (SNA): The “Syrian National Army” incorporates dozens of factions with various ideologies that receive funding and arms from Turkey. In Syria’s south, fighters from the country’s Druze religious minority have also joined the fight, a local activist group told CNN.

Persons: Mahmoud Hasano, Assad, Al Sham, Abu Mohammad al, al, Sham, Tal Rifaat Organizations: Reuters, ISIS, Hayat, Organization for, Jolani, Syrian National Army, Liberation, Sharia, Free Syrian Army, Syrian Democratic Forces, Peoples ’, CNN Locations: Rashideen, Aleppo, Syria, Iran, al Qaeda, United States, Iraq, Syrian, Turkey, Kurdish, Tal, Daraa

Smoke rises as a member of the rebels, led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, drives on a motorbike in al-Rashideen in Aleppo, Syria, on November 29. Mahmoud Hasano/ReutersSyria’s rebel coalition consists of Islamist and moderate factions who, despite their differences, are united in fighting the Assad regime, ISIS and Iran-backed militias. The Syrian National Army (SNA): The “Syrian National Army” incorporates dozens of factions with various ideologies that receive funding and arms from Turkey. In Syria’s south, fighters from the country’s Druze religious minority have also joined the fight, a local activist group told CNN. Druze are fighting in the southern city of as-Suwayda, which neighbors the Daraa province, where opposition forces claim to have taken control of Daraa city.

☆ Kim Yong-hyun: South Korean prosecutors detain ex-defense chief over martial law imposition
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( Jerome Taylor | Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Senior prosecutor Park Se-hyun said in a televised statement Sunday that authorities launched a 62-member special investigation team on the martial law case. Kim is a central figure in Yoon’s martial law enforcement, which led to special forces troops encircling the National Assembly building and army helicopters hovering over it. In Kim’s impeachment motion document, the Democratic Party and other opposition parties accused him of proposing martial law to Yoon. The Defense Ministry said it has suspended three top military commanders over their alleged involvement in the martial law imposition. In a parliamentary hearing on Friday, Lee, one of Yoon’s closest associates, defended Yoon’s martial law decree, saying the president exercised his powers “within the boundaries of constitutional processes and law.”

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon, Kim Yong, hyun, Kim, ” Yoon, Yoon’s, Kim Seon, ho, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Soo, Shim Woo, jung, shirk, ”, Han Dong, didn’t, isn’t, Lee Sang, Lee Organizations: AP, South, Sunday, Democratic Party, Defense, Assembly, National Assembly, CNN Protesters, Reuters, ”, Defense Ministry, Power Party, Safety Locations: Seoul, Korea, South Korea, U.S, Japan

☆ Bashar al-Assad: The brutal leader whose family ruled Syria with an iron fist for more than 50 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The United States, Jordan, Turkey and the European Union at the war’s start all called for Assad to step down. Testament to the horror of that regime were scenes of jubilant celebration as rebel forces took control of Syrian cities. Bashar al-Assad, center, is seen during the closing session of the ruling Baath party congress in Damascus, Syria, on June 20, 2000. Bashar al-Assad was then thrust into the national spotlight and studied military science, later becoming a colonel in the Syrian army. They then turned to outright condemnation of the regime after he met the 2011 pro-democracy groundswell with brutal force.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Assad’s, SANA, Hafez al, Bassel, Hafez, Asma al, Barack Obama, ” Assad, ”, Syria's, Mohammed al, Ban, Washington, Syria wouldn’t Organizations: CNN, ISIS, European Union, Baath Party, Muslim, Hezbollah, Getty, UN, United Nations Locations: Syria, United States, Jordan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Homs, Damascus, Soviet, Hama –, London, Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Assad, Hama, AFP, States, Western, US

