These before and after photos show the real effects of heroin use

NBC News
New year, new health benefits? Here's how to keep your out-of-pocket costs down.
Checking out how your 2025 health insurance plan covers your existing doctors and prescriptions can help fend off surprise bills later.
CNN
Putin apologizes for ‘tragic’ Azerbaijan Airlines crash, without admitting responsibility
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Russia’s air defense systems were active when an Azerbaijan Airlines flight attempted to land in Grozny, Chechnya on Wednesday.
CNN
Israel arrests hospital director and other staff in raid on last functioning facility in northern Gaza, health officials say
Israeli forces have arrested dozens of staff, including a hospital director after raiding the last major functioning health facility in northern Gaza, Gaza’s ministry of health says.
NBC News
North Korean soldiers kill themselves to avoid capture in Ukraine, U.S. says
Russia is deploying “human waves” of North Korean soldiers, the U.S. said, and one soldier captured by Ukraine died of his injuries. Others died by suicide.
AFP
France asks Indonesia to transfer national on death row
France has sent Indonesia an official request for the transfer of a French death row inmate who has spent nearly 20 years in prison, an Indonesian minister told AFP on Saturday."We have received a formal letter requesting the transfer of Serge Atlaoui," senior law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra told AFP. The French embassy in Jakarta declined AFP's request for comment.
AFP
Gaza child amputees get new limbs but can't shake war trauma
Layan Al Nasr, 14, thought she would never walk again after both of her legs were amputated following an Israeli bombing in Gaza one year ago. The little girl was caught in an air raid in Gaza when she went out to buy a packet of crisps, losing a leg from her injuries.
AFP
Gaza hospital shut after Israeli raid, director held: health officials
An Israeli military raid targeting Hamas militants has forced a major hospital in northern Gaza out of service and led to the detention of its director, the WHO and health officials said Saturday.The World Health Organisation said the operation had put the "last major health facility in north Gaza out of service".
Associated Press
Putin apologizes to Azerbaijani leader for 'tragic incident' involving crashed plane
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people. The Kremlin said in a statement that air defense systems were firing near Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, due to a Ukrainian drone strike as the plane attempted to land on Wednesday. It stopped short of saying the plane was shot down by Russian air defenses.
Associated Press
Abortions are up in the US. It's a complicated picture as women turn to pills, travel
Abortion has become slightly more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It's now been two and a half years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and opened the door for states to implement bans. Overturning Roe and enforcing abortion bans has changed how woman obtain abortions in the U.S.
AFP
Turkey's pro-Kurd party meets jailed PKK leader
A delegation from Turkey's main pro-Kurdish DEM party on Saturday visited jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving life on a prison island off Istanbul, party officials said. "While I speak here, our delegation is currently meeting with Mr Abdullah Ocalan at Imrali (island).
Popular Science
The 11 weirdest things humans did to robots in 2024
Robots have progressed over the years from clunky hunks of metal to complex, AI-enabled machines capable of running, speaking, and even painting pictures. But even with all those advances humans still can’t help but place robots in bizarre and uncomfortable situations. This year, researchers took advanced robots and had them clean up karate-chopped Coke cans, […]
CNN
Is suicide risk higher during the holidays? Experts weigh in on study and how to cope
The risk for suicide may be higher on New Year’s Day and Mondays, a large study has found. Experts contextualize the findings and share coping strategies.
Associated Press
Thick fog disrupts some flights on one of the UK's busiest weekends for travel
Travelers flying to or from the U.K. faced further disruptions Saturday as thick fog and low visibility restricted air traffic on one of the year's busiest weekends. Gatwick Airport in London warned that some flights may be delayed throughout Saturday and apologized for the inconvenience. Flights were delayed by up to three hours late Friday because of poor weather conditions, and at least 40 flights from the airport, mostly short haul to Europe, were delayed Saturday morning.
AFP
WHO chief says narrowly escaped death in Israeli strikes on Yemen airport
The head of the World Health Organization said Saturday he only narrowly escaped death in fatal Israeli strikes on the airport in Yemen's Huthi rebel-held capital.Otherwise, if the missile deviated just slightly, it could have been on our heads... my colleague actually said after all that, we escaped death narrowly."
CNN
Attention DOGE: Here’s how the federal government spends Americans’ tax dollars
As the co-heads of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are promising to slash at least $2 trillion from the federal budget.
CBS News
Winning ticket for $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot sold in California
The Mega Millions jackpot winner could either take the cash payout of $549.7 million or the $1.22 billion annuity paid out over 30 years.
TODAY
Toddler saved by mom before nearly falling off cliff overlooking Hawaii’s Kilauea volcanoyes
Mother saves toddler from 400-foot fall at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano. Park officials urge safety near closed areas and trails.
AFP
EU universal charger rules come into force
EU rules requiring all new smartphones, tablets and cameras to use the same charger came into force on Saturday, in a change Brussels said will cut costs and waste."Starting today, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, speakers, keyboards and many other electronics sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port," the EU Parliament wrote on social media X. The EU has said the single charger rule will simplify the life of Europeans and slash costs fo
USA TODAY
Elon Musk wants the FAA to let SpaceX conduct more Starship tests in 2025: What that means
Elon Musk wants SpaceX to conduct 25 Starship test flights in 2025 after just five launches this year, but he'll need FAA approval.
NBC News
The key state and local elections to watch in early 2025
A handful of down-ballot elections at the outset of the new year will serve as the first tests of the political environment following Trump's November victory.

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