Portal:Current events
Topics in the news
- Syrian rebel forces capture Damascus following multiple offensives as overthrown president Bashar al-Assad (pictured) flees to Russia.
- Notre-Dame de Paris reopens following reconstruction after the 2019 fire.
- The first round of the Romanian presidential election is annulled by the Constitutional Court following allegations of Russian electoral interference.
- The French government, led by Michel Barnier, collapses following a vote of no confidence by the National Assembly.
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Fall of Damascus
- Fall of the Assad regime
- Lieutenant General Ali Mahmoud, Maher al-Assad's office manager and leader of several Syrian civil war campaigns, is found murdered in his office in the Damascus countryside. (SOHR)
- Fall of the Assad regime
- Operation Dawn of Freedom
- 2024 Al-Mustariha massacre
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that a Turkish drone strike on a civilian family in Al-Mustariha village in Raqqa Governorate kills twelve family members, most of whom are women and children. (SOHR)
- 2024 Manbij offensive
- Fighting between the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army and Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in Manbij leads to 50 deaths. (SOHR)
- Manbij is taken by the Syrian opposition, Syrian National Army. (LiveUA) (The Jerusalem Post)
- 2024 Al-Mustariha massacre
- Fall of Damascus
- Israel and the Syrian civil war
- 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz orders the Israeli Defense Forces to quickly occupy the entire Syrian buffer zone, and to establish a new security zone further into southern Syria free of all insurgent infrastructure and heavy weapons. (Israel Hayom)
- The Israeli Air Force launches several airstrikes on the city of Daraa in southwestern Syria. (Erem News)
- Israel carries out a wave of airstrikes on Syrian Air Force bases, destroying remnants of the Assad regime's air force, including its entire fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets. (VIN News)
- 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Blockade of the Gaza Strip
- At least 50 Palestinians are killed and 84 others are injured in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, including ten killed in at a flour distribution zone in Rafah. (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli–Palestinian peace process
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Blockade of the Gaza Strip
- Haitian Crisis
- In Haiti's Cité Soleil slum, at least 110 elderly people are killed following accusations by a gang leader that they practiced witchcraft against the leader's child. (France24)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Kanlaon eruption
- PHIVOLCS raises the alert level of Kanlaon Volcano in Philippines to Level 3 after an explosive eruption occurred at the summit vent. (Rappler)
- Two people are killed, 26 others are injured and three are missing after an explosion at an Eni factory in Calenzano, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy. (Rai News)
- A fishing boat collides with a sand barge near Gyeongju, South Korea, killing seven people and leaving another missing. (AP)
- Ten people are killed and two more are missing after floods and landslides in Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. (AP)
- Two military helicopters collide during a training flight in Isparta, Turkey, killing six soldiers. (Daily Sabah)
International relations
- Austria–Syria relations, Germany–Syria relations
- Refugees of the Syrian civil war
- Austria and Germany freeze all new and ongoing asylum applications from Syrians and will review previous asylum claims following the fall of the Assad regime. (Euronews)
- Refugees of the Syrian civil war
- Australia–Nauru relations
- Australia and Nauru announce a joint security treaty that sees Australia sending Nauru AU$100 million (US$64 million) in direct support over five years in exchange for Nauru consulting Australia before signing any bilateral agreements with other countries. (DW) (Nikkei Asia)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Azad Kashmir protests
- The local government of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, repeals an executive order that banned protests following four days of shutter-down demonstrations in May. (Al Jazeera) (Daily Express)
- 2024 South Korean martial law
- The South Korean Corruption Investigation Office imposes a blanket travel ban on President Yoon Suk Yeol for his failed attempt at imposing martial law last week. (Al Jazeera) (Kyodo News)
- Syrian peace process
- Syrian opposition leader Mohammed al-Bashir is appointed Prime Minister of the Syrian transitional government. (Al Jazeera)
- Prime Minister of Tonga Siaosi Sovaleni resigns ahead of a vote of no confidence. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Fall of Damascus
- Fall of the Assad regime
- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leaves the country on a flight from Damascus International Airport to an unknown destination. (BBC News) (Al Jazeera)
- Russian state media reports that Bashar al-Assad is in Moscow, Russia, and that he and his family have been granted asylum by the Russian government. (Euronews) (Sky News)