☆ South Korea martial law fallout deepens as prosecutors close in on president, ex-defense minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People march in heavy rain to protest against South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, as strike and protests continue amid the martial law crisis, in Seoul, South Korea, on December 05, 2024. South Korea's leadership crisis deepened on Sunday as prosecutors named President Yoon Suk Yeol as a subject of a criminal investigation over last week's martial law attempt, a media report said, and his former defense minister was arrested. But National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik said it was unconstitutional to delegate presidential authority to the prime minister and the ruling party without impeachment. Woo proposed a meeting of rival parties to discuss ways to suspend Yoon's presidential power immediately. The DP called for the arrest of Yoon and related military officials implicated in the martial law fiasco.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon, Asia's, Han Dong, Woo Won, shik, Woo, cordons Organizations: South, Yoon's People Power Party, Democratic Party Locations: Seoul, South Korea, U.S

☆ Trump says he doesn't 'believe' Americans will pay more under his tariff plan but 'can't guarantee anything'
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But, he told Kristen Welker on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, "I can't guarantee anything." "I can't guarantee anything," Trump told "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker in his first major network television interview since the November general election. "We took in hundreds of billions of dollars and we had no inflation," the president-elect told Welker. "We're subsidizing Mexico, and we're subsidizing Canada, and we're subsidizing many countries all over the world. AdvertisementAcross the United States, Trump cut into traditional Democratic advantages with working-class voters and minority groups, with many siding with him at the ballot box over his focus on inflation.

Persons: Trump, Kristen Welker, Donald Trump, Welker, Justin Trudeau of, Trudeau, Claudia Sheinbaum, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden's, Harris Organizations: NBC, Trump, Mar Locations: Canada, China, Mexico, United States, Justin Trudeau of Canada

☆ John Mahama: Former Ghana leader pulls off historic comeback after crucial presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has conceded defeat a day after a tense presidential election, marking a historic political comeback for the opposition candidate, former leader John Mahama. Bawumia said in his concession speech on Sunday morning that internally collated results showed that “Mahama has won the presidential election decisively,” ahead of a formal announcement by the electoral commission. Bawumia said the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party had also won the parliamentary election. Bawumia, 61, a UK-trained economist who chaired the nation’s economic management team, faced criticism ahead of the elections over his handling of the struggling economy. On the campaign trail, Mahama also criticized him for saying little about the economy.

Persons: CNN —, Mahamudu Bawumia, John Mahama, Bawumia, Mahama, “, John Dramani Mahama, ” Bawumia, ” Organizations: CNN, National Democratic Congress Locations: Republic of Ghana, Ghana, Bawumia

For the past four years, Texas has made itself an adversary of the White House on immigration. “We’re actively looking at the properties we have around the state and seeing if it works for the Trump administration,” Buckingham told NBC News. Buckingham also said that Texas would look to help guide the incoming administration’s policies on border security. Scott Stephen Ball for The Washington Post via Getty Images fileThe Trump administration is listening. But legal experts, including Su, are watching to see if Trump’s Department of Justice backs off from that and other legal challenges on Texas’ immigration policies that were undertaken by the Biden administration.

Persons: Greg Abbott, Biden, Donald Trump, White, Dawn Buckingham, Trump, “ We’re, ” Buckingham, “ We’ve, Buckingham, Tom Homan, Scott Stephen Ball, ” Tom Homan, Trump's, Abbott, ” Abbott, Joe Biden’s, ”, Andrea Flores, Obama, “, Flores, Rick Su, ” Flores, ” Su, Su Organizations: White, Republican, Democratic, NBC News, Eagle, The Washington, Getty, U.S, Immigration, Customs, Trump, Biden, Denver, University of North, Lone Star, Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety, Trump’s Department, Justice, “ Locations: Texas, U.S, Mexico, Washington, Rio Grande, El Paso, United States, America, ” Texas, “ Texas, FWD.us, New York, Chicago, University of North Carolina

Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., said Saturday that she and her family had been targeted by a bomb threat and that local police are working with the U.S. Capitol Police to investigate the incident. “This morning, I was made aware of a bomb threat targeting my family and me. Breault said the state police's bomb squad did not find a device and cleared the residence for safety. The Capitol Police and the Massachusetts State Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The threat against Trahan comes a week after several members of Congress and some of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks were targeted with bomb threats and swatting incidents.

