1. Thailand Wakes to Uncertainty, Grief Without King Bhumibol
Thailand's people woke up to the first day in 70 years without King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a king worshipped as a father-figure who guided the nation through decades of change and turmoil.
2. ‘Absolutely False,’ Trump Says Defiantly After Women's Groping Allegations
Donald Trump assailed as “absolutely false” the allegations by several women that he groped them, and accused Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, the media and lobbyists of engaging in an effort to stop him from winning the White House.
3. Syria’s Assad Says Taking Aleppo From Rebels Key to Pushing ‘Terrorists’ Back to Turkey
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said that the Syrian army's capture of Aleppo, which has come under renewed bombardment in an effort to seize its rebel-held sector, would be “a very important springboard” to pushing ‘terrorists’ back to Turkey.
4. United Nations Appoints Portugal’s Guterres as Next UN Chief
The United Nations General Assembly unanimously appointed former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres as the ninth secretary-general of the world body for five years beginning 1 January, 2017.
5. ‘How Does It Feel?’ - Bob Dylan Wins Nobel Literature Prize
Bob Dylan, powerful voice of social turmoil in United States from 1960s onward, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in a surprise decision, making him the first singer-songwriter to win the honour.
6. Japan’s Little Prince Could Be Last Emperor on Unreformed Chrysanthemum Throne
When Prince Hisahito was born in 2006, ending a 41-year drought in imperial male heirs, Japan's government gladly dropped proposals that women might head the world’s oldest monarchy, but a decade later the little prince remains the last hope for an unreformed Chrysanthemum Throne.
7. South Asian Tensions Seen Dominating Indian BRICS Summit
India will take its drive to isolate Pakistan and rally the international community against cross-border militancy to a summit of emerging market powers this weekend, when it hosts BRICS nations in Goa.
8. EU’s Tusk Says Britain Might Yet Back Out of Brexit
Britain might ultimately decide not leave the European Union as EU will not offer London any softer terms than the damaging “hard Brexit” said Donald Tusk, who will run negotiations for Brussels.
9. Colombia’s President Extends Ceasefire With FARC Through Year-end
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos extended his ceasefire with Marxist FARC rebels through the end of the year as he seeks to revive a peace accord to end five decades of war after voters rejected the hard-fought deal in a referendum.
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