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Power has shifted in Damascus, a fragile ceasefire has broken down along the Thai-Cambodian border, and Ukraine’s allies regroup in London as Washington pushes its peace plan. Markets edge higher ahead of a closely watched rate cut decision.

Scientists unveil a skull-hugging device that “speaks” to the brain with light, while others trace the Black Death to a medieval volcanic chain reaction and test garlic as a potent mouthwash.

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Crowds in Damascus and other cities are marking the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, with rallies and military parades celebrating the end of his long rule and years of civil war. A new leadership, installed after rebel forces seized the capital and Assad fled abroad, is using the anniversary to project confidence and unity.

The government now led by Ahmed al-Sharaa has rebuilt ties with Western and regional powers and seen many sanctions eased, even as parts of the country remain outside central control. The new authorities are trying to distance themselves from the old security state while managing internal rivalries and security threats.

Thailand says it launched airstrikes along its disputed border with Cambodia after accusing its neighbor of breaching a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that had paused some of the heaviest fighting in more than a decade. Bangkok and Phnom Penh each blame the other for new landmine blasts and cross-border fire, as civilians again flee frontline villages for shelters.

The renewed clashes follow a summer of escalating incidents that displaced hundreds of thousands of people before outside mediation produced a detailed truce and phased withdrawals of heavy weapons. That accord, celebrated as a rare diplomatic success, is now in doubt as both sides suspend implementation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is meeting British, French, and German leaders in London as he faces mounting U.S. pressure to consider a ceasefire plan that would lock in many of Russia’s battlefield gains. European leaders are publicly backing Kyiv’s push to secure stronger terms, with pledges to keep arms and financial support flowing.

The talks come as Russian forces grind forward in eastern Ukraine and air attacks again strain the country’s power grid, forcing rolling blackouts in major cities. A U.S.-backed proposal delivered through recent talks in Moscow and Miami has yet to produce a breakthrough, and Zelenskiy has hinted he has not formally accepted the current draft.

Beijing vowed to “defend national sovereignty” over Taiwan as Washington released a new global security strategy that drops earlier language about denuclearizing North Korea and emphasizes competition with major powers. The document frames China as the top long-term challenger and stresses closer coordination with allies in Asia.

The verbal sparring highlights how Taiwan remains the central flashpoint in the U.S.-China relationship. The new roadmap will guide military planning, alliances, and trade policy for years, while Beijing’s response signals little appetite to ease tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

An investigation into a Trump-era immigration crackdown in the New Orleans area found that local and federal agencies used extensive online surveillance, including social media monitoring, to track and arrest people suspected of being in the U.S. without authorization. Internal records also described arrests at workplaces and homes that swept up some U.S. citizens and legal residents.

Civil liberties advocates say the documents show how broad digital monitoring can spill beyond its stated targets and chill speech in immigrant communities. Local officials argue that they were enforcing federal law but face renewed scrutiny over transparency and oversight.

Authorities in Benin say they have foiled an attempted coup, with the president condemning mutinous soldiers who briefly seized the state broadcaster before being pushed out. The government reports several arrests and insists it remains firmly in control, while promising investigations into any foreign links.

The incident comes as parts of West Africa grapple with recent military takeovers and broader debate over democratic backsliding. Investors and regional partners are watching closely for signs of instability in a country that has been seen as relatively stable compared with some neighbors.

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The U.S. administration is preparing a long-awaited farm aid package worth about $12 billion to support producers hit by low crop prices and tariff disputes. The plan, expected to be unveiled as early as today, would tap tariff revenues and other funds to finance direct payments and market support.

Such a move aims to shore up rural support and cushion farmers from trade shocks heading into another planting season. It also raises questions about how long government support can offset volatility in global commodity markets.

With the number of Pearl Harbor survivors dwindling to only a few centenarians, historians and families are turning to museums, virtual reality exhibits, and archival projects to keep memories of the 1941 attack alive. Recent remembrance events have increasingly highlighted digital storytelling and classroom programs rather than firsthand testimony.

The transition marks a broader shift in how societies remember major wars once eyewitnesses are gone. The choices made now about education and commemoration will shape how younger generations understand the origins and costs of World War II.

A U.S. senator is urging the Pentagon to release video of a military strike on suspected drug traffickers near Venezuela that left civilian casualties, arguing that transparency is needed to assess whether rules of engagement were followed. The strike has drawn international criticism and questions from lawmakers about intelligence and targeting.