- Senior Syrian government officials are reportedly in talks with the Syrian opposition and are preparing to defect. (CNN)
- Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali says that he is not leaving Syria and will commit to a peaceful transition of power to the Syrian opposition. Al-Jalali also calls on rebel forces to not damage state institutions in Damascus or to harm civilians. (Axios)
- The Syrian Army says that Bashar al-Assad's rule has ended and orders all of its troops to lay down arms and stop fighting. (Reuters)
- Syrian rebels seize state television and announce to the nation that Bashar al-Assad has been toppled and that a new government will be formed. (Xinhua)
- Rebel forces seize the Presidential Palace in Damascus, which is later looted by armed soldiers and civilians. (The Guardian) (Al Arabiya)
- Rebel forces take control of Sednaya Prison and begin releasing thousands of prisoners, including many political prisoners. (Barron's)
- Thousands of Damascus residents gather in Umayyad Square to celebrate the collapse of the Assad regime. (BBC News)
- A video posted to X shows Syrians tearing down posters of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani at the Iranian embassy in Damascus. Statues of former president Hafez al-Assad are also toppled across the city. (Al Bawaba) (Madhyama Online)
- Syrians abroad celebrate the collapse of the Assad regime, with rallies being held in cities across Europe. (France24) (The Guardian)
- Fall of the Assad regime
- 2024 Manbij offensive, Operation Dawn of Freedom
- Turkish security sources claim that 80% of Kurdish-held positions in the city of Manbij in Aleppo Governorate have been taken by the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army. (Türkiye Today)
- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan threatens "appropriate measures" against Kurdistan Workers' Party-aligned rebel groups, and states that Turkey will never allow these groups control over any part of Syria or its government. (Shafaq)
- Deir ez-Zor offensive
- Syrian regime forces reportedly surrender Deir ez-Zor to opposition forces, according to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. (BBC News)
- Fall of Damascus
- Israel and the Syrian civil war
- 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
- Israeli tanks and troops enter Syria's Quneitra Governorate to reportedly establish a buffer zone, marking Israel's first crossing of the ceasefire line in 50 years. (The Times of Israel) (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli forces take control of the towns of Madinat al-Baath and Khan Arnabah in Quneitra Governorate and also capture the Syrian side of Mount Hermon in Rif Dimashq Governorate. (Factjo) (The Times of Israel)
- The Israeli Air Force launches targeted airstrikes on ammunition and equipment depots at Mezzeh Air Base in Damascus and Khalkhalah air base in Suwayda Governorate. An Israeli airstrike also targets the Scientific Research Center in Damascus's security zone, which oversees chemical weapons and ballistic missile programs. (Reuters) (Sada El-Balad) (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria has "collapsed" and orders the Israel Defense Forces to occupy the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. (New Arab)
- 2024 Israeli invasion of Syria
- US intervention in the Syrian civil war
- War against the Islamic State
- The United States launches airstrikes on ISIL targets in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime. (The Telegraph)
- U.S. President Joe Biden praises the end of the Ba'athist Syria regime and announces that the U.S. will support Syria and its neighbors during Syria's political transition. (CNBC)
- War against the Islamic State
- Turkish forces bombard positions in Syrian Democratic Forces-controlled areas in Al-Hasakah. (SOHR)
- The Syrian opposition takes control of the city of Jableh in Latakia Governorate. (Al Jazeera)
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- At least 16 Palestinians are killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, including in Deir al-Balah and the Bureij refugee camp. (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in action since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and that 370,000 soldiers have been injured, while estimating the number of Russian casualties at 198,000 soldiers killed and more than 550,000 soldiers injured. (Politico)
- Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War
Arts and culture
- Reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris
- The Notre-Dame cathedral in Île de la Cité, Paris, France, reopens and holds its first public mass five years after a structural fire damaged the building and destroyed its spire. French President Emmanuel Macron and dozens of world leaders attend the reopening ceremony. (Irish Independent) (RTHK)
Disasters and accidents
- A Syrian Air Ilyushin Il-76T disappears from radar near Homs, Syria, after departing from Damascus International Airport. Initial rumors speculated that the plane was carrying President of Syria Bashar al-Assad who was fleeing the country due to the fall of his regime after the Syrian opposition captured Damascus. However, Russia reports that Assad and his family are currently in Moscow. (Tampa Free Press) (iNews.co.uk)
