👋 ¡Ola!*
Welcome to Tuesday, where Ukraine claims responsibility for the Moscow bombing that killed a Russian army general, a mass grave is found outside Damascus, and Sea Shepherd activist Paul Watson is freed from prison in Greenland. And for Arabic-language source Daraj, Rana Sabagh looks at the high stakes for Jordan in post-Assad Syria.
[*Galician, Spain]
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🗞️ FRONT PAGE
Berlin-based daily Die Tageszeitung highlights a political turning point after Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a confidence vote in parliament Monday, paving the way for early elections in February. Scholz, leading a fragile minority government after his coalition collapsed last month, failed to secure the majority needed to remain in power. The German daily describes Scholz’s situation on its front page, “Now all he has left is self-confidence. But he’s got plenty of it.” The vote deepens Germany’s political divide, with center-right challenger Friedrich Merz blaming Scholz’s government for “one of its biggest economic crises in postwar history.”
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Senior Russian general killed by scooter bomb in Moscow. A top Russian general, accused by Ukraine of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops, was assassinated in Moscow by Ukraine's SBU intelligence service on Tuesday morning. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside an apartment building along with his assistant when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter went off. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GUR) said on Monday that North Korean army units had suffered “significant losses” with “at least 30 soldiers” killed and wounded in the Kursk region. Follow Worldcrunch’s international coverage of the Ukraine-Russia war here.
• Mass grave found near Syria’s capital. A mass grave that could contain the remains of some 100,000 people has been found outside Damascus, as Syria’s new interim government promises to hold accountable those responsible for atrocities under the ousted President Bashar al-Assad. The site at al-Qutayfah, located north of the capital, was one of several mass graves identified across the country after the collapse of the rule of the Assad family. Read about what the end of the Assad regime means for the Middle East in this piece by Al-Manassa.
• Israel attacks Gaza City amid attempts to reach ceasefire deal. At least 14 people have been killed by Israeli attacks across Gaza Tuesday morning, including 10 when Israeli fighter jets bombed a residential building in Gaza City, amid reports of ceasefire talks. In recent weeks, the U.S., Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts, showing greater willingness by both sides in this 14-month war to conclude a deal.
• Mayotte authorities fear hunger and disease. Authorities in the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte were racing on Tuesday to get food and water to residents reeling from the weekend's devastating cyclone and fighting to stop hunger, disease and lawlessness spreading in the French overseas territory. Hundreds or even thousands could be dead in the wreckage of Cyclone Chido, they said.
• Three dead in Wisconsin school shooting. A 15-year-old girl shot and killed a fellow student and a teacher, wounding six people before killing herself at a private school in Madison, Wisconsin on Monday. The shooting happened in a mixed-grade study hall shortly before 11 a.m. at the Abundant Life Christian School, which has 420 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The shooter was a student at the school.
• Powerful earthquake hits Pacific island of Vanuatu. A 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck near Vanuatu's capital Port Vila, triggering landslides, crushing cars and flattening multiple buildings. Power and mobile networks across the country have been cut off and the full extent of the damage still remains unclear, but there are unconfirmed reports of at least one death.
• Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson freed. Sea Shepherd announced on Tuesday that its 74-year-old founder is set to be released. Paul Watson had been held in Greenland since July over charges of breaking into a Japanese vessel in the Antarctic Ocean in 2010. The Danish government ultimately rejected an extradition request from Japan.
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
309.6 meters
London’s financial district has approved a 309.6-meter (1,015.75-foot) skyscraper, matching precisely the height of the Shard — the tallest skyscraper in the city and in western Europe. The proposed building, called “1 Undershaft” will feature 73 floors, including 1.66 million square feet of office space, educational areas and a public garden. Revised since the initial building proposal in 2016 to reflect post-pandemic office demands, the project has sparked debate over its impact on London’s historic skyline. Despite criticism, planners see the development as a sign of confidence in the city’s real estate market amidst economic challenges.
📹 ON THIS DAY VIDEO — 4 HISTORY-MAKING EVENTS, IN 57 SECONDS
➡️ Watch the video: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
🇯🇴 The departure of President Bashar al-Assad has brought temporary relief to some leaders in Jordan who have endured decades of volatile political and security dynamics with Syria during the Assad regime, but this relief is intertwined with the uncertainties of what lies ahead.
— DARAJ
🇷🇺 Bashar al-Assad’s fall raises short-term questions about the fate of Russian generals sent to Syria after failures in Ukraine, but also deeper reflections on Moscow's war on multiple fronts.
— HOLOD
🎧 Berghain, the world's most celebrated techno club, celebrated its 20th anniversary. An opportunity to revisit the iconic Berlin venue.
— DIE ZEIT
📣 VERBATIM
“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge.”
— In his first statement since being toppled from power, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad recounted the last hours before his evacuation to Russia on Dec. 8, as insurgent forces overran Damascus. Published on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel, the statement emphasized Assad’s decision to remain in the capital until rebel forces swept through. Assad claims he relocated to the Russian Hmeimin air base to oversee operations but at no point considered stepping down or seeking refuge nor “was such a proposal made by any individual party.”
✍️ Newsletter by Emma Albright & Ella Nigro
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