In today’s newsletter: President Bashar al-Assad’s forces were driven from Aleppo over the weekend by a rebel offensive, forcing global attention to turn back to the country

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Good morning. Eight years ago, indiscriminate Russian airstrikes helped Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad’s forces drive rebels from Aleppo, the country’s second-largest city. Assad’s victory in Aleppo, once a symbolic stronghold of the Syrian rebellion, relied on a brutal “surrender or starve” strategy that killed thousands of civilians and forced many more to flee. It was seen as a turning point in the country’s civil war, which has largely been in a state of stalemate since 2020.

But over the weekend, a stunning rebel offensive seized Aleppo again – leaving the Assad regime facing the greatest threat to its control in years. Yesterday, Syrian and Russian airstrikes pummeled opposition controlled areas in response. Whatever happens next, if the frozen conflict in Syria has become a “forgotten war” as attention has focused on Gaza and Ukraine, it will now be impossible to ignore.

US politics | Joe Biden has issued “a full and unconditional” pardon to his son Hunter Biden covering convictions on federal gun and tax charges. Joe Biden, who has repeatedly said that he would not pardon Hunter or commute his sentence, said that his son had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted”.

Assisted dying | A new commission on palliative care has been set up to deliver better care for 100,000 people a year in the final stages of their lives. The commission – instituted after the parliamentary vote last week to legalise assisted dying – has been launched amid warnings of a postcode lottery in standards across the country.

BBC | Outrage over Gregg Wallace’s alleged conduct has intensified after the MasterChef presenter dismissed his accusers as “middle-class women of a certain age”. The corporation and other broadcasters are facing growing questions about why Wallace remained on screen despite allegations of inappropriate behaviour dating back to at least 2012.

Immigration and asylum | The number of small boat arrivals since Keir Starmer took power has passed 20,000, with the Home Office claiming a record number of calm autumnal days in the Channel was responsible. 6,288 people crossed the Channel over 31 days in October and November, compared with 768 over the same period in 2023.

Georgia | Protesters rallied in Georgia’s capital for a fourth consecutive night on Sunday amid signs of widening opposition to the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. The crisis deepened after Thursday’s announcement that the government would freeze EU talks for four years.

Opposition groups in north-west have launched biggest push in years against government forces

Jihadist fighters have cut off a road between Damascus and Aleppo during an offensive that a monitor says has killed about 200 people, including civilians hit by Russian air force strikes.

On Wednesday the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions launched a surprise attack on government-held areas of northern Aleppo province, triggering the fiercest fighting in years, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.