AP News Digest 7 a.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EST. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

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WEEKEND COVERAGE

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For weekend stories, please click here for the Weekend Lookahead digest.

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TOP STORIES

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SYRIA-WEEK-ONE — A transformation has started to take place in the week since the unexpected overthrow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad. Suddenly in charge, the rebels have been met with a mix of excitement, grief and hope. And so far the transition has been surprisingly smooth. Reports of reprisals, revenge killings and sectarian violence are minimal, looting and destruction has been quickly contained. But there are a million ways it could go wrong. By Sarah El Deeb. SENT: 1,270 words, photos. An abridged version is available.

MIDEAST-WARS-SYRIA — The United Nations special envoy for Syria has called for a quick end to Western sanctions after the ouster of President Bashar Assad. The Syrian government has been under strict sanctions by the United States, European Union and others for years as a result of Assad’s brutal response to what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and later spiraled into a civil war. By Abby Sewell. SENT: 730 words, photos. With GERMANY-SYRIA — Germany warns Assad supporters involved in atrocities in Syria against trying to flee there; UNITED-STATES-SYRIA — U.S. officials have been in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group that ousted Assad, Blinken says; BLINKEN-MIDEAST-DIPLOMACY-TAKEAWAYS — SENT.

SOUTH KOREA-MARTIAL-LAW — South Korea’s opposition leader offered to work with the government to ease the political tumult as officials sought to reassure allies and markets, a day after the opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol over a short-lived attempt to impose martial law. By Hyung-jin Kim and Kim Tong-hyung. SENT: 780 words, photos.

TRUMP — Donald Trump huddled with allies and a Republican cause célèbre at the Army-Navy football game, joining Vice President-elect JD Vance, embattled Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, potential backup defense option Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others for the game outside Washington. Daniel Penny, who was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide this week in the chokehold death of an agitated subway rider in New York, was also a guest of Trump and Vance. By Noah Trister, Tara Copp and Aamer Madhani. SENT: 870 words, photos, video, audio. With TRUMP-ABC-LAWSUIT — ABC agrees to give $15 million to Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle defamation lawsuit; TRUMP-SPECIAL-MISSIONS-ENVOY — Trump appoints longtime foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell to serve as special missions envoy; and FBC-T25-NAVY-ARMY — Blake Horvath shines as Navy dominates in a 31-13 victory over Bryson Daily and No. 19 Army — SENT.

TRUMP-TRANSITION-HEALTH — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a childhood polio survivor, said any of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees seeking confirmation should “steer clear” of efforts to discredit the polio vaccine. The 82-year-old lawmaker’s statement appeared to be directed at Trump’s nominee for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after a report that one of his advisors filed a petition to revoke approval for the polio vaccine in 2022. By Moriah Balingit. SENT: 640 words, photo.

WINTRY-WEATHER — Inclement weather has plagued areas of the U.S. in the first half of the weekend, with dangerous conditions including heavy snow, a major ice storm and unsual tornado activity. An ice storm beginning Friday created treacherous driving conditions across Iowa and eastern Nebraska. More than 33 inches of snow was reported near Orchard Park, New York, which is often a landing point for lake-effect snow. On Saturday, a tornado touched down in Scotts Valley, California, causing damage and several injuries. In San Francisco, a storm damaged trees and roofs and prompted a tornado warning. By Josh Funk. SENT: 630 words, photos, audio.

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MORE NEWS

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TRANSPORTATION-SECURITY-CANINE — Argo the dog, a TSA calendar star, protects air travelers by sniffing out explosives. SENT: 530 words, photos.

NORTH-POLE-FLIGHT — Flight takes kids to visit Santa at North Pole scene in transformed Denver airport hangar. SENT: 430 words, photos, video.

SANTACON — Thousands of Santas and a few Grinches hit the streets for the annual SantaCon bar crawls. SENT: 220 words, photos.