- Three are killed after their fishing boat capsizes in restricted and hazardous waters near Lock and Dam No. 12 on the Mississippi River near Bellevue, Iowa, United States. (KSOM)
Law and crime
- 2024 South Korean martial law
- South Korean National Police arrest former national defense minister Kim Yong-hyun and raid his home, alleging that Kim helped President Yoon Suk Yeol institute martial law. (DW) (Anadolu Agency)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Ghanaian general election
- Former Ghanaian President and National Democratic Congress candidate John Mahama wins the presidential election as incumbent vice president and New Patriotic Party candidate Mahamudu Bawumia concedes defeat. (DW) (BBC News)
Sports
- 2024 Formula One World Championship
- In auto racing, McLaren wins the World Constructors' Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, its first title since 1998. (NBC News)
- In professional baseball, the New York Mets sign Dominican outfielder Juan Soto to a $765 million, 15-year contract, the largest contract in Major League Baseball history. (Reuters)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Operation Dawn of Freedom
- 2024 Manbij offensive
- Turkish-backed Syrian National Army forces conduct extensive drone strikes and artillery shelling on villages near U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces positions in the city of Manbij in Aleppo Governorate, Syria. (Motabaat) (Asharq Al-Awsat)
- 2024 Manbij offensive
- Fall of Damascus
- The Military Operations Command coalition led by Tahrir al-Sham says that a military operation to capture Damascus is underway with rebels reportedly advancing on the capital on several fronts. (The Jerusalem Post)
- Rebel forces capture the cities of Al-Dumayr and Yabroud and the town of Sa'sa' in Rif Dimashq Governorate as the Syrian Defense Ministry denies reports that its troops are abandoning positions in the Damascus countryside. (Al Arabiya) (SOHR)
- Syrian security officials and Arab officials say that First Lady of Syria Asma al-Assad fled with her three children to Russia last week. However, amid conflicting reports, Syrian state television says that President Bashar al-Assad remains in Damascus. (The Telegraph via Yahoo! News) (BBC News)
- United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Otto Pedersen calls for an "orderly political transition" from the collapsing Syrian government to the Syrian opposition in order to end the conflict. (AP) (Barron's)
- A statue of former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad is toppled in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana. (NBC News) (Barron's)
- Southern Syria offensive
- The Syrian Armed Forces announce a complete withdrawal from the Daraa and Suwayda Governorates in order to reinforce Damascus. (AP)
- Rebel forces capture the city of Al-Sanamayn in Daraa Governorate and also capture the city of Quneitra. (First Post) (The Hindustan Times) (Al Arabiya)
- 2024 Homs offensive
- Rebel forces enter the city of Homs, eventually capturing the city after hours of urban warfare to oust Assad loyalists. Rebels also capture Homs Central Prison and release around 3,500 prisoners. (Reuters) (Times Now) (Cedar News) (Barron's)
- Deir ez-Zor offensive
- More than 1,000 Syrian soldiers seeking refuge cross into Iraq through the Al-Qa'im border crossing according to Iraqi authorities. (Iraqi News Agency)
- Palmyra offensive
- The U.S.-backed Revolutionary Commando Army takes control of the city of Palmyra in Homs Governorate following heavy fighting with pro-government forces. Rebels also capture the towns of Al-Sukhnah and Al-Qaryatayn in Homs Governorate. (Yeni Safak)
- The Syrian Army withdraws from the cities of Al-Hasakah and Qamishli in Al-Hasakah Governorate, transferring control of the Kurdish-majority cities to the Syrian Democratic Forces. (Anadolu Agency) (Yeni Safak)
- Operation Dawn of Freedom
- Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war
- Iran begins to evacuate military personnel, diplomatic staff, and civilians from Syria amid rebel advances. (The New York Times)
- Refugees of the Syrian civil war
- The UN World Food Programme reports that the renewed conflict in Syria is estimated to displace around 1.5 million Syrians. (Al Jazeera)
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Refugee camp airstrikes in the Israel–Hamas war
- At least 20 people, including six children, are killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza. (Al Jazeera)
- Refugee camp airstrikes in the Israel–Hamas war
- Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani says at the Doha Forum that his country is seeing a momentum build up for a ceasefire to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Six Pakistan Army soldiers and 22 Tehreek-e-Taliban militants are killed in clashes near the Afghan border. (Reuters)
- Six soldiers are killed and seven injured after a mass shooting at a checkpoint in Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024–25 European windstorm season
