Here are the top stories and upcoming coverage plans for Reuters

text service as of 11 a.m. GMT/6 a.m. ET. For a full schedule of

news and events, go to our editorial calendar on Reuters

Connect.

TOP STORIES

GLOBAL

SYRIA-SECURITY/

Syrian rebels topple President Assad, prime minister calls

for free elections

AMMAN/BEIRUT/CAIRO - Syrian rebels declared President Bashar

al-Assad's ouster after seizing control of Damascus on Sunday,

ending his family's iron-fisted rule after more than 13 years of

civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East.

ROMANIA-ELECTION/PRESIDENTIAL

Romanian far-right candidate says democracy "cancelled"

along with election

MOGOSOAIA, Romania - The Romanian far-right presidential

candidate at the centre of a Russian electoral meddling scandal

turned up at the place he would have voted in on Sunday, saying

the Constitutional Court's decision to cancel the ballot was

fatal for democracy.

U.S.

SYRIA-SECURITY/TRUMP

Trump says Russia abandoned Syria's Assad, never should have

been involved

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that

Russia's abandonment of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led to

his downfall, adding Moscow never should have protected him in

the first place and then lost interest because of a war in

Ukraine that never should have started.

UNITEDHEALTH ( UNH )-CEO/

NYC mayor says suspect identified in UnitedHealth ( UNH )

executive's murder, NY Post reports

Authorities have identified the man suspected of killing

UnitedHealth ( UNH ) executive Brian Thompson and are closing in on him,

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was quoted as saying on Saturday

by the New York Post.

BUSINESS

VINFAST-FACTORY/

EV maker VinFast to build second production plant in Vietnam

HANOI - Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer

VinFast VFS.O on Sunday announced a plan to build its second

domestic production plant that will double its output capacity,

saying it is needed to meet increased demand for its small and

mid-sized models.

EMIRATES-USA/CHIPS

US clears export of advanced AI chips to UAE under Microsoft

deal, Axios says

The U.S. government has approved the export of advanced

artificial intelligence chips to a Microsoft-operated facility

in the United Arab Emirates as part of the company's

highly-scrutinized partnership with Emirati AI firm G42, Axios

reported on Saturday, citing two people familiar with the deal.

SPORTS

CRICKET-TEST-ZAF-LKA/

Cricket-Bavuma helps build lead but Jayasuriya leads Sri

Lanka fightback

GQEBERHA, South Africa - South Africa captain Temba Bavuma

scored another test half century to help his side build their

lead over Sri Lanka to 312 runs at lunch on the fourth day of

the second test at St George's Park on Sunday.

MOTOR-F1-ABUDHABI/

Motor racing-Motorsport UK head concerned by FIA governance

ABU DHABI - Motorsport UK head David Richards has expressed

concern for the future of Formula One's governing body ahead of

a vote that would limit the powers of its audit and ethics

committees.

UPCOMING STORIES

CONFLICTS/WAR/PEACE

MIDEAST-SECURITY/ (PIX) (TV)

Manama Dialogue (Bahrain)

An annual multi-day forum for ministers, policymakers and

decision-makers to debate Middle East foreign-policy, defence

and security challenges.

8 Dec

POLITICS/INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

USA-TRUMP/INTERVIEW

Trump interview on NBC's 'Meet the Press'

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will be interviewed on

NBC's "Meet the Press" program, which will air on Sunday, the

network said in a statement.

8 Dec 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT

CRYPTOCURRENCY-TRUMP/ (PIX)

Trump's crypto associates converge in Abu Dhabi for bitcoin

rendezvous

Several key players in President-elect Donald Trump's new

cryptocurrency venture head to Abu Dhabi on Monday for the

largest bitcoin gathering in the Gulf region as the digital

currency sets record highs.

8 Dec 20:00 ET/01:00 GMT

ARTS/CULTURE/ENTERTAINMENT

AWARDS-KENNEDY CENTER HONORS/ (PIX) (TV)

Francis Ford Coppola, Grateful Dead and Apollo Theater among

2024 Kennedy Center honorees

Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, rock band the Grateful Dead,

blues rock singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, jazz trumpeter,

pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval, and The Apollo Theater are

honored at this year's John F. Kennedy Center awards.

8 Dec