DISCARDED-DOG-IOWA — Police search for whoever discarded an emaciated bulldog inside a trash bag in Iowa. SENT: 140 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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DRIVE-BY-KILLING-TERROR-CHARGES — A judge in Las Vegas has sentenced a Texas man to 100 years in prison for his role in a two-state shooting rampage on Thanksgiving 2020 that included the killing of a man in Nevada and a shootout with authorities in Arizona. SENT: 260 words, photo.

INDIANA-EXECUTION-WHAT-TO-KNOW — Indiana officials are preparing to execute the state’s first death row inmate in 15 years. Joseph Corcoran was convicted in 1999 in the fatal shootings of his brother and three other men, including his sister’s fiancé. If Corcoran is put to death as scheduled Wednesday it will be the state’s first execution since 2009. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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MIGRATION-GREECE-SHIPWRECKS — At least five migrants died, an unknown number were missing and more that 200 others rescued in Greece in multiple operations south of the island of Crete, the coast guard said. SENT: 220 words.

CYCLONE-CHIDO — At least 11 people have died after Cyclone Chido caused devastating damage in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, France’s Interior Ministry said. The ministry said it was proving difficult to get a precise tally of the dead and injured amid fears the death toll will increase. SENT: 150 words, photo.

CONGO-PEACE-TALKS — Fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 rebel group intensified in eastern Congo in recent days ahead of much-anticipated peace talks, the army said. SENT: 390 words, photo.

LIBYA — Libyan officials say clashes broke out between armed groups in a western city, trapping residents in their homes and causing fires in the country’s second largest oil refinery. SENT: 350 words, photo.

VENEZUELA-ARGENTINE-EMBASSY — Members of Venezuela’s political opposition who have been sheltering for months in the Argentine diplomatic compound in the capital, Caracas, on Saturday detailed their deteriorating living conditions as they sought to grow a sense of urgency among the governments working to secure their safe departure from their home country. SENT: 540 words, photo.

FRANCE-POPE-CORSICA — A brief visit by Pope Francis to the French island of Corsica will put a dual focus on the Mediterranean, highlighting local traditions of popular piety on the one hand and migrant deaths and wars on the other. SENT: 460 words, photos.

MEXICO-AMERICANS KILLED — An American couple were shot to death while visiting the western Mexico state of Michoacan. State prosecutors said the couple died when their pickup truck was sprayed with bullets. SENT: 150 words.

BOLIVIA-JUDICIAL-ELECTIONS — Bolivia is the only country in the world that holds elections for top judicial posts. Soon Mexico will, too, after former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador pushed through a highly contentious overhaul of the justice system in the face of mass protests. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA-INDONESIA-DRUG-TRAFFICKERS — Australia’s prime minister says five Australians who have spent almost 20 years in Indonesian prisons for heroin trafficking have returned to Australia under a deal struck between the two governments. SENT: 300 words, photos.

IRAN-SINGER-ARREST — Iranian authorities have arrested a female singer who performed a virtual concert on YouTube, a lawyer said. The judiciary filed a case on Thursday regarding Ahmady’s concert performance in which she was not wearing a hijab. SENT: 360 words.

EUROPE-FUR TRADE — Finnish advocacy group Oikeutta Elaimille, or Justice for Animals, and Humane Society International have released images taken from an “undercover investigation” at three fur farms in western Finland in late October to highlight the behind-the-scenes realities of the trade. SENT: 830 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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JETS-BELICHICK — A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Bill Belichick contacted the New York Jets about their head coaching vacancy before accepting the job at North Carolina. SENT: 350 words, photos.

FBC-HEISMAN-TROPHY — Two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado has won the Heisman Trophy, punctuating a tireless performance all season by a dynamic player with a unique combination of skills. SENT: 890 words, photos. With HEISMAN-TROPHY-FOOTBALL:-PHOTO-COLLECTION — SENT.