- Storm Darragh
- Two people are killed by falling trees in England and more than 1.5 million people experience power outages in Ireland and the United Kingdom as Storm Darragh hits the British Isles. (BBC News) (Sky News)
- Storm Darragh
- 2024 The Hague explosion
- Five people are killed, four others are injured, and several others are missing in an explosion that destroyed several apartments in The Hague, Netherlands. (BBC News) (Euronews)
Law and crime
- Cross-strait relations, Chinese intelligence activity abroad
- Prosecutors in Taiwan charge four soldiers with espionage, accusing the soldiers of passing photographs of Taiwan's military capability to Chinese agents in exchange for money between 2022 and 2024. (DW) (The Standard)
Politics and elections
- 2024 South Korean martial law
- Attempted impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol
- A vote to impeach South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol fails in the National Assembly due to a boycott of the vote by members of Yoon's People Power Party. (AP)
- President Yoon Suk Yeol apologizes to the South Korean population, promising that he will not avoid legal sanctions or institute martial law a second time. (The Guardian)
- Attempted impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol
- 2024 Indian farmers' protest
- Over 100 Indian farmers march from Punjab to the capital city New Delhi to demand for the legal assurance of a minimum support price for all crops as well as loan forgiveness for farmers. (DW)
- Punjab Police set up barricades and fire tear gas at the marching farmers as they enter Haryana, causing them to turn around and return to Shambhu, Punjab. (Hindustan Times) (Anadolu Agency)
- 2024 Ghanaian general election
- Ghanaians vote to elect the President and the 275 members of the Parliament. (France24)
- 2025 Singaporean general election
- Former Workers' Party Secretary-General and longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament Low Thia Khiang announced retirement in politics ahead of the election. (The Straits Times) (CNA)
- Interim President and military junta leader of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traoré dismisses Prime Minister Apollinaire J. Kyélem de Tambèla and dissolves the government. (DW) (Irish Examiner)
Science and technology
- The Iranian Space Agency successfully launches the Simorgh rocket carrying two satellites and the Saman-1 space tug from the Imam Khomeini Space Launch Terminal in Semnan, Iran, the heaviest payload ever launched in Iran. (DW)
Sports
- MLS Cup 2024
- In association football, the Los Angeles Galaxy defeat the New York Red Bulls 2–1 to win a record 6th championship. (AP)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- 2024 Homs offensive
- After capturing the town of Talbiseh and the city of Al-Rastan, rebel forces capture several more towns and villages in the northern countryside of Homs Governorate, Syria, reaching the town of Al-Dar al-Kabirah and approaching the outskirts of Homs. (SOHR) (Anadolu Agency)
- Russian and Syrian warplanes bombard rebel-held areas in Homs Governorate, killing at least 20 people. (BBC News)
- 2024 Homs offensive
- Southern Syria offensive
- Syrian Army soldiers from the 8th Armoured Division in Daraa defect to the Syrian opposition as rebels launch attacks on pro-government checkpoints across Daraa Governorate, taking control of several towns, including Inkhil, Ghabaghib, and al-Jiza, as well as the city of Jasim. Rebels later claim near total control of the governorate. (Yeni Safak)
- Rebels take full control of the city of Daraa after agreeing to allow Ba'ath Party officials to leave the city with safe passage to Damascus, and also take full control of the mainly Druze city of Suwayda. (The Times of Israel) (The New Arab) (Anadolu Agency) (Newsweek)
- Jordan closes its border with Syria after rebel forces seize the main Nasib Border Crossing. (Reuters)
- Deir ez-Zor offensive
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces take control of Deir ez-Zor and its airport following the withdrawal of pro-government forces. (Enab Baladi) (SOHR)
- Iraqi militias withdraw from the Syrian side of the Al-Qa'im border crossing on the border with Iraq. (Shafaq)
- Russia–Syria relations
- Russia tells its citizens to leave Syria on commercial flights while they still can amid rebel advances in the country. (Al Arabiya)
- Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war
- Turkey freezes the assets of deceased former commander of Tahrir al-Sham Abu Maria al-Qahtani, who was killed in April, to comply with the United Nations Security Council's policies. (Turkish Minute)
- Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani says that his forces will not end their military campaign until Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is removed from power. (France 24)
- Egypt and Jordan both urge Bashar al-Assad and his family to leave Syria, saying that Assad can no longer stop the rebel offensive. (The Wall Street Journal)
- The Indian Ministry of External Affairs advises its citizens to leave Syria and avoid all travel to the country indefinitely. (WION)
