Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00People took to the streets of Damascus in the early hours of Sunday, celebrating the
00:07fall of the 24-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad, chanting anti-Assad slogans and
00:12honking car horns.
00:16Soldiers and police officers left their posts and fled, and looters broke into the headquarters
00:20of the Ministry of Defense as well as Assad's presidential palace.
00:26Angry Syrians also stormed the Iranian embassy in Damascus, a key ally to Assad's government.
00:34Many of the capital's residents were in disbelief at the speed at which Assad lost his hold
00:38on the country after nearly 14 years of civil war.
00:43The night before, rebel forces captured the city of Homs, after having already seized
00:47the cities of Aleppo and Hama, as well as large parts of the south, in a fast-moving
00:52offensive that began on November 27th.
01:03Syrians across the world rejoiced the downfall of Assad's regime on Sunday.
01:09In Istanbul, people stormed the Syrian consulate, took down its flag and waved the green Syrian
01:14independence flag claimed by opposition groups.
01:19Hundreds of Syrians in Germany also took to the streets in a Berlin neighborhood famous
01:24for its Arabic culture.
01:27Meanwhile, foreign leaders have called for an inclusive political transition.
01:33Turkey's foreign minister urged international actors to preserve Syria's territorial integrity.
01:39In a post on X, the EU's foreign chief, Kayakalas, said the EU's priority is to ensure security,
01:45vowing to work with all constructive partners in Syria and the region.
01:50Also on X, French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the Syrian people, sending
01:55wishes for peace, freedom and unity.
01:58German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote that religious communities and minorities must be protected
02:03now and in the future.
02:11French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at the Elysee
02:15Palace in Paris on Saturday.
02:18The former U.S. president was invited to attend the reopening of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral
02:22that was ravaged by fires five years ago.
02:26Macron welcomed Trump with a warm embrace, affording the president-elect the same treatment
02:30of a sitting U.S. president, as the red carpet was rolled out for his arrival.
02:35The pair headed into the presidential palace to engage in planned bilateral talks for 90
02:40minutes.
02:41They were later joined by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who joined the meeting
02:45to discuss the situation on the ground in Ukraine.
02:49Speaking to the media after the talks, Zelensky said the meeting was constructive and the
02:53atmosphere was crucial, and later praised Trump for being resolute as always.
03:00He has also vowed to continue working with Ukraine's allies to ensure a continued response
03:04to Russia's assault on his country.
03:11At least five people have been killed after an explosion destroyed an apartment block
03:15in the western Dutch city of The Hague.
03:18Emergency services said four people have been rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital,
03:23but it's unclear how many people may still be trapped.
03:27Mayor Jan van Zanen said that the cause of the blast is unknown.
03:31Investigators say police are looking for a car seen driving away from the scene at
03:35speed just after the explosion.
03:39Authorities also said that five apartments were destroyed, while 40 neighboring apartments
03:44have been evacuated.
03:47A specialized urban search and rescue team has been deployed to the scene with four dogs
03:52trained to find victims.
03:55The same team was previously used in Turkey after devastating twin earthquakes that struck
04:00the South in early 2023, killing at least 59,000 people.
04:09South Korea's opposition leader said on Sunday that his party will push for a second vote
04:14on a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yool.
04:17If approved, the second impeachment motion will take place on December 14.
04:21Yoon avoided the first opposition-led bid to impeach him because most ruling party members
04:26boycotted the vote on Saturday to prevent the two-thirds majority needed to suspend
04:31his presidential powers.
04:33If impeached, the country's constitutional court then may decide to remove him from office,
04:38which after he will be prosecuted for sending heavily armed soldiers into Seoul streets
04:43with declaration of martial law, a move that shocked the world.
04:46Meanwhile, the vote's defeat is likely to fuel nationwide protests and further escalate