Official results from Saturday's presidential election in Ghana have confirmed the victory of opposition candidate, former President John Mahama.

Mahama won with 56.6% against 41.6% for Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia. It is the biggest margin of victory in the country for 24 years.

Voter turnout was 60.9%, said the head of Ghana's electoral commission, Jean Mensa.

Mahama said he felt "humbled" that he and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) had "chalked one of the best results in the electoral history of Ghana".

The unique destroyer USS Zumwalt is back in the water after a yearlong drydocking at Ingalls Shipbuilding. The yard has removed the vessel's iconic twin cannon turrets and replaced them with a weapons system more suitable for high-end modern conflict - the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile, or CPS.

The U.S. Navy's futuristic Zumwalt-class destroyers were built to carry twin high-velocity cannons for shore bombardment, and these extra-large vessels resemble a sleek and stealthy version of a battleship. The number of ships in the class was cut back from 32 to three due to cost overruns, and the cost per round of manufacturing the specialized ammunition for the deck guns rose to an impractical $800,000-$1 million per shot. The production run for these costly high-speed shells was canceled, making the guns unusable.

Rebels in Syria announced on Sunday that they had seized control of the capital, Damascus, in a swift offensive, and proclaimed the end of President Bashar al-Assad's decades-long "tyranny". Assad's whereabouts remain unknown, with some reports suggesting he has fled to an undisclosed location.

The Syrian capital saw celebrations as fighters and a section of residents took to the streets cheering. Rebel factions, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, declared Damascus "liberated" and said, "We announce the freedom of our city and the fall of the tyrant Assad".

If confirmed, Assad’s ouster would end his 24-year iron rule and the 54-year Assad family dynasty, which began with his father, Hafez Assad, in 1971. Bashar Assad took power in 2000 following his father’s death and struggled for 13 years to maintain control during a brutal civil war that devastated the nation.

In a major development for West Asian security cooperation, the United States, Bahrain, and the United Kingdom have announced an expansion of their strategic partnership through the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA). The UK’s entry into this agreement marks a crucial enhancement of the existing security framework, which was initially established between the US and Bahrain in 2023. Central to this partnership is the newly unveiled Geospatial Acceleration Initiative, which leverages the expertise of the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) to enhance regional maritime security and navigation safety.

This initiative will focus on developing and sharing critical hydrographic, aeronautical, and topographic data among partner nations. Bahrain’s strategic importance is highlighted by its role in maintaining security in vital maritime corridors, including the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The nation hosts key UK naval facilities in the Gulf and has demonstrated its commitment to regional stability through active participation in multinational security operations. The economic dimension of this partnership has already shown promising results, with the UK-Bahrain Strategic Investment Partnership, established in 2023, generating over £1 billion in investment in the United Kingdom.

In line with Act East policy, India on Saturday sent a consignment of 2200 metrci tonnes rice to Myanmar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Jaiswal added that India was committed to provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.

"In line with India's 'Act East' & 'Neighbourhood First' policies, India reaffirms its commitment to humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar. A consignment of 2200 MT of rice departed Chennai Port today for Myanmar," the MEA spokesperson said in a post on X.

The Reserve Bank has bought 48% of all the gold that the central banks bought in October, adding a whopping 27 tonne to its home reserves, taking the total tonnage to 882. Gold buying by all central banks totalled only 60 tonne in October, shows the latest data from the World Gold Council (WGC).

The RBI has purchased as much as 77 tonne of gold between January and October, according to the data, based on the reported monthly numbers from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Gold had touched its historic high prices in October crossing the $2750/ounce mark and the buying happened the historically highest prices—may be prices skyrocketed due to the demand from central banks. The October purchase represents a five-fold increase compared to the same period of 2023, said the WGC. With this purchase the country’s total gold reserve stood at 882 tonne, of which 510 tonne are held in the country and the rest are mostly in the London, Zurich and New York.

Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta appointed a new Prime Minister, a day after dissolving the government without providing any reason.

Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, until now Communications Minister and spokesperson of the government, will be the West African country's new Prime Minister, junta leader Ibrahim Traore said in a presidential decree read on state television Saturday.

Mr. Traore had issued a decree Friday dismissing Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and announcing the dissolution of the national government. No reason was given for the move.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the Governor's Office and also declared December 6 as 'A Day of Remembrance for Mahatma Gandhi' throughout the state in recognition of his role as a global symbol of peace, nonviolence and justice

Consulate General of India in Seattle stated that this marks the "first installation of Gandhi ji's bust in any State Capitol premise in the nine states under the consular jurisdiction of Indian Consulate in Seattle."

Several notable dignitaries graced the unveiling ceremony, including Governor Jim Pillen, Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly and former Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson and acclaimed Coach Tom Osborne, along with Consul General of India, Prakash Gupta, as well as eminent members of the Indian American community.

Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has been honored with two prestigious awards at the '3rd PSU Transformation Awards 2024' ceremony, held at Shangri-La, New Delhi on December 5. The awards spotlight HSL's commitment to innovation and excellence in the shipbuilding industry.

HSL received recognition in two key categories:

Innovative Product Development Award for its pioneering fender arrangement in Tugs for Submarines. This accolade was accepted by Sarath Chandra, Senior Manager (Design).

BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Monday (December 9, 2024). His election followed the decision of the opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), not to field a candidate, ensuring an uncontested process.

Mr. Narwekar had filed his nomination papers on Sunday. A senior BJP leader, Mr. Narwekar served as the Speaker of the 14th Assembly for two and a half years.

During his earlier tenure as Speaker, Mr. Narwekar made landmark rulings, declaring Eknath Shinde’s faction as the legitimate “Shiv Sena” following the party’s split and recognising the Ajit Pawar-led group as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), over the faction led by Sharad Pawar.