Country stars Hardy, Lainey Wilson and Dylan Marlowe to play Tuscaloosa Amphitheater

AFP
Asian markets struggle after more weak China data
Asian markets mostly fell Monday after an unexpected slowdown in retail sales reinforced worries about China's economy, with the latest batch of weak data compounding the disappointment of Beijing's latest stimulus pledges.That came after investors were left unimpressed last week with Beijing's pledge to introduce measures aimed at "lifting consumption vigorously" as part of a stimulus drive.
Associated Press
Pakistan begins last anti-polio vaccination campaign of the year after a surge in cases
Pakistan began on Monday its last nationwide vaccination campaign for the year to protect 45 million children from polio after a surge in new cases hampered efforts to stop the disease, officials said. Pakistan has reported 63 confirmed cases since January. Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister’s adviser for the polio eradication program, said the anti-polio drive will continue until December 22.
CNN
Israeli strike kills Al Jazeera photojournalist on one year anniversary of colleague’s death
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed an Al Jazeera photojournalist on Sunday – exactly one year to the day after an attack killed one of his colleagues.
Reuters
French military aid starts to arrive in cyclone-battered Mayotte
Emergency workers raced on Monday to restore basic services to the French overseas territory of Mayotte, where hundreds or even thousands are feared dead from the most powerful cyclone to hit the Indian Ocean island in nearly a century. Maritime and aerial operations were underway to transport relief supplies and equipment, French authorities said late on Sunday, after Cyclone Chido slammed into the islands with winds of more than 200 kph (124 mph). The prefect of Mayotte, Francois-Xavier Bieuville, said on Sunday that the death toll would "certainly be several hundreds, maybe we will reach a thousand, even several thousands."
Reuters
Indonesia to repatriate Filipino drugs convict this week
Indonesia will transfer Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino woman who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking, to her home country in the early hours of Wednesday morning, a senior Indonesian official said. Indonesia last month agreed to repatriate Veloso, a former domestic helper and mother of two, who was arrested in Yogyakarta in 2010 after being found with 2.6 kg (5.73 lb) of heroin concealed in a suitcase. Veloso's case caused a domestic outcry in the Philippines and she received a last-minute reprieve from execution in 2015 after late former President Benigno Aquino appealed to the Indonesian government, arguing she could be a vital witness in prosecuting drug syndicates.
AFP
Bangladesh to hold elections in late 2025 or early 2026
Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus, who heads the caretaker government installed after an August revolution, said Monday that general elections would be held late next year or in early 2026.Bangladesh last held general elections in January when Hasina celebrated victory -- in a poll denounced as neither free nor fair and boycotted by rivals after a crackdown during which thousands of opposition party members were arrested.
Associated Press
Stock market today: Asian shares fall as China reports lackluster data, while bitcoin hits new highs
Shares retreated Monday in Asia after China reported lackluster economic indicators for November, while bitcoin surged to fresh highs, topping $106,000. The price of the cryptocurrency has surged since the election in November given U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's bitcoin-friendly stance. Trump signaled a lighter regulatory approach to digital currencies with his choice of crypto advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The report said the economy and employment were stable, but noted a complicated “external environment," reflecting unease over the outlook in coming months once U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office, potentially delivering on promises to sharply hike tariffs on imports from China.
Reuters
Serbia used Israeli firm’s tech to enable spy campaign, Amnesty says
Serbian officials installed homegrown spyware on the phones of dozens of journalists and activists, Amnesty International said in a report released on Monday, citing digital forensic evidence and testimony from activists who said they were hacked in recent months. In two cases, software provided by Israeli surveillance company Cellebrite DI Ltd was used to unlock phones prior to infection, the report said. The Serbian spyware, dubbed “NoviSpy” by Amnesty, then took covert screenshots of mobile devices, copied contacts, and uploaded them to a government-controlled server, the report said.
AFP
Race against time for Mayotte rescuers after cyclone
Rescuers were racing against time Monday to reach survivors after a powerful cyclone hit the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, laying to waste the territory's many shantytowns.Another French Indian Ocean territory, about 1,400 kilometres away, La Reunion is serving as a logistics base for the rescue operation.
CNN
Downtown San Francisco experiences first tornado warning in recorded history
For the first time in recorded history, downtown San Francisco was issued a tornado warning on Saturday as severe storm conditions swept through the city, prompting local authorities to warn residents of the rare threat.
