Yoon vows to 'fight to the end'

Plus, Syrian rebel leader puts his stamp on the state.

Sign up for Reuters newsletters  Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Edson Caldas The South Korean president defies impeachment threats, a powerful Syrian faction brings its administration to Damascus, and Malibu wildfire forces 6,300 people to evacuate. Plus, meet SwagBot, the AI-powered robot cattle herder preventing soil degradation. Today's Top News   People celebrated after rebels seized the capital and announced that they have ousted President Bashar al-Assad. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Middle East Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa's Islamist group is stamping its authority on Syria's state with the same lightning speed that it seized the country, deploying police, installing an interim government and meeting foreign envoys - raising concerns over how inclusive Damascus' new rulers intend to be. Syrians in Germany are conflicted over whether to return home amid concerns about what the new leadership will look like. On today's Reuter World News podcast, Correspondent Riham Alkousaa details the dilemma that they are facing. Israelis and Palestinians are signaling new efforts to forge a ceasefire deal, even a limited one, for the first time in a year that would pause the fighting in Gaza and return to Israel some of the hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave. United States FBI Director Chris Wray will step down from his post early next year, after Donald Trump signaled his intent to replace him with firebrand Kash Patel. Separately, Trump is considering Richard Grenell, his former intelligence chief, as a special envoy for Iran. Health care companies are taking a step back to better understand patients' experiences after a top health insurance executive was killed last week, executives said. In the days since Luigi Mangione was charged with murder, more than a thousand donations have poured into an online fundraiser for his legal defense. In other news South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he would "fight to the end" as his own party shifted closer to voting with the opposition to impeach him. Meanwhile, the country's hospitality sector is wary of the potential impact of a protracted political crisis. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will undergo a new procedure this morning to complement the surgery he went through this week to drain a bleed on his brain, the hospital said in a medical update that stressed he was doing well. Business & Markets   The European Central Bank is all but certain to cut interest rates again later today and signal further easing in 2025. The ECB has already cut rates at three of its last four meetings, but the debate has shifted to whether it is easing policy fast enough. Earlier, the Swiss National Bank cut its interest rate by 50 basis points, the biggest reduction in almost 10 years as it sought to stay ahead of expected cuts by other central banks. The SNB reduced its policy rate from 1.0% to 0.5%, the lowest since November 2022. Britain's financial regulator is taking longer than usual to approve fast-fashion retailer Shein's IPO because it is checking its supply chain oversight and assessing legal risks after an advocacy group for China's Uyghur population challenged the listing, sources said. France is without a prime minister. That will make it hard to cut the large budget deficit. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists explain why a long crisis would deter foreign investors and damage France's growth. Australia's center-left government said it planned new rules that would charge big tech firms millions of dollars if they did not pay Australian media companies for news hosted on their platforms. The Justice Department asked a US appeals court to reject an emergency bid by TikTok to temporarily block a law that would require its Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest the short-video app by Jan. 19 or face a ban. In Pictures   Nearly 2,000 firefighters battle the Franklin Fire in Malibu. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu Aided by favorable winds and weather, firefighters are progressing in containing a wildfire in the beach community of Malibu, California, where 6,300 people evacuated their homes as schools and businesses shut their doors. See the photo gallery And Finally... Meet SwagBot, the AI-powered robot cattle herder preventing soil degradation. REUTERS/Cordelia Hsu With four wheels and a bright red paint job, SwagBot is not your average cow. But researchers in Australia say this autonomous robot is on its way to becoming the world's first 'smart cow', able to make cattle farming more efficient and environmentally friendly. 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