Persons: Lori Trahan, ” Trahan, “, Trahan, Michael Breault, Breault, Donald Trump’s, Seth Moulton Organizations: U.S . Capitol Police, Westford Police Department, United States Capitol Police, Massachusetts State Police, Westford Police, Capitol Police, The Capitol Police Locations: New England, Massachusetts

☆ Nepal: The mysterious, mathematical origins of the world’s most unusually-shaped national flag
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —It’s a go-to question at bar trivia: what is the only national flag in the world that isn’t rectangular or square shaped? But beyond the simple fact of its uncommon shape, Nepal’s flag is a bit of a mystery. Rupakheti is quick to point out that even Nepali history scholars aren’t completely sure about the full backstory of the national flag. A Nepali men's football team fan gets the national flag painted on her face before a friendly match with India in 2021. “National flags could only be unfurled and could only be displayed at government premises,” explains Rupakheti.

Persons: CNN — It’s, ”, Sanjog Rupakheti, Rupakheti, aren’t, Subash Shrestha, Henry Ambrose Oldfield, Perceval Landon, Landon, Ted Kaye, Kaye, “, ” Kaye, King Mahendra, it’s Organizations: CNN, College of, India, American Vexillogical Association, NAVA, IOC Locations: Nepal, South Asia, Massachusetts, British, –, Asia

☆ Democrats and Republicans in Congress worried that Gabbard might leak information to Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

The aides were concerned Gabbard might leak the name of the defector, who had hidden his identity out of fear of reprisals from the Assad regime. In the past, Caesar had spoken privately to members of Congress without his face covered when Gabbard was not present. The Assad regime brutally crushed peaceful political protests in 2011, firing on unarmed demonstrators and carrying out mass arrests and torture. As the war intensified, Gabbard’s sympathetic statements about the Russian-backed Assad regime raised eyebrows and alarmed her colleagues. “She basically completely adopted the Assad regime propaganda, where she suggested falsely that the U.S. was supporting terrorist extremists in Syria, and didn’t mention that the Assad regime had been slaughtering fellow Syrians there,” the former official said.

Persons: Assad, Tulsi Gabbard, Bashar al, Caesar, ”, Gabbard, Tulsi doesn’t, Mouaz Moustafa, Donald Trump, Alexa Henning, Donald Trump’s, Henning, Seth Moulton of, nodded, Moustafa, “, ” Moustafa, Josh Rogin, Drew Angerer, ” Henning, Obama, Ryan Grimm, Trump, Republican Sen, James Lankford of, Bashar Assad, we’ll, ” Lankford, Nikki Haley, Gabbard’s, that’s, ” Haley Organizations: House Foreign Affairs, Democratic, Republican, Syrian Emergency, Force, NBC News, Trump, Army Reserve, U.S . House, Representatives, Gabbard, Capitol, Democratic Party, Army National Guard, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Moustafa, ISIS, Washington, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Lebanese Hezbollah, Capitol Hill, U.S, Ambassador, United Nations, Organization for, Chemical Weapons, CNN, United, Republicans, Senate Intelligence, NATO, Sirius XM Locations: Syrian, Damascus, U.S, Russia, Syria, Iranian, Iraq, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Turkish, Gaziantep, Gabbard, Lebanese, Lebanon, United States, Washington, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Carolina, Ukraine

☆ Kamala Harris' campaign has $1.8 million left in the bank after spending over $1 billion to defeat Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Harris campaign has $1.8 million cash after spending over $1 billion in the 2024 race. Throughout her campaign, Harris raised more than $1 billion, a stunning figure that mirrored the quick rise of her campaign. New federal filings show that the Harris campaign had $1.8 million remaining in the bank after spending over $1 billion against Trump in the presidential race. The Trump campaign raked in nearly $87 million during that same period and spent $113 million, the president-elect's campaign filings indicated. AdvertisementBusiness Insider reached out to the Harris campaign for comment.

