World News Roundup: Syrian state media says Israeli 'aggression' targets southern region of Damascus city; Migrants arrive in record numbers in Panama in 2022, data shows and more

Francis presided at a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica as the body of Benedict, who died on Saturday at the age of 95, was being prepared for three days of public viewing in the same church starting Monday. Chinese state media seek to reassure public over COVID-19 Thousands of Chinese took to the streets to mark the New Year as authorities and state media sought to reassure the public that the COVID-19 outbreak sweeping across the country was under control and nearing its peak.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Syrian state media says Israeli 'aggression' targets southern region of Damascus city

Israeli "aggression" targeted the southern region of the capital Damascus early on Monday, Syrian state media said. No details were immediately available, and there were noinitial reports of damage or casualties.

Migrants arrive in record numbers in Panama in 2022, data shows

Migrants arrived at record numbers in Panama in 2022, the Central American nation said Sunday, with most of them leaving Venezuela and crossing the dangerous Darien Gap region in an attempt to reach the United States. With 248,283 migrants from different countries recorded by Panamanian authorities, the number for last year is equivalent to the total for more than a decade.

Defiant Ukrainians cheer New Year as drones blasted from skies

Ukrainians cheered from their balconies while their air defences blasted Russian missiles and drones out of the sky in the first hours of 2023, as Moscow saw in the new year by attacking civilian targets across Ukraine. Ukrainian forces shot down 45 Iranian-made Sahed drones fired by Russia on the first night of the year, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday evening, praising Ukrainians for showing gratitude to the troops and one another.

Extinction Rebellion UK to halt disruptive protests

The British arm of the Extinction Rebellion environmental group said on Sunday it would take a break from acts of public disruption in order to bring more people on board its campaign for urgent action to counter climate change. The grassroots group's protests have previously included closing key roads and bridges in central London, blockading oil refineries, smashing windows at Barclays bank headquarters and spraying fake blood over the finance ministry building.

After years, private vehicles start crossing Colombia-Venezuela border again

Private vehicles started crossing between Colombia and Venezuela for the first time in years on Sunday, marking the total opening of the shared border, in addition to cargo and people that have been transiting. The full opening of the common border follows years of tense relations between the two countries that have eased after Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a leftist, took office in August last year.

Historic new year for Croatia as it joins euro, Schengen area

Croatia rang in two historic changes with the new year, as the European Union's youngest member joined both the EU's border-free Schengen zone and the euro common currency, fulfilling longstanding ambitions of close integration with Europe. At the Bregana border crossing with neighbouring Slovenia, police took down signs at midnight and a barrier was lifted up for the last time, before a placard reading "free passage" was installed, symbolizing the end of border checks.

Lula takes reins of Brazil, slams Bolsonaro's anti-democratic threats

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn in as Brazil's president on Sunday, delivering a searing indictment of far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro and vowing a drastic change of course to rescue a nation plagued with hunger, poverty and racism. In a speech to Congress after officially taking the reins of Latin America's biggest country, the leftist said democracy was the true winner of the October presidential vote, when he ousted Bolsonaro in the most fraught election for a generation.

Death of former Pope Benedict overshadows New Year at Vatican

Pope Francis marked the Roman Catholic Church's traditional World Day of Peace on Sunday but the start of the new year at the Vatican was overshadowed by the death of his predecessor, Benedict. Francis presided at a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica as the body of Benedict, who died on Saturday at the age of 95, was being prepared for three days of public viewing in the same church starting Monday.

Chinese state media seek to reassure public over COVID-19

Thousands of Chinese took to the streets to mark the New Year as authorities and state media sought to reassure the public that the COVID-19 outbreak sweeping across the country was under control and nearing its peak. Though many people in major cities have continued to isolate as the virus spreads through the population, New Year revelries appeared to be mostly unaffected as people celebrated the end of 2022 and the turn into 2023.

Blinken discussed U.S.-China relationship in call with China's Qin

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with incoming Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang over the phone on Sunday, Blinken said on Twitter, after China last week appointed its ambassador to the United States to be its new foreign minister. Blinken said he discussed the U.S.-China relationship and maintaining open lines of communication in his phone call with Qin.