This conflict highlights ongoing tensions over the use of force in counter-narcotics operations and the public’s ability to scrutinize high-risk missions conducted far from traditional battlefields.

Global stocks held firm as investors awaited a widely expected U.S. interest-rate cut, a setup attributed to the market’s precarious position. Bond yields eased from recent highs, and traders anticipate an easing cycle that begins slowly but still shapes borrowing costs heading into 2026.

New figures showed China’s exports climbing 5.9% in November — a surprise rise detailed in reporting on the export rebound — even as shipments to the U.S. fell sharply. Strong demand from Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia widened the trade surplus and highlighted China’s diversification away from the U.S. market.

AMC Theatres sold most of its stake in Hycroft Mining in a move that sent shockwaves through the industry. The sale raises about $24 million in cash and signals AMC’s shift back toward its core movie-theater business after years of meme-era financial experimentation.

Researchers created a soft, wireless skull-conforming device that sends red-light patterns through bone to activate cortical neurons, as demonstrated in Northwestern’s report on the light-based neural interface. Tests in mice showed they could interpret the light sequences as behavioral cues, suggesting a future path for noninvasive treatments that encode information directly into brain activity.

A new analysis links a 1340s volcanic event to cooling, crop failure, and rerouted grain trade that may have introduced plague-bearing rats into new ports. The findings underscore how climate shocks can ripple through food systems and disease pathways.

A review of clinical trials found that garlic-extract mouthwashes can match or exceed the antimicrobial effects of standard dental rinses. Researchers say the results point to a low-cost option worth further testing as concerns rise about resistance to conventional antiseptics.

Denver secured its tenth straight road victory as Jamal Murray dropped 34 points and Nikola Jokić added 28 points and 11 assists in the Nuggets’ win over Charlotte, which highlighted Denver’s control in the final minutes. The result reinforces Denver’s ability to close out tight road contests during a demanding stretch.

Los Angeles pulled out a 112–108 win over Philadelphia after a late LeBron James three-pointer swung momentum to secure the Lakers’ narrow victory that emphasized the back-and-forth scoring down the stretch. The performance showed how L.A.’s veterans continue to dictate possession-by-possession battles.

Minnesota delivered a 31–0 shutout of Washington in the Vikings’ defensive rout, which detailed how sustained pressure and efficient drives kept the Commanders scoreless. The win tightened Minnesota’s position in the NFC playoff race as the season enters its final weeks.

A surge of opening-weekend turnout pushed Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 to a record post-Thanksgiving debut of the film’s $63 million launch. The strong showing came despite generally negative reviews from multiple critics and the general audience.

A Korea JoongAng Daily feature shows how Japanese actors, musicians, and theater creatives are expanding their footprint in South Korea’s entertainment sector through new collaborations documented in coverage of Japan’s rising presence in Korean pop culture. The trend reflects shifting cultural dynamics across East Asia.

The administration broke with long-standing custom by hosting the annual performing-arts honors at the White House instead of a more typical location. The event brought together artists from film, classical music, and country in a redesigned approach to the tradition.

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A new report from a major health and technology outlet describes how hospitals and researchers are testing generative AI tools that can interpret chest X-rays and draft full radiology reports without direct human input. In one demonstration, an AI system correctly identified normal heart and lung findings but also invented a detail about a hip prosthesis that was not in the image, underscoring the risk of “hallucinations” in clinical settings.

AI systems are already assisting with image triage, flagging suspected pneumonia, collapsed lungs, or other urgent problems so radiologists can prioritize critical cases. The new frontier is allowing algorithms to take on more of the interpretive work — writing structured impressions, suggesting follow-up tests, and in some proposals, issuing preliminary reads that physicians might accept with minimal review. Proponents argue this could expand access to imaging expertise in rural hospitals and overloaded systems.

Skeptics point out that medical images embed subtle patterns tied to age, hardware, or scan technique that models may misread, especially when trained on limited or biased datasets. Errors can be hard to detect if AI-generated prose sounds authoritative, and liability questions remain unresolved when software misses or invents findings. There is also concern that overreliance on automation could erode training opportunities for younger radiologists.

In the near term, most experts expect hybrid models in which AI drafts reports, highlights suspicious areas, and checks measurements while human clinicians retain responsibility for final signoff. Key issues to watch include how regulators treat fully automated image interpretation, whether hospitals can validate performance across diverse patient groups, and how often systems are required to show their work with visual explanations rather than just text. The outcome will influence not only radiology, but also how far health systems let generative AI move from decision support toward direct clinical decision-making.

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—The Five Minute Daily Team