The Israeli military says Sunday’s strikes targeted sites used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. 

​The Israeli military says Sunday’s strikes targeted sites used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.  

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied fleeing Syria as part of a pre-arranged plan. In a Facebook statement, Assad claimed he left Damascus on December 8th after rebels seized the capital, initially relocating to a Russian base. He insisted on continuing the fight but was evacuated to Russia following drone attacks on the base.

A US Navy warship has arrived in Cambodia, the first such visit in eight years to a nation that is China’s close ally in Southeast Asia.Cambodia’s government has suggested the port call reflects an upgrade in often-strained relations.The USS Savannah, carrying a crew of about 100, docked Monday at the port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand for a five-day visit.The United States for many years has had rocky relations with Cambodia, criticising its government for political repression and human rights violations.There is particular concern about its close ties with China, which Washington fears may get exclusive access to a Cambodian naval base on the Gulf of Thailand. n18oc_world n18oc_crux