AFP
Taiwan receives first batch of US-made Abrams tanks
Taiwan has received 38 advanced Abrams battle tanks from the United States, the defence ministry said Monday, as the island boosts its military capabilities against a potential Chinese attack.Abrams tanks, which are among the heaviest in the world, are a mainstay of the US military.
Associated Press
Canada Post says operations to resume after nearly a monthlong strike
Canada Post said operations will resume at the national postal service on Tuesday after the nearly monthlong work stoppage. Workers went on strike after failing to reach a negotiated agreement with the primary postal operator in Canada over key issues, including wages, job security, and how to staff a proposed expansion into weekend delivery. The federal government moved Friday to end the stoppage after Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon announced referring the dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, an independent administrative tribunal that focuses on resolving workplace disputes.
Reuters
Kyrgyzstan's president dismisses prime minister
Japarov has been "dismissed from his post due to a transfer to another position," the statement on the presidential website said. Japarov had been prime minister since 2021. The president assigned the prime ministerial duties to First Deputy Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliyev, the presidential administration said in another statement.
CNN
‘It’s as if an atomic bomb fell on Mayotte:’ Widespread destruction after 100-year cyclone pummels French territory
Reports of widespread damage are emerging from Mayotte after a 100-year cyclone ripped across the French archipelago Saturday, inflicting devastation that one resident likened to an atomic bomb, with hundreds and possibly even thousands of feared victims.
Reuters
Inside South Korea's right-wing YouTube world openly embraced by Yoon
When South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol cited claims of election hacking and "anti-state" pro-North Korean sympathisers as justification for imposing a short-lived martial law, right-wing YouTuber Ko Sung-kook had heard it before. In fact, Ko had made the same claims himself many times to the 1.1 million subscribers of his Kosungkook TV channel on YouTube. "If President Yoon Suk Yeol listens to the voices of YouTubers attentively, he may understand what the people really think, what the public sentiment of the president's supporters are, that's what I'm expecting," Ko told Reuters.
Associated Press
Takeaways from AP's reporting on a child sex abuse crisis inside a secretive Christian sect
For decades, a little-known Christian sect has dealt with its abusive ministers and spiritual elders mostly in secret, shunning legal action in favor of urging victims to forgive the predators in their midst. Now a grassroots effort by survivors has exposed the depth of the scandal — documenting allegations against more than 900 abusers in 30 countries, with cases continuing to emerge — and thrust the nameless sect into the public eye. The Associated Press interviewed more than a dozen current and former members, workers and experts, and reviewed letters, court documents and other records supporting the allegations.
AFP
Fiji says five patients being discharged after pina colada incident
Fiji doctors have decided to discharge five of the seven patients -- including four Australians and an American -- who were hospitalised after drinking pina coladas at a luxury hotel bar, the government said Monday.The hotel bar involved was "very busy" on the evening, he added, but only seven people were sickened by the pina coladas, which were normally "pretty harmless".
Reuters
Brazil heron takes flight after plastic cup removed from throat
A heron took flight in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, stretching its wings and soaring over a river after veterinarians saved it from near-certain death by removing a plastic cup attached to its neck and blocking its throat. The mission to save the bird prompted an outcry in Brazil over the impact of plastic pollution on wildlife in a city famed for its forested mountains overlooking a bustling seaside metropolis. As its cage opened, the lanky heron hesitated for a moment before stepping out and leaping into the air, its white-gray wings carrying it over the river in Rio's Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood.
Associated Press
China's economy logs a lackluster performance in November as retail sales slow
China’s economy logged a mixed performance in November, the monthly government update said Monday, with retail sales slowing as consumers held back on spending on non-essentials like cosmetics, alcohol and clothing. “However, we must also see that the external environment is more complicated, domestic demand is insufficient, some enterprises are facing difficulties in production and operation, and the foundation for the sustained recovery of the economy still needs to be consolidated,” Fu Linghui, a spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics told reporters. The report came days after top leaders ended an annual planning meeting that produced no major new policy initiatives as Beijing braces for potential tariff hikes once U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
CNN
What’s next for the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO
The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in Manhattan remains in a Pennsylvania state prison and a possible indictment looms in New York as a grand jury considers evidence on charges he faces there, including one count of murder.

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