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Hayat Terrier al-Sham, the Islamist group that toppled Bashar al-Assad in Syria, appointed

Mohammed al-Bashir as caretaker Prime Minister.

He was previously head of the Syrian Salvation Government, a rebel-led group.

His transitional government will run the country until March 1st.

But the leader of Hayat Terir al-Sham, who goes by Abu Mohammed al-Julani, still pulls the strings. Banks and shops reopened in Damascus,

the capital. The Israel Defence forces are creating a, quote, sterile defence zone in southern Syria,

according to Israel Katz, the defence minister, who confirmed that the IDF had launched dozens of strikes

across Syria in recent days. He said that the IDF had destroyed Syria's navy, but denied

that it was advancing towards Damascus. The UN condemned Israel's strikes.

Louise Inacio Lula de Silva, Brazil's president, was in intensive care after brain surgery.

The emergency procedure was prompted by an MRI scan showing bleeding in the skull after an accident in October.

The government said the president was recovering in a hospital in Sao Paulo.

Lula had previously cancelled a trip to the BRICS summit on medical advice.

Luigi Mangione refused to be extradited to New York, where he is charged with the murder

of Brian Thompson, United Healthcare's Chief Executive. Denied bail,

...