Fireworks illuminate the sky as people fill Clock Square in Homs, western Syria, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, to celebrate the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Today marks one year since the regime of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in Syria. The World caught up with Syrians to hear their perspectives as they reflect on the past. Also, the 2025 US National Security Strategy, unveiled late Thursday, has reignited fears of US ‘gunboat diplomacy’ in Latin America. And, despite aggressive immigration enforcement activities in the US — both in courts and on the streets — applications for asylum are at an all-time high. Plus, an ancient boat discovered off the coast of Alexandria matches descriptions of what were known in Queen Cleopatra’s time as “pleasure boats.”
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