T25-GONZAGA-UCONN — Liam McNeeley scored 26 points for No. 18 UConn, which fended off a series of rallies by No. 8 Gonzaga to earn a 77-71 win in a Hall of Fame Series matchup at Madison Square Garden. SENT: 290 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, of Colorado, kisses the trophy at a press conference after the awards ceremony, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)

Madeleine Bordon runs home with gifts in hand that she received at a pre-Christmas celebration organized by "Los Chicos de la Via" soup kitchen, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Georgian president-elect Mikheil Kavelashvili, 2nd right, poses for a selfie at the Georgian parliament, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday. Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo)

A Syrian girl with the colours of the "revolutionary" Syrian flag on her face, takes a selfie in front of the ancient Aleppo Citadel in the old city of Aleppo, Syria, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A young Palestinian girl plays at a street between destroyed buildings which were not only destroyed during the civil war they were also demolished by the government or stripped by thieves, at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, outside Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

A man draws the "revolutionary" Syrian flag on a girl's face at the ancient Aleppo Citadel in the old city of Aleppo, Syria, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A dead child is carried into the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah after an Israeli army strike in the Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Dec. 14, 2024.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — At least 11 people have died after Cyclone Chido caused devastating damage in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, France's Interior Ministry said Sunday.

The intense tropical cyclone has now made landfall on the east coast of Africa, where aid agencies are warning of more loss of life and severe damage in northern Mozambique.

The French Interior Ministry said it was proving difficult to get a precise tally of the dead and injured in Mayotte amid fears the death toll will increase. A hospital in Mayotte reported that nine people were in critical condition there and 246 others were injured.

The tropical cyclone blew through the southeastern Indian Ocean, also affecting the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar. Mayotte was directly in the path of the cyclone and suffered extensive damage on Saturday, officials said. The prefect of Mayotte said it was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Saturday night after an emergency meeting in Paris that there were fears that the death toll in Mayotte “will be high” and the island had been largely devastated.

Prime Minister François Bayrou, who took office on Friday, said public infrastructure on Mayotte had been severely damaged or destroyed, including the main hospital and the airport. He said many people living in precarious shacks in slum areas have faced very serious risks.

Chido brought winds in excess of 220 kph (136 mph), according to the French weather service, making it a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale.

Mayotte has a population of just over 300,000 spread over two main islands about 800 kilometers (500 miles) off Africa’s east coast. It is France's poorest island and the European Union's poorest territory. In some parts, entire neighborhoods were flattened, while local residents reported many trees had been uprooted and boats had been flipped or sunk.

The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers have been deployed to “help the population and prevent potential looting.”

Some 110 rescuers and firefighters have been deployed in Mayotte from France and the nearby territory of Reunion, and an additional reinforcement of 140 people was due to be sent on Sunday. Supplies were being rushed in on military aircraft and ships.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was closely monitoring the situation, while Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the cyclone while on a visit Sunday to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.

Chido continued its eastern trajectory and made landfall early Sunday in Mozambique on the African mainland, where emergency officials had warned that 2.5 million people could be impacted in two northern provinces, Cabo Delgado and Nampula. Landlocked Malawi and Zimbabwe are also preparing to be affected, with both countries warning they might have to evacuate people from low-lying areas because of flooding.

In Mozambique, the United Nations Children's Fund said Cabo Delgado province, home to around 2 million people, had been hit hard.

“Many homes, schools and health facilities have been partially or completely destroyed and we are working closely with government to ensure continuity of essential basic services,” UNICEF said. “While we are doing everything we can, additional support is urgently needed.”

UNICEF Mozambique spokesman Guy Taylor said in a video posted by the group from Cabo Delgado's regional capital that alongside the immediate impact of the cyclone, communities now face the prospect of being cut off from schools and health facilities for weeks.

December through to March is cyclone season in the southeastern Indian Ocean and southern Africa has been pummeled by a series of strong ones in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries last year.

The cyclones bring the risk of flooding and landslides, but also stagnant pools of water may later spark deadly outbreaks of the waterborne disease cholera as well as dengue fever and malaria.

Studies say the cyclones are getting worse because of climate change. They can leave poor countries in southern Africa, which contribute a tiny amount to global warming, having to deal with large humanitarian crises, underlining their call for more help from rich nations to deal with the impact of climate change.

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Corbet reported from Paris.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

This undated photo provided by NGO Medecins du Monde on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, shows a devastated hill on the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Medecins du Monde via AP)