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75 Somalis set off for Mayotte; more than a third died before the group was able to reach land

In the Syrian capital, banks reopened for the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, in a major step towards restoring normal life. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday that the U.S. fully supports Syria’s political transition process and wants it to lead to credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance. Meanwhile, Israel pounded Syrian army bases on Tuesday in strikes it says aim to keep weapons from falling into hostile hands, but denied its forces had...

The timing of the disbursement is aimed at protecting the funds from being clawed back by President-elect Donald Trump after his Jan. 20 inauguration

Talks slated for Wednesday in Ankara highlight Turkey's growing influence in the region and its role as a mediator in African affairs

Concerns particularly focus on future of Alawite community, a sect from which Assad's family originates

In December, many Africans return to their ancestral homes to reconnect with their families and traditions. In South Africa, that includes traditional healers. As Zaheer Cassim reports from Johannesburg, many are finding that a new app is helping to bring this age-old practice into the digital age.

Prosecutors urge a preservation of the verdict while avoiding punishment, long legal fight

The program aims to improve the digital skills of some 100,000 government employees

Following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, a Turkish-backed Syrian militia is moving against Kurdish forces of the YPG in Syria, which the U.S. supports. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

Officials, meeting in Cameroon, say their goal is to invest some of what they collectively spend on importing fish each year, and put that funding into developing local fish farms

A reliable source from within Iran’s Ghezel Hesar Prison has revealed instances of unprovoked violence perpetrated by prison officials against ordinary inmates. According to a firsthand account, Afghan nationals detained in Hall 18, Unit 4, have been subjected to physical assaults by the head of the prison guard. See the full story here.  

Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, persecuted under Assad, press rebels to keep security promises

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense spokesperson said on Tuesday that the current naval deployment by China in the region extending from Japan's southern islands to the South China Sea is the largest since the military exercises surrounding Taiwan prior to the 1996 Taiwanese presidential election.    “This poses a significant threat to us," the spokesman said. Notably, the Chinese military has not yet provided public explanations about this deployment.  See full story here.  

December 11th will mark 30 years since the beginning of the First Chechen war. The initial Russian assault on Chechnya signaled not just the start of a merciless conflict that killed tens of thousands of civilians in Chechnya, but also the end of Russia’s liberal dream.  As Russia’s first war after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the First Chechen war served as a prologue to other conflicts unleashed by the Kremlin, including the war in Ukraine. The bloody campaign continued with...

On this year’s International Human Rights Day on Tuesday, human rights organizations representing Chinese dissidents in exile from Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet held a protest outside the Chinese Embassy in London. The organizations called for accountability for China's human rights violations and demanded that the British government confront Beijing's ongoing abuses.   They urged Britain to end its economic activities with China to avoid complicity with an authoritarian...

The national security trial of pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai has dominated headlines this year. Analysts say Lai’s case and new laws on national security are emblematic of Hong Kong’s ongoing decline in media freedoms. Liam Scott has the story for VOA News.

Leaders of Belarus and Russia signed a treaty that gave security guarantees to Belarus, including the possible use of nuclear weapons

A fake American “media outlet” posted a story about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy buying Adolf Hitler’s car — and it was widely shared in Russian media. The website for the “media outlet” (apparently trying to copy a renowned Seattle Times) was registered about a week ago. The photo was photoshopped and the story is fake. Some researchers connected the website to John Mark Dougan, an American who fled to Russia. A VOA Russian investigative reporter debunked this fake story.  See...

A look at the best news photos from around the world.