Persons: Harris, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Trump, Biden Organizations: Democratic, Trump, FEC, New York Times, Republican National Committee Locations: Georgia, Pennsylvania

☆ The US provided no evidence that China manipulates TikTok content inside the country, court says
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The court that upheld a law that could ban TikTok said the US showed no evidence China manipulates content. TikTok denies content manipulation and says it expects the US Supreme Court to reverse the ban. AdvertisementThe appeals court that upheld a law that could ban TikTok in the United States said the government offered no evidence that China is manipulating content on the platform in the United States. The court concluded that Bytedance and TikTok have "a demonstrated history" of manipulating content in other countries, sometimes at the request of China. Advertisement"That conclusion rests on more than mere speculation," the judges wrote in the court opinion.

Persons: TikTok, Joe Biden, Jake Auchincloss, Mike Flood Organizations: Court, District of Columbia, China's Communist Party, Democratic Massachusetts, Chinese Communist Party, Republican Nebraska Rep, Oracle Locations: China, United States, American, People's Republic of China, Romania

CNN —Biden administration officials, watching the remarkable speed of the Syrian rebel advance, increasingly see the possibility of the regime of Bashar al-Assad falling within days, five US officials told CNN. “Probably by next weekend the Assad regime will have lost any semblance of power,” one said. The Biden administration appeared caught off guard by the speed of the rebel advance launched last week. Regime troops have collapsed and melted away, leaving a fragile shell of an army to defend the president and Damascus. Leading the rebel advance in Syria is a group designated by the US as terrorist organization: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which was previously linked to al Qaeda.

Persons: CNN —, Bashar al, Assad, hasn’t, isn’t, Biden, Tahrir, Jake Sullivan, —, Turkey Organizations: CNN, CNN — Biden, US, Rebels, “, Pentagon, Syrian Democratic Forces, ISIS, SDF Locations: Syrian, Homs, Syria’s, Damascus, Afghanistan —, Ukraine, Russia, Syria, al Qaeda, Iran, Kurdish, Turkey, Moscow, Tehran, Latakia

☆ South Korea's President Yoon survives impeachment motion after ruling party boycotts vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 07: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attends a press conference on state affairs at the presidential office on Nov. 7, 2024. Beleaguered South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday survived an impeachment motion triggered by his short-lived failed attempt to impose martial law earlier this week, after his ruling party boycotted the vote, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap. The motion, tabled by opposition politicians including the leading Democratic Party, needed the support of two-thirds of South Korea's 300-member National Assembly to pass. Allied lawmakers walked out ahead of the vote on Saturday, making it impossible to meet the required quorum for the impeachment vote. South Korea is no stranger to such proceedings, with two heads of state previously impeached since the turn of the century: Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2016.

Persons: Yoon Suk, yeol, Yoon, Kim Keon Hee, Roh Moo Organizations: SOUTH, South, Democratic Party, National Assembly, Reuters Locations: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, South Korean, South Korea

☆ Elon Musk says DOGE can 'gut the federal government' with a recent Supreme Court ruling. Some lawyers disagree.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy said a SCOTUS ruling on federal regulations will help them cut spending through DOGE. AdvertisementThe Supreme Court might not help Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's spending cut goals as much as they might think. Holes in Musk and Ramaswamy's argumentThe Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine in June 2024 in a ruling on the case Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. The Biden administration went through that process to craft its second student-loan forgiveness plan after the Supreme Court struck down the first one. It's not clear that the Supreme Court had that in mind when it overruled Chevron."

Persons: Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, SCOTUS, Vivek Ramaswamy's, Donald Trump, Ramaswamy, Musk, that's, Gillian Metzger, Metzger, Raimondo, Nicholas Bagley, Bagley, Bright, Trump, Biden, Cary Coglianese, Coglianese, Jared Moskowitz, Moskowitz, Ro Khanna, Sen, Bernie Sanders, GOP Sen, Joni Ernst, Marsha Blackburn, —, We've, You've Organizations: of Government, GOP, Chevron, Columbia Law School, Trump, Bright Enterprises, National Marine Fisheries, University of Michigan, Street Journal, APA, University of Pennsylvania, Ramaswamy, Republican, Democratic, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Treasury Department, Department of Health, Human Services, Social Security Administration, Treasury Department . National, Capitol Locations: Chevron, Congress

