Ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia after being found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The former president fled to Moscow when his regime was overthrown in 2024. Syria's interim government is prosecuting figures linked to the Assad family's five-decade rule during the civil war.

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President Donald Trump reportedly used an elaborate security scheme to leave Turkey after a NATO summit last month, hiding in a catering truck and switching from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft. The manoeuvre was implemented after his team received credible assassination threats from Iran. White House staff and journalists boarded the original Air Force One as a decoy, while Trump flew separately before rejoining the presidential aircraft in the UK.

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Victoria's road compensation system has approved only 2% of nearly 1,800 claims from drivers whose vehicles were damaged by potholes. More than 30 cars were damaged by a single pothole on the Princes Highway near Bunyip, approximately one hour east of Melbourne, in a mass incident on Monday. Drivers must meet a threshold of more than $1,600 in damage to qualify for compensation.

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Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 17, have been charged and refused bail after allegedly shooting at a home in Eagle Vale, Sydney's southwest. The pair allegedly fled the scene in a stolen Toyota Corolla before crashing into a tree in Raby, where they were arrested. Police believe the shooting was targeted and linked to a string of other incidents, with a third person from the vehicle still unaccounted for.

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A 51-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to murder in connection with the kidnapping and death of 85-year-old Sydney grandfather Chris Bagzarian. The grandfather was kidnapped from his North Ryde home earlier this year, with his remains later discovered in Pitt Town in what police describe as a case of mistaken identity. She is the 12th person to be charged in the case, with 11 others already before the courts.

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The Queensland Government is considering expanding its breach bail laws to include adult re-offenders, following pressure from North Queensland MPs and community members after a 25-year-old woman was killed when her vehicle was allegedly hit by a stolen car. Over 13,000 people were sentenced for breaching bail in the past five years, but only 434 received jail time, raising concerns from criminologists about the need for additional prison capacity if the laws are expanded.

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A nationwide crackdown on illegal tobacco has resulted in the closure of up to 10 Metro service stations across Australia. Operation Shorthand, conducted by Border Force, the Australian Federal Police and state agencies, targeted independent franchisees within the Metro chain, though Metro itself is not accused of wrongdoing. Industry concerns have emerged that petrol prices may rise as the closures reduce competition from independent retailers that typically keep major petrol companies' prices in check.

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A 12th person has been charged over the kidnapping and murder of Sydney grandfather Chris Bagzarian in a case of mistaken identity, with an 85-year-old victim taken from his North Ryde home and remains found in Pitt Town. The Reserve Bank maintains interest rates at 4.35% with inflation expected to remain at 3.6% until late next year, while property prices are forecast to plummet up to 14.5% in Sydney and 12.8% in Melbourne. An elderly woman in Queensland, still wearing her stadium usher uniform, has been accused of deliberately keying a Tesla in a Petrie train car park after a Broncos match.

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A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck western Colombia near San Jose del Palma, killing at least 132 people and trapping many more under rubble.

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A grown man was filmed striking a child with what appears to be a cloth shopping bag during a violent incident on a St Kilda tram. The video was uploaded to TikTok, capturing the angry outburst.

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