Syrian rebels, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have burned the tomb of Hafez al-Assad, the late president and father of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, in the family’s hometown of Qardaha. The attack is part of the rebels' efforts to overthrow the Assad dynasty after 54 years of rule. Meanwhile, in Damascus, daily life is slowly returning to normal, with shops reopening and people no longer fearing regime loyalists. The new rebel leadership has vowed to ensure Syria’s religious and cultural diversity and begin the process of rebuilding the country.

Delhi recorded its coldest morning of the season on Thursday, with temperatures dropping to 4.5°C, according to the India Meteorological Department. Cold wave conditions, which began on December 11, are expected to last until December 13. This is the first time in 14 years that temperatures in early December have fallen below 5°C. Similar cold wave conditions have also been reported in parts of Rajasthan, with Sikar recording 1.5°C. A cold wave is defined when temperatures drop 4.5 to 6.4°C below normal, with severe cold wave conditions when the drop exceeds 6.4°C.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that people who have not applied for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be denied Aadhaar cards. The state government has approved a new rule linking Aadhaar applications with NRC registration. Applicants must provide their NRC application number from 2015 for verification. If the applicant or their family did not apply for NRC, their Aadhaar request will be rejected. This decision aims to address concerns about illegal immigration from Bangladesh. The move will not apply to central government employees working outside Assam.

Pushpa 2: The Rule, starring Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna, continues to dominate the box office, grossing over Rs 1,000 crore worldwide in just seven days. Released on December 5, the film earned Rs 42 crore nett in India on Day 7, with the Hindi version contributing Rs 30 crore. The total collection in India stands at Rs 687 crore. Directed by Sukumar, the action-packed sequel has broken multiple box office records and is expected to perform well through the second weekend. The film is made on a budget of Rs 450 crore and features Fahadh Faasil in a key role.

Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested for allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan. Police matched his fingerprints on a bottle and snack wrapper found at the scene. A 3D-printed gun found with Mangione also matched shell casings at the crime site. The casings were engraved with words criticizing the insurance industry. Mangione, an Ivy League graduate, was caught at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania after a week-long search. Denied bail, he allegedly wrote a manifesto blaming health insurance companies for greed. Investigators believe his anger at the industry motivated the crime. He faces multiple charges, including murder.

Meta’s platforms – WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook – faced a global outage on Wednesday night. Users reported issues like failed logins, crashed apps, and inability to upload or view posts. The problems began around 10:58 PM, with over 100,000 reports on Facebook and 70,000 on Instagram tracked by Down Detector. WhatsApp users struggled to send and receive messages. Meta acknowledged the issue on social media platform X, promising quick fixes and apologizing for the inconvenience. The outage comes months after a similar disruption in March. Many users turned to X to share their frustrations and memes about the incident.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has become the first person in history to reach a net worth of $400 billion, according to Bloomberg. His wealth surged by $20 billion after SpaceX’s valuation rose to $350 billion following a deal to sell $1.25 billion in insider shares. Tesla’s stock also hit a record high, closing at $424.77. Musk’s ventures, including xAI and Neuralink, have seen significant growth. His support for Donald Trump’s presidential win boosted his businesses further. Musk now holds key roles in several companies and will assist in a new government efficiency department under the Trump administration.

Israel has launched over 400 strikes in Syria, targeting key military sites, following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. The strikes destroyed 70-80% of Syria's strategic military assets. The Israeli military said it hit weapons stockpiles, naval vessels, anti-aircraft systems, and missile facilities in Damascus and other cities. Missiles with ranges of 80-190 km were among the destroyed assets. Prime Minister Netanyahu called Assad’s removal a “historic day” and claimed it weakens Iran’s influence. Assad fled to Russia after rebels toppled his regime, ending his 24-year rule. The strikes aim to prevent weapons from reaching terrorist groups.

The Supreme Court has laid down eight factors for courts to consider when deciding alimony in divorce cases. These include the social and economic status of both parties, the wife's basic needs, and the couple’s standard of living. Other factors include income sources, employment status, and whether the wife left her job for the family. The financial status of the husband and legal expenses are also to be considered. This decision came during the divorce case of Praveen and Anju Jain, where the court ordered Rs 5 crore as alimony. The couple had been living apart for 20 years.

ChatGPT and OpenAI's API services faced a major outage, causing global disruptions. The issue started around 7 PM ET, leaving users unable to log in or use services. Many businesses relying on OpenAI’s API also reported problems. OpenAI acknowledged the issue on X, stating they had identified the problem and were working on a fix. Users expressed frustration online, citing slow logins and errors. Down Detector recorded a sharp rise in complaints. OpenAI promised to update users but has not shared when services will be fully restored.