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00:00Antony Blinken says the U.S. has been in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group that toppled
00:07Bashar al-Assad�s regime.
00:11Prime Minister Najib Makati calls on Syrian refugees in Lebanon to return home after the
00:16downfall of Bashar al-Assad.
00:21Georgia�s outgoing President Salome Zubishvili slams her successor�s appointment a mockery
00:27of democracy.
00:31Cyclone Chido batters the French overseas territory of Mayotte in what officials say
00:36is the worst storm in a century.
00:42Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the U.S. has been in direct contact with the
00:47Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group in Syria.
00:51Blinken said he�d laid out the principles for ongoing support for Syria�s political
00:55transition.
00:57He said it was important to work with HTS to build the inclusive, non-sectarian, peaceful
01:02and sovereign state the Syrian people want.
01:05Earlier in Jordan, he also urged Israel and Hamas to conclude a ceasefire and hostage
01:10return deal to bring an end to more than a year of war.
01:14Those comments come on the same day the Palestinian medical official said at least seven people
01:19were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.
01:23The strike hit a school which was sheltering displaced families.
01:26The hospital which received the casualty said at least 12 people had been injured.
01:31Among the dead was a woman and her two-day-old baby girl.
01:42Lebanon�s Prime Minister Najib Makati has called for Syrian refugees in his country
01:47to return home after the dramatic downfall last week of Bashar al-Assad.
01:52Speaking at a political gathering in Rome, Makati said a third of Lebanon�s population
01:56is made up of people who fled Syria.
01:59He said the high refugee numbers had put a strain on resources and created fierce competition
02:04for jobs.
02:05Authorities in Lebanon say the country hosts around two million Syrians.
02:11Makati�s comments come as countries across Europe have begun deliberating what to do
02:15with their Syrian refugee populations.
02:18Several countries including Belgium, Denmark and Germany have stopped processing asylum
02:23applications filed by Syrians.
02:25But they all agree it�s too early to consider returning refugees to Syria.
02:30The European Commission said that currently the conditions are not met for safe, voluntary,
02:35dignified returns to Syria.
02:41Georgia�s outgoing President Salome Zurbishvili has slammed a decision by the Electoral College
02:46to name Mikheil Kavalashvili, her successor, a parody.
02:50Zurbishvili called Saturday�s vote a �mockery of democracy.�
02:54She�s vowed to stay on after her six-year term ends on Monday, describing Parliament
02:59as illegitimate and having no authority to select her successor.
03:02She�s been highly critical of the ruling Georgian dream, accusing it of applying pro-Russia
03:08policies.
03:09Kavalashvili was the only candidate on the ballot and was chosen by all but one of 225
03:15electors.
03:16He had a successful career as a footballer, playing as a striker for English Premier League
03:20team Manchester City.
03:22He was first elected to Parliament in 2016 as a member of Georgian Dream and in 2022
03:28co-founded the People�s Power political movement.
03:32That was allied with Georgian Dream and became known for its strong anti-Western rhetoric.
03:40The worst storm to hit the islands in almost a century
03:42Several people have been killed after cyclone Chido battered the French overseas territory
03:47of Mayotte in what officials say is the worst storm to hit the islands in almost a century.
03:52Chido brought winds in excess of 220 kilometers an hour, ripping roofs off houses and bringing
03:58down trees across the archipelago.
04:01Speaking at a crisis meeting in Paris, France�s Prime Minister François Beyrou said risks
04:06were accumulating and the supply of food and water was a priority.
04:10The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police officers have been deployed to help the population
04:16and prevent potential looting.
04:18A hundred and ten rescuers and firefighters have also been sent from France.
04:24Mayotte is France�s poorest department and has previously struggled with drought and
04:28a lack of investment.
04:30Police also struggled to tackle gang violence and tensions spiked late last year due to
04:35a water shortage.