Today's Headlines

Assad: Aleppo victory would be huge step

Having difficulty reading this email? View it online Today's Headlines December 8

Top News Stories Aleppo battle: Assad says victory in city would be 'huge step' Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says a victory in Aleppo would be a "huge step" towards ending the war. UK minister accuses Saudis over 'proxy wars' Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is filmed saying Saudi Arabia and Iran are "puppeteering" in the Middle East. Giraffes facing 'silent extinction' as population plunges A dramatic drop in the giraffe population over the past 30 years leaves them vulnerable to extinction. Indonesia quake: Search for survivors continues Rescuers search for survivors in Indonesia's Aceh province a day after a deadly earthquake.   Italy's Renzi hands in resignation amid political turmoil Italian PM Matteo Renzi hands his resignation, three days after losing a key referendum vote. Stories from India 100 Women 2016: Sunny Leone on how objectification isn't a bad word Former porn star turned Bollywood movie actor Sunny Leone tells Yogita Limaye that she's ok with her 'sexy' image and 'objectification' isn't a bad word. Mumbai doctor to operate on '500kg' woman An Egyptian woman, said to weigh 500kg, is to be airlifted to India for weight reduction surgery. Mourners shave heads for India's Jayalalitha Indians shave their heads as a mark of respect to late charismatic politician J Jayalalitha.

From the BBC Cultural Calendar Opening this week: Nityan Unnikrishnan Delhi-based artist Nityan Unnikrishnan trained as a ceramicist and now works in a variety of media. His work "creates a dynamic relationship between the self and his or her landscape," and is on show in December at Chatterjee and Lal gallery.   Find out more about exciting events around the world in the BBC Cultural Calendar.   Top Videos Hospitals struggling to cope with Mosul casualties Syria rebels 'withdraw from Old City' of Aleppo Siberia sky lit up by meteor Baby trafficking in India Magazine Cat Hulbert: How I got rich beating men at their own game Not many professional gamblers are bipolar women, but Cat Hulbert was one of the best - and she delighted in winning money from men. Sport Sutton lost Varnish case over use of word 'bitches' A letter obtained by BBC Sport shows British Cycling cleared Shane Sutton of eight of the nine allegations made by Jess Varnish. Tottenham secure Europa League place Tottenham secure a place in the Europa League knockout stage as their Champions League campaign ends with a victory over CSKA Moscow. Fifa boss wants three teams per group in expanded World Cup finals Future World Cup finals will feature 16 groups of three countries in a 48-team tournament, if Fifa president Gianni Infantino gets his wish.

Business Brexit: French financial regulator wooing London banks Banks are in advanced stages of planning to shift some operations from London to Paris, says France's leading financial regulator. Glencore and Qatar buy $11.3bn stake in Russia's largest oil company Glencore and Qatar buy a 20% stake in Rosneft, Russia's biggest oil company, despite US and EU sanctions.   Technology BBC tests 4K Planet Earth II in HDR on iPlayer The BBC trials next-generation iPlayer technologies that will let it stream shows with higher quality images. TalkTalk's wi-fi hack advice is 'astonishing' Security experts attack TalkTalk's response to evidence that thousands of its wi-fi passwords have been stolen.

Autos Six straight hours on Night Tube What one writer witnessed on London's new, open-all-night subway service   Driving Bentley's Bentayga Diesel Top Gear samples the British carmaker's first — and possibly last — diesel model Capital Cycle to work? It's not worth it here It's not always cheaper and can take nearly a year or more to pay off   How badly do you want to buy a home? People go to extreme lengths to buy, from boarding dogs to living behind bars Culture A hypnotic video of a rare art form Watch two lithographers at work   Was this billionaire recluse truly mad? The life of Howard Hughes was more than merely strange Earth Not all flowers smell nice Some flowers produce the smell of rotting flesh   The man who lives with hyenas He calls them into his house and feeds them by hand Future The remote outpost that changed history How an Australian telescope brought the Moon landings to TV   The first pirate politician in power Meet Birgitta Jonsdottir, a political leader unlike any other Travel India's model for tolerance This could be an example for many nations   A tree from the garden of Eden? Its seeds bear an uncanny resemblance to human genitalia

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