International News Roundup for Dec. 9 to Dec. 20

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from the Washington Post, NBC News, the New York Times, USA Today and Fox News. Silver Chips Online posts this news summary to provide readers with a forum for discussion.

CIA confirms that Russia interfered in the presidential election
Dec. 9 - The CIA found that the Russian government hacked into the Democratic National Committee computer system after conducting a secret assessment. According to the CIA, the Russians intended to help Donald Trump win the election by sabotaging Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign. Their intentions were to leak confidential Democratic material in hopes of boosting Trump's chances in the election while tarnishing the reputation of the United States election system.

Civilians evacuated as rebels turn over last territory in Aleppo
Dec. 15 - Rebels fighting against the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad surrendered the last of their territory in Aleppo as they were battered by a barrage of shelling and airstrikes. International humanitarian efforts helped to evacuate civilians from the warzone. The wounded were among the first to evacuate as about 3,000 civilians left Aleppo on buses and ambulances. The rebels lost control of eastern Aleppo after having a secure hold on it for four years. This figures to be a major boost for the Syrian government. However, this civil war dispute appears that it will continue to rage on.

Venezuelan economic crisis in full swing
Dec. 15 - The Venezuelan economic crisis continued to deteriorate, with massive inflation and a collapse in the value of the Venezuelan bolívar. Depreciations in the economy so far have led to widespread poverty and a lack of basic resources, especially food. Average daily wages are less than two dollars a day. Additionally, there has been an increase in reported cases of abandoned children. Many economists believe that former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez's socialist policies might be to blame.

Truck plows into crowd at Christmas market in Berlin
Dec. 19 - A truck loaded with steel beams drove into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday night. At least 12 people have been confirmed dead, and 48 were wounded. German police are still not sure who the driver of the truck was, but they have already detained one suspect. Police have stated that they believe the attack was motivated by terrorism and the terror group known as the Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed involvement. The attack seems to be similar to the truck attack that occurred in Nice, France on Jul. 14, Bastille Day.