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Israel–Hamas war
- Kamal Adwan Hospital sieges
- Israeli drone strikes on the northern and western sides of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip kill at least 29 Palestinians. Israeli forces subsequently raid the hospital, killing four doctors. (Al Jazeera) (CNN)
- Kamal Adwan Hospital sieges
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Southern front of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- A Russian missile strike kills ten civilians in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, and injures four others, including two children. Separately, a missile attack on an administrative building in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, kills two people and injures 16 others. (Reuters)
- Southern front of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Business and economy
- EU–Mercosur Association Agreement
- The European Union and Mercosur trade bloc finalize a free trade deal in Montevideo, Uruguay, after 25 years of negotiations. (France 24)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024–25 European windstorm season
- Millions of people receive emergency alerts in the United Kingdom as Storm Darragh prepares to make landfall over the British Isles. (BBC News)
- Twenty-six people are killed and 28 more injured after a collision between two minibuses in Brokoua, Ivory Coast. (AP)
- New Zealand Police presume that two Americans and a Canadian are dead after evidence suggests they fell while attempting to summit Mount Cook (Aoraki), suspending search operations. (CNN)
International relations
- Belarus–Russia relations, Nuclear risk during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko sign an agreement in Minsk, Belarus, offering security guarantees to Belarus including nuclear security and the possible use of Russian nuclear weapons in order to repel aggressions. (AP)
Law and crime
- Antisemitism in Australia
- Two people are injured in an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne, Australia. (DW) (The Australian Jewish News)
- Restrictions on TikTok in the United States
- A United States court of appeals upholds the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which requires China-based company ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 19 or face an effective ban on operations in the United States. (CNBC)
Politics and elections
- 2024 Aruban general election
- Arubans vote to elect the 21 members of the Parliament. The Aruban People's Party wins nine seats and the People's Electoral Movement wins eight seats, neither parties achieving a majority. (Aruba Papers)
- 2024 Mauritian presidential election
- An uncontested election is held for the President of Mauritius, with former minister of education and Labour Party representative Dharam Gokhool winning without contest. Robert Hungley is elected Vice-President. (Xinhua)
- 2024 Romanian presidential election
- The Constitutional Court of Romania annuls the first round results of the presidential election vote two days before the second round of the election. (The Washington Post)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- 2024 Hama offensive
- The Syrian Army says that it has withdrawn from the city of Hama in order to "protect the lives of civilians" after rebel forces enter the city. Rebel forces later begin releasing hundreds of prisoners from Hama's central prison. (MSN) (Ynet)
- A helicopter is shot down after taking off from Hama Air Base as pro-government forces evacuate the airbase. Another helicopter that took off from the air base makes an emergency landing after being hit. The airbase is later fully captured by the rebels. (Al Jazeera) (YeniSafak)
- Rebel forces enter the city of Salamiyah in Hama Governorate after reportedly facing no resistance. (SOHR)
- Rebels capture the town of Qamhana and Jabal Zayn al-Abidin mountain in Hama Governorate. (SOHR)
- 2024 Homs offensive
- Syrian rebel forces capture and take military vehicles and ammunition from a Syrian military engineering battalion facility on the outskirts of the city of al-Rastan in Homs Governorate. (SOHR)
- A Russian jet launches an airstrike on the Rastan Bridge over the Orontes River in an attempt to impede the rebel advance on Al-Rastan. (Pravda) (SOHR)
- Rebel forces take control of the town of Talbiseh in Homs Governorate as they advance south toward Homs. (SOHR)
- 2024 Hama offensive
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Gaza genocide
- Amnesty International accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel rejects the accusation, referring to Amnesty's statements as "fake news." (Reuters) (Sky News)
- Kamal Adwan Hospital sieges
- An Israeli airstrike near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza kills a 16-year-old Palestinian boy and injures at least 12 others. (Arab News)
- Gaza genocide
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Piracy off the coast of Somalia
- The European Union's anti-piracy mission says that heavily armed Somali pirates have hijacked a Chinese fishing vessel off the coast of Puntland, Somalia. (Reuters)
Business and economy
- German economic crisis
