Sun, December 8, 2024

by: The Age

High Court battle looms for Allan over electoral funding laws

Correspondence between Jacinta Allan and independent candidates reveals why a dispute over Victoria's electoral laws is likely to head to the top court.

by: The Independent

Why Rayner's bricks and mortar is more important than Reeves's economic growth in building for victory

While Labour made economic growth its first mission, it is tackling the spiralling housing crisis that could make the difference between winning or losing the next election, writes David Maddox

by: Daily Express

Labour's 'dangerously misguided foreign policy' threatens special relationship with US

Mark Francois accused Sir Keir Starmer of undermining the "cornerstone of our defence policy" and attacked "Labour's persistent uncertainty on defence spending".

by: Newstalk ZB

Dr Leon Goldsmith: Bashar Al-Assad was 'vulnerable and exposed'

Rebel forces in Syria say they have ended Bashar Al-Assad's rule as the government's troops withdraw from Damascus. Otago University Professor for Middle Eastern and Comparative Politics Leon Goldsmith joins Early Edition.

by: Charlotte Observer

Biden to push for Austin Tice return as Assad flees Syria: 'We think we can get him back'

Assad's regime could present an opportunity to bring home the journalist more than 12 years after he traveled to Syria to cover its descent into war.

by: Cfr.org

After Fall of Assad Dynasty, Syria's Risky New Moment

The swift collapse of Syria's regime brings a humiliating end to Russia's and Iran's sway and opens the door for greater Turkish influence. But the Islamist movement that seized power has yet to

by: CNN

Trump previews immigration actions and January 6 pardons in first TV interview since election

President-elect Donald Trump previewed immigration actions he plans to take in his first days in office and outlined how he expects his Justice Department to handle investigations into his political opponents and the criminal cases against January 6 rioters in his first major television interview since winning November's presidential election.

by: Sky News Australia

Sydney Trains officials warn commuters of service reductions and cancellations on Monday after industrial action over pay

Train commuters are being urged to reconsider their travel plans on Monday due to major cancellations and reduced services following industrial action by rail unions.

by: The West Australian

Newspoll: Voters rate Anthony Albanese as weakest leader in decades

Mr Albanese unveiled the opening of a major train line in Perth's north on Sunday, where the booming outer suburbs helped to fuel the red wave that had Labor pick up five seats and secure majority government in 2022. Mr Dutton, in the crucial swing seat ...

by: Reuters

Trump aims to deport all immigrants in the US illegally

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump aims to deport all immigrants in the U.S. illegally over his four-year term but wants a deal to protect so-called "Dreamer" immigrants, he said in an interview that aired on Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.

by: Philadelphia Inquirer

Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible

Trump's call for an immediate ceasefire went beyond the public policy stands taken by the Biden administration and Ukraine and drew a cautious response from Zelenskyy. It also marks Trump wading unusually deeply into efforts before his Jan. 20 inauguration to resolve one of the major global crises facing the lame-duck Biden administration.

by: Sydney Morning Herald

ALP desperately needs Gen Z voters. Too bad Albanese just drove us further away

The PM will spend much of his time on the campaign trail arguing his government has served young Australians well - a statement that was largely true until last week.

by: The New York Times

What to Know: How Rebels Toppled the Syrian Government and Deposed Assad

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, whose name means Organization for the Liberation of the Levant, began to form at the beginning of Syria's civil war, when jihadists formed the Al Nusra Front to fight pro-Assad forces with hundreds of insurgent and suicide attacks.

by: Newsroom

Climate politics matures with Greens emissions plan

Analysis: The Green Party's alternative emissions reduction plan can serve as the platform for a substantive debate on climate, Marc Daalder writes.

by: World Socialist Web Site

Fluoridation of community water and the politics of disinformation

Robert F Kennedy Jr., Trump's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, has promised to end water fluoridation, a program which has been called one of the ten greatest achievements in public health.

by: ABC

Biden says fall of Assad regime a 'historic opportunity'

The current and next president responded to the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime after he fled the country as rebels advanced into Damascus.

by: The Daily Star

Three pro-BNP bodies march towards Indian mission

Three pro-BNP organisations yesterday submitted a memorandum to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, demanding the stop of misinformation about Bangladesh and ensuring the safety of Bangladeshi missions in India.

by: Sydney Morning Herald

Dutton takes the lead, but is he defying gravity?