☆ Hegseth and Collins’ push for cutting veterans health benefits alarms servicemembers and veterans groups
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

He’s also lobbied for policies that would restrict VA care and believes veterans should ask for fewer government benefits. “We want to have full choice where veterans can go wherever they want for care,” Hegseth told Trump on speakerphone as Shulkin listened, according to Shulkin’s 2019 memoir. For Shulkin, a rare “holdover” from President Barack Obama’s administration to Trump’s, this was “the worst-case scenario” for veteran health care, and one he had repeatedly warned Hegseth against. As secretary of defense, Hegseth would oversee the Military Health System, which is separate from the Veterans Health Administration. “If this continues, the Defense Department will eventually be a health care and pension provider that also happens to fight wars,” he wrote.

Persons: Washington CNN — “, Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump, David Shulkin, Trump, He’s, ” Hegseth, Shulkin, Doug Collins, ”, Barack Obama’s, Hegseth, ” Shulkin, Collins, “ Fox, I’ve, Shawn Ryan, Amy McGrath, Sen, Mitch McConnell, hasn’t, “ I’m, it’s, ” McGrath, “, McGrath, there’s, Charles, David Koch, Max Rose, VoteVets, –, ‘, ’ ”, I’m, ’, Hegseth –, America –, Ryan, hadn’t, Kate Kuzminski, ” Kuzminski, ” Rose, Kuzminski Organizations: Washington CNN, Department of Veterans Affairs, Fox News, Veterans, CNN, Marine, Biden, Military Health, Veterans Health Administration, Pentagon, Wall, Defense Department, Army Reserve, Democratic, America, Trump, “, White, White House, American, Center, New, New American Security Locations: speakerphone, Trump’s, Kentucky, America, New American

☆ Distant wars waged by Israel and Russia changed Syria’s fortune. What comes next is impossible to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But the war of attrition has left Russia “incapable” of assisting Assad, even President-elect Donald Trump noted on Saturday. But this is one seized by Turkey, a NATO member which has dealt with the most fallout from Syria’s turmoil. Adem Altan/AFP/Getty ImagesThe unknowable impact of vast, fast change left Syria mired in half-policies and US inaction before. This may prove the swift and severe change that Syria needed to stabilize – a shaking of the carpet that leaves society smoother. Syria’s past 13 years have been so brutal it deserves exactly that.

Persons: George W Bush, Obama, Donald Trump, Bashar al, Assad, Ghaith, Sergei Lavrov, ”, Hayat Tahrir, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Erdogan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Adem Altan, Barack Obama, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, US, NATO, Syrian Democratic Forces, ISIS, Getty Locations: Syria, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, Hama, Homs, Damascus, Ghouta, Beirut, Donetsk, Syrian, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Ankara, Turkish, Ireland, Afghanistan, AFP

☆ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy in their meeting
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

French President Emmanuel Macron, center, poses with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, left, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Elysee Palace, Sat., Dec. 7, 2024 in Paris. French President welcomed Donald Trump to Paris on Saturday with a full a dose of presidential pomp and they held an impromptu meeting with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that mixed pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. As Trump arrived at the official residence of the French president, Macron went out of his way to project an image of close ties, posing for multiple handshakes interspersed with plenty of back-patting. Trump spent about 90 minutes at the palace, meeting first with Macron before they were joined by Zelenskyy for about 35 minutes. Macron had planned to meet with Zelenskyy, and the French president's office said the three-way meeting was proposed by Macron and arranged shortly before Trump's arrival.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump, Macron —, Macron, Kamala Harris, Susie Wiles, Joe Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jill Biden, Britain's Prince William, Andriy Yermak, Trump's, van, Charles Kushner, Jared Kushner, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson Organizations: Paris, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ukraine, Zelenskyy, French, Republican, Bastille, Democratic, White, Ukrainian, NATO, Notre Dame, Secret, police, Security, U.S . Embassy, Twitter, Trump Locations: Sat, Paris, France, Notre, Ukraine, Kyiv, revel, United States, U.S

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