- German workers' union IG Metall announces they will go on extended strikes next week leading up to a fourth round of negotiations with Volkswagen. (DW)
- The value of a Bitcoin surpasses US$100,000 for the first time, after increasing 130% in the past year. (CNN) (NBC News)
- British multinational oil and gas company Shell and Norwegian state-owned company Equinor announce a joint venture to merge their North Sea assets. (Cyprus Mail) (Reuters)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Cape Mendocino earthquake
- A 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes offshore near the northern coast of California, United States. (Weather Channel)
- Winter of 2024–25 in the Gaza Strip
- Eight people are killed when a cargo truck loaded with fertilizers hits pedestrians and crashes into a house in Makilala, Cotabato, Philippines. (Philippine News Agency)
Health and environment
- The Mexican health department reports that thirteen children have died from a bloodstream infection caused by Klebsiella oxytoca found in contaminated IV bags in Mexico state, Mexico. Seven children remain hospitalized. (Al Jazeera)
Politics and elections
- 2024 French political crisis
- Michel Barnier resigns as Prime Minister of France following the collapse of the Barnier government. (Sky News)
Science and technology
- European Union Space Programme
- Copernicus Programme
- The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launches the Vega C rocket carrying the Sentinel-1C satellite to monitor Earth from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, two years after its failed commercial flight. (DW) (European Space Agency)
- ISRO successfully launches the PSLV-XL rocket carrying the European Space Agency's PROBA-3 satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, in a solar observatory mission to gather data about the Sun's atmosphere. (DW) (El Mundo)
- Copernicus Programme
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Israel–Hamas war
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- 4 December 2024 al-Mawasi attack
- Two Israeli Air Force strikes on an evacuation zone in Al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip kill at least 20 refugees due to explosions and a subsequent fire that destroyed several refugee shelters. (Al Jazeera)
- 4 December 2024 al-Mawasi attack
- Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the Israel–Hamas war, Legality of Israeli settlements
- Israeli settlers attack Huwara and Beit Furik in Nablus Governorate, West Bank, and sets fire to several buildings and vehicles. The attacks are in retaliation to Palestinians destroying illegal farming outposts. (Al Jazeera)
- Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
- Syrian civil war
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- 2024 Hama offensive
- Rebels capture the town of Al-Saan and the villages of Shaykh Hilal and Suruj in Hama Governorate, Syria. (SOHR)
- Heavy fighting is reported in and around Hama as rebel forces enter the city and capture three neighbourhoods. (France24) (Al Jazeera Mubasher)
- 2024 Hama offensive
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Russo-Ukrainian War
- Russia–NATO relations
- A Russian Navy warship fires warning shots at a German helicopter conducting a routine patrol over the Baltic Sea, forcing the helicopter pilots to make evasive maneuvers. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock condemns the incident as part of Russia's hybrid warfare against NATO. (Anadolu Agency)
- Russia–NATO relations
- Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- The Pakistan Army kills five jihadist insurgents and captures two others in a raid in Lakki Marwat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. (AP)
Disasters and accidents
- 2024 Cuba blackouts
- Another round of blackouts in Cuba leave millions of households without power. The energy ministry says that it is prioritizing restoring electricity to hospitals and water pumping facilities. (Reuters)
- An Iranian Air Force training jet crashes in Fars province, Iran, killing both pilots. (IRNA)
International relations
- Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan relations
- Krygyzstan National Security official Kamchybek Tashiev and Tajikistan National Security official Saimumin Yatimov announces that both countries have signed a agreement that would end 33-years of conflict at the border. (The Diplomat)
Law and crime
- Human trafficking in Germany
- German police, French security services, and Interpol conduct coordinated mass raids on an Iraqi-Kurdish human trafficking network in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. (DW)
- Killing of Brian Thompson
- The CEO of American health insurance company UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson is assassinated by a masked gunman while attending a business conference in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. (Reuters)
- Feather River School shooting
- Two kindergarten students are critically injured in a suspected religious hate crime school shooting at a private Protestant school in Palermo, California, United States, before the gunman commits suicide. (The New York Times)
- Twelve neo-Nazis are arrested in police raids across Italy. (Ansa)