The opposition leader is now ahead in the opinion polls at a time of deep unrest over the cost of living when he has no significant public plan to fix the problem.

by: The West Australian

Legal system cracking under weight of DV demand

Women are being put on trial by a broken legal system that is hard to access and lacking compassion despite a national focus on domestic violence, according to advocates too often forced to turn them away.

by: Daily Express

Labour accused of 'ghosting' pensioners in fury over anti-OAP policies

A campaigner hit out at Labour for "refusing to engage at all with representatives of nearly 13 million older voters".

by: The Age

The Allan government is already spruiking its housing success. Here's what the data says

Over a year after its Housing Statement, Labor is falling short of its lofty targets - and that's if its estimate stacks up. If it doesn't, things are even worse.

by: Sydney Morning Herald

'Excessive' or 'strategic merit'? Eastern suburbs' tallest building given green light

A proposal to construct the tallest building in the eastern suburbs has overcome a significant planning hurdle three years after first being rejected, despite opposition from Woollahra Council.

by: MSN

Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad?

Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? - Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria's President Bashar Assad, has spent ye

by: MSN

Oppn meets Fadnavis, demands LoP and Dy speaker posts

Maharashtra's opposition MVA claims Leader of Opposition and deputy speaker posts despite failing to secure 10% of assembly seats after recent polls.

by: MSN

Who are Syrian opposition fighters overthrew Assad's regime and what comes next?

Here is a look at the stunning reversal of fortune for Assad and the government in just the past 10 days, and what might lie ahead as Syria's 13-year civil war reignites. View on euronews

by: MSN

Russia grants Assad asylum after Trump claims Putin 'not interested in protecting him': TASS

Russian state-owned news agency TASS, citing a source in the Kremlin, confirmed overthrown Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow "after being granted asylum in Russia," CNN's Jim Scuitto reports.

by: MSN

Bashar al-Assad And Family Are in Moscow: Russian News Agencies

Syria's ousted president Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow, Russian news agencies announced Sunday evening citing a Kremlin source, hours after he fled the country as Islamist-led rebels entered Damascus.

by: MSN

Assad and his family in Moscow - Russian media

TASS, Russian state-owned news agency, has reported that ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow and Russia has granted them asylum. Source: TASS, citing a Kremlin source Quote: "Assad,

by: MSN

Western Sydney Airport acquisitions cause pain for residents awaiting offer from NSW government

Residents sitting on a parcel of land that will host a transport corridor to the new Western Sydney Airport have slammed the government's acquisition offer for their property.

by: MSN

Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch's meeting with J. D. Vance

Team Trump discord over Kemi Badenoch's meeting with J. D. Vance - Newly elected Tory leader Kemi Badenoch hopes to have found a new political ally in vice president elect J. D. Vance after the two me

by: MSN

Mngxitama warns: no business as usual for Du Plessis

Mngxitama said it was a legal principle that when someone is under investigation it would not be business as usual.

by: MSN

Durbin on Hunter Biden pardon: 'If I have to have a bias in this area, it's a loving parent who wants to protect his child'

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Sunday noted the past trauma in President Biden's family when talking about his recent pardon of his son Hunter Biden. "This is a man who loves his children and has gone through quite an ordeal,

by: MSN

Syrians stroll through Assad's palaces, take furniture and ornaments

Groups of Syrians strolled through the palaces of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday following his ouster, wandering from room to room, posing for photographs, and with some taking items of furniture or ornaments.

by: MSN

Transcript: Reps. Mike Kelly and Jason Crow on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Dec. 8, 2024

The following is a transcript of an interview with Reps. Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Jason Crow, Democrat of Colorado, on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that aired on Dec. 8,

by: MSN

Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and promises swift immigration action

Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned.

by: MSN

Ex-RNC Chair Says Republicans 'Don't Give a Damn' About Military Members

Michael Steele called out Republicans who support Pete Hegseth for defense secretary amid the scandals surrounding his character.

by: MSN

Starmer welcomes fall of Assad's 'barbaric regime' and aims to 'restore stability' in Syria and provide 'essential aid'

Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the fall of Bashar Assad's "barbaric regime" in Syria, following a dramatic rebel takeover of Damascus. The development marks an unprecedented shift in Syria's political landscape,

by: MSN

Netanyahu says Assad regime fell because of Israeli strikes on Iran and Hezbollah

by: MSN

'Speedos, chandeliers and a jacuzzi': Inside Assad's abandoned presidential palaces

Assad's abandoned presidential palaces, looting the dictator's belongings and posing behind his desk. As rebel groups take control of the capital Damascus, videos emerging online show both fighters and civilians entering a sprawling complex and combing through its rooms and grounds.

by: MSN

Waltz says DOGE cutting trillions of government spending is 'practical' outlook

Rep. Mike Walz (R-FL) expressed his confidence in the Department of Government Efficiency to keep the U.S. from falling "off the financial cliff." In the weeks since President-elect Donald Trump won the Oval Office,

by: MSN

Laphonza Butler, 1st LGBTQ+ Black U.S. senator, exits office as Democrats question identity politics

Butler, appointed to the U.S. Senate by California Gov. Gavin Newsom after the death of Dianne Feinstein, leaves office after 14 months as Rep. Adam B. Schiff is sworn in Monday.

by: MSN

Badenoch 'renews friendship' with Trump's vice president

Kemi Badenoch has had dinner with vice president-elect JD Vance, as the pair "renewed their friendship" ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House. The Tory leader and Mr Trump's running mate have regularly exchanged messages over the last year,

by: MSN

Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser optimistic about resolving standoff in ties with India

Bangladesh and India aim to mend strained relations during Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's visit to Dhaka. Misri is expected to address India's concerns over attacks on Hindus following recent political upheaval in Bangladesh.

by: MSN

Trump says Liz Cheney and other Jan 6 committee members should be jailed as he reveals day one plans

Trump says Liz Cheney and other Jan 6 committee members should be jailed as he reveals day one plans - President-elect says current and former House members like Cheney, Kinzinger 'should go to jail'

by: MSN

WASPI update as campaigners pass new milestone for compensation move

Use precise geolocation data and actively scan device characteristics for identification. This is done to store and access information on a device and to provide personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. List of Partners (vendors)

by: MSN

ARTA names regulatory champions

THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has recognized 343 individuals from various government agencies and local government units (LGUs) as Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) champions. ARTA Director General Ernesto Perez said on Sunday the agency capped its 2024 RIA training activities by naming its 3rd Annual Enrich: Empowering Next-Generation RIA Champions during ceremonies held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC)

by: MSN

Analysis: How Marco Rubio could raise the stakes for Cuba if he becomes secretary of state

Cuba has shaped much of Marco Rubio's political life. If confirmed as secretary of state, he's expected to take action on his parents' homeland.

by: MSN

Bashar al-Assad, an Ophthalmologist Who Became a Dictator, Is the Last of a Despotic Dynasty

Once a self-styled modernizer, Syria's president bought time with a harsh crackdown, but his government eventually succumbed to its many enemies.

Bashar al-Assad, an Ophthalmologist Who Became a Dictator, Is the Last of a Despotic Dynasty

Once a self-styled modernizer, Syria's president bought time with a harsh crackdown, but his government eventually succumbed to its many enemies.

Bashar al-Assad, originally trained as an ophthalmologist in London, unexpectedly became the President of Syria following the death of his elder brother, Bassel, who was groomed to succeed their father, Hafez al-Assad. Bashar assumed power in 2000 after his father's death, initially promising reforms and a more open society, which led to a brief period known as the "Damascus Spring." However, these hopes were quickly dashed as Assad tightened his grip on power, employing brutal tactics to suppress dissent, especially during the Syrian Civil War which began in 2011. His regime has been accused of numerous human rights abuses, including the use of chemical weapons against civilians. Despite international condemnation and sanctions, Assad has managed to retain control over significant parts of Syria with support from allies like Russia and Iran. His rule has been marked by a shift from a potential reformer to a dictator, continuing the Assad family's authoritarian legacy.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/bashar-al-assad-an-ophthalmologist-who-became-a-dictator-is-the-last-of-a-despotic-dynasty/ar-AA1vu14E