Drew Barrymore Says Her Cinderella Movie Ever After 'Changed the Way I Saw the World'

USA TODAY
'Dialogue and peace': Pope Francis calls for end to violence in Ukraine, Middle East on Christmas Day
Pope Francis in his Christmas message called for talks between Ukraine and Russia to end the war that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago.
Associated Press
Striking students in Serbia tell chief prosecutor to 'fight for law and justice'
Serbia's striking university students on Wednesday rallied outside the chief prosecutor's office to demand justice over a concrete canopy collapse that killed 15 people last month in the country's north. More than 1,000 students symbolically left letters on the doorstep of the public prosecutor's office, telling chief prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac that "students expect you to fight for law and justice, without political abuse or corruption.”
Reuters
Russian region declares emergency situation as Black Sea oil spill fallout widens
Authorities in Russia's southern Krasnodar region on Wednesday declared a region-wide emergency, saying that oil was still washing up on the coastline 10 days after two ageing tankers ran into trouble. The oil is from the tankers which were hit by a storm on Dec. 15. The pollution, which has coated sandy beaches at and around Anapa, a popular summer resort, has caused serious problems for seabirds and everything from dolphins to porpoises and over 10,000 people have been trying to clear it up.
CBS News
Manhunt for "desperate" murderer who escaped from Mississippi prison
Authorities in Mississippi are searching for Drew Johnson, a convicted killer they say escaped from prison Tuesday, describing him as "desperate" and "very dangerous."
Associated Press
Edmunds: Five dream-worthy vehicles you wish you got for the holidays
Just about everyone dreams about cars they wish they could own, and there’s no better time than the holidays to make a list of vehicles you’d love to have in your driveway. The car pros at Edmunds rounded up five of their favorite dream-worthy vehicles.
CNN
The myth of the ‘lost prince’ and other historical mysteries solved by science in 2024
Scientists explored Beethoven’s ailments, linked remains to a Norse saga, uncovered colonial secrets, peeked inside an alchemy lab and debunked a royal hoax in 2024.
CNN
Here’s the gift I have given myself this year. I hope you get it, too
Cutting out the shame around diet culture can be hard to do when it is everywhere. Here is how CNN writer Madeline Holcombe quieted the noise.
CNN
The Supreme Court enters its teenager era
Like millions of American teens, Kailey Corum is savvy about the dangers of TikTok – but she’s also wary about government efforts to shut it down.
NBC News
Squeezed by high prices, a growing number of Americans find shelter in long-term motels
Melissa Krajewski used to come home from her job as a home health aide to the sounds of children pattering around the family’s three-bedroom apartment.
NBC News
Christmas tree farms face new perils
Christmas tree farms are staring down a new set of dangers, including climate change-fueled weather disasters and a shifting labor market.
CNN
At least 29 passengers survive fiery plane crash in Kazakhstan as authorities fear dozens others dead
A passenger plane carrying 67 people from Azerbaijan to southern Russia crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, local authorities said.
NBC News
Russia launches massive Christmas Day attack on Ukraine
Many Ukrainians were celebrating without heat or power after Russia launched a Christmas Day assault on the country’s energy infrastructure, an act that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as “inhuman.”
Associated Press
Desi Bouterse, a dictator convicted of murder who twice ruled Suriname, has died at 79
Desi Bouterse, a military strongman who led a 1980 coup in the former Dutch colony of Suriname then returned to power by election three decades later despite charges of drug smuggling and murder, has died. Surinamese Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk wrote on Facebook Wednesday that Bouterse’s “life had a lasting impact on our country and his efforts will not be forgotten.” Bouterse was applauded by supporters for his charisma and populist social programs.
CNN
Putin ‘inhumane,’ Zelensky says, as Russia pounds Ukrainian power grid on Christmas Day
Russia launched aerial attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector “on a massive scale” overnight into Wednesday, local authorities said, amid intensified bombardment that has left Ukraine in a precarious position as the war grinds into a third winter.
AFP
Syria authorities say torched 1 million captagon pills
Syria's new authorities torched a large stockpile of drugs on Wednesday, two security officials told AFP, including one million pills of captagon, whose industrial-scale production flourished under ousted president Bashar al-Assad."We found a large quantity of captagon, around one million pills," said a balaclava-wearing member of the security forces, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Osama, and whose khaki uniform bore a "public security" patch.
Reuters
Serbian students march in Belgrade to protest train station disaster
Hundreds of university students rallied in Belgrade on Wednesday to protest the policies of President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), whom they blame for a railway disaster last month in which 15 people died. Students at universities in Belgrade and across Serbia have been protesting since, demanding publication of documents relevant to the station renovation and the prosecution of those responsible for the disaster. After a 15-minute silent vigil to commemorate the victims of the Novi Sad accident, students marched to the State Prosecutor’s headquarters in Belgrade to deliver 1,000 identical letters of protest to the office of Zagorka Dolovac, the chief state prosecutor.
Associated Press
Fate of Trump's Cabinet picks unclear as Republicans prepare to take power in Senate
The fate of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet is still unclear after Republican senators spent much of December carefully dodging questions about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ’s views on vaccines, accusations of sexual misconduct against Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard's 2017 meeting with then-President Bashar Assad of Syria. While some GOP senators have indicated they are all-in for Trump’s picks, others have withheld support, for now, especially on some of his more controversial nominees. The dynamic is injecting uncertainty into the process as Republicans prepare to take the Senate majority in January with a four-seat margin and as Trump aggressively challenges them to confirm his Cabinet immediately.
CNN
Pope calls for ‘lasting peace’ in Ukraine in Christmas Day message
Pope Francis has called for a “negotiation” to end the war in Ukraine in a Christmas Day message where he appealed for weapons to be laid down in global conflicts and reconciliation between enemies.
Reuters
Suriname ex-President Desi Bouterse dead at 79, foreign minister says
PARAMARIBO (Reuters) -Suriname's fugitive former President Desi Bouterse has died aged 79, the country's government said on Wednesday, almost a year after he fled authorities to avoid jail following his conviction over the murder of 15 political activists in 1982. "The government has been informed through the family and its own investigations of the passing of Mr. D. Bouterse, ex-President of the Republic of Suriname," Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin told Reuters. The former leader died on Tuesday, the government said, without confirming where, or even which country.
Popular Science
How to set up and use Apple Intelligence on your iPhone
At launch events for both the iPhone 16 and iOS 18, Apple made much of its new Apple Intelligence software features: a collection of AI tools and features intended to help you get more from your iPhone. Now, those features are starting to roll out—though we’re still waiting for certain upgrades. Here’s everything you can […]

Latest Stories