The main events by the morning: December 9

• Rebels in Syria have taken over the country. On the night of December 8, the rebels took control of the capital Damascus and announced the overthrow of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian president himself and his family arrived in Russia, where Moscow granted him asylum. 

• The White House on the situation in Syria. US President Joe Biden commented on the developments in Syria, expressing support for the end of Bashar al-Assad's rule. Biden announced his intention to cooperate with opposition forces in the country, stressing that the transition period will be fraught with risks and uncertainty for the United States. He also noted the readiness to support Syria's neighbors — Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel — in the event of threats emanating from Syrian territory.

• Euroclear has resumed operations with Russian Eurobonds. The Euroclear settlement system has once again started servicing 10 Eurobond issues of Russian companies, including Rusal, Russian Railways and Evraz securities. This solution allows investors to transfer these bonds to Russian depository accounts in Euroclear, after which they can be presented to issuers for substitution with other instruments.

• Bitcoin can reach $160 thousand. Analysts predict strong growth as the cryptocurrency undergoes structural changes. It is gradually transforming from a speculative instrument into an asset of interest to large institutional and corporate investors. At the moment, the market is in the consolidation stage, which analysts consider as a «respite» after significant growth.

• The Central Bank of the Russian Federation: the abolition of cash and denomination are not planned. The deputy chairman of the Central Bank, Sergei Belov, said that cash is still in demand among citizens. In addition, he noted that the issue of banknotes with a nominal value of 10 thousand rubles is also not yet included in the plans of the regulator.

• Israel entered the territory of Syria for the first time in half a century. Israeli troops crossed the border of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, marking the first time an open invasion of Syrian territory since 1973. The military intends to ensure control on the Syrian border until the political situation in the region stabilizes.