Politics and elections
- 2024 South Korean martial law
- The National Assembly begins impeachment proceedings against Yoon Suk Yeol in response to Yoon's attempt to impose martial law in South Korea. (BBC News)
- The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and other professional unions in South Korea announce a labor strike on December 5 and 6 in response to President Yoon Suk Yeol's surprise declaration of martial law yesterday, calling for Yoon's resignation. (Maeil Business Newspaper) (Bloomberg)
- The South Korean won drops to a two-year low following Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law yesterday. Several ETFs on the Korea Exchange also drop to a one-year low. (Invezz)
- Foreign embassies in Seoul warn their citizens to stay away from mass demonstrations, citing the possibility of violence and death. (The Korea Herald)
- 2024 French political crisis
- In France, the Barnier government collapses after 331 of 577 deputies vote in favor of a no-confidence motion, the first time since 1962 that the government has collapsed following a no-confidence motion. The left subsequently calls on President Emmanuel Macron to resign and hold early presidential elections. (Reuters)
- 2024 Georgian post-election protests
- Ahali party leader Nika Gvaramia is arrested in a police raid on his office in Tbilisi, Georgia. The arrest comes as the government continues to crack down on the opposition in response to protests against delaying negotiations to join the European Union. More than 100 demonstrators are also injured during clashes with riot police in Tbilisi. (AP)
- 2024 Namibian general election
- The Electoral Commission of Namibia certifies the results of the general election, announcing Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling SWAPO party as the new President, the first female president in the country's history. (The South African) (DW)
- Activists file a second impeachment complaint against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte over alleged misuse of government funds. (AP)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Syrian civil war
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- 2024 Hama offensive
- Rebel forces capture the city of Suran, the towns of Halfaya and Taybat al-Imam, and the village of Maardis in Hama Governorate, Syria. (SOHR)
- 2024 Hama offensive
- Deir ez-Zor offensive
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) capture seven villages and the town of Khasham in Deir ez-Zor Governorate from pro-government forces. The US-led CJTF–OIR coalition aircraft also launch airstrikes against Syrian government forces in support of the SDF offensive. (Rudaw)
- 2024 Syrian opposition offensives
- Red Sea crisis
- The Government of Canada officially designates the Yemen-based Houthi movement as a terrorist organization due to the group's attacks on civilian and military vessels in the Red Sea. (Al Jazeera)
Disasters and accidents
Health and environment
- 2024 Kwango province disease outbreak
- Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo announce an investigation into the deaths of 143 people from a flu-like disease in the Province of Kwango. (AP)
Law and crime
- A court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, upholds the death penalty for real estate tycoon Trương Mỹ Lan after Lan was found guilty of embezzling $12.5 billion through the Sai Gon Joint Stock Commercial Bank. (VnExpress) (AP)
- The South Korean tourism ministry announces that 38 Vietnamese citizens have gone missing from Jeju Island before their flight back to Vietnam on November 17. (Newsweek) (JoongAng Daily)
Politics and elections
- 2024 South Korean martial law
- During an emergency address to the nation, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law in order to clear out alleged "threats posed by North Korean communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements." Yoon says that the decision to declare martial law was made in order to "remove North Korean forces" and to protect South Korea's "liberal constitutional order". (KBS) (BBC News) (Reuters) (Barrons)
- South Korean Army general Park An-su is appointed Martial Law Commander by Yoon Suk Yeol, with Park announcing that media organizations will be subject to military control and that protests will be banned. (YNA) (The Guardian)
- Protesters clash with police while attempting to storm the National Assembly building in Seoul. (The Independent)
- In defiance of the declaration of martial law, which prohibits political activities, the National Assembly votes unanimously to order Yoon Suk Yeol to lift martial law. Korean soldiers that were guarding the National Assembly building withdraw following the vote. (The Guardian)
- Yoon Suk Yeol announces that he will lift the martial law that he declared hours earlier amid staunch opposition from both the opposition and his own People Power Party. (Reuters)
- Fatah–Hamas reconciliation process
- Palestinian officials announce that Fatah and Hamas are close to reaching an agreement on appointing a technocratic committee to govern the Gaza Strip following the end of the Israel–Hamas war. (The Globe and Mail)