Half this week's top homes pass $1M; top spot sells for $2M

Associated Press
Suzuki Motor former boss Osamu Suzuki, who turned the minicar maker into a global player, dies at 94
Osamu Suzuki, the charismatic former boss of Suzuki Motor Corp. who helped turn the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a globally competitive company, has died, the company said Friday. Suzuki was known for his candid remarks and friendliness, calling himself an “old guy from a small to mid-size company.” Born on Jan. 30, 1930 as Osamu Matsuda, Suzuki worked in banking after graduating from Tokyo's Chuo University School of Law.
AFP
South Korean lawmakers impeach second president in two weeks
South Korean lawmakers impeached acting president Han Duck-soo on Friday, sinking the country even deeper into political crisis two weeks after his predecessor was suspended over a martial law declaration that shocked the world.In addition to being the second impeachment of a head of state in just two weeks, Friday's vote was also South Korea's first impeachment of an acting president.
Associated Press
Middle East latest: Houthi rebels fire missile at Israel hours after airstrikes on Yemen airport
Houthi rebels in Yemen fired a missile at Israel early Friday, hours after a wave of Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's main airport as the World Health Organization’s director-general was about to board a flight there. Three people were killed and dozens were wounded in the Israeli airstrikes, including a member of the U.N. plane’s crew, the U.N. said. The Israeli military said the Houthi missile was intercepted by its air defenses on Friday before it entered Israeli territory.
CNN
North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine dies from injuries, South Korea’s spy agency says
South Korea’s spy agency said Friday a wounded North Korean soldier who was captured while fighting for Russia against Ukrainian forces has since died from his injuries, the Yonhap news agency reported.
CNN
Black boxes of downed Azerbaijani jet recovered as questions mount over Russian involvement. Here’s what we know
Early indications suggest a Russian anti-aircraft system may have downed the passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan, a US official told CNN, as authorities recovered a second black box that they hope will shed light on the cause of the disaster that killed dozens of people.
TODAY
Baby Jesus figurine stolen from Nativity scene surrendered to fire station with a hilarious note
A stolen baby Jesus figurine was left at a Fort Collins fire station with an apology note after being taken from a Nativity scene in the Colorado town.
Associated Press
Germany's president dissolves parliament, sets national election for Feb. 23
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday ordered parliament dissolved and set new elections for Feb. 23 in the wake of the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition, saying it was the only way to give the country a stable government capable of tackling its problems. Scholz lost a confidence vote on Dec. 16 and leads a minority government after his unpopular and notoriously rancorous three-party coalition collapsed on Nov. 6 when he fired his finance minister in a dispute over how to revitalize Germany’s stagnant economy. Steinmeier said he made the decision because it was clear after consultation with party leaders that there was no agreement among Germany's political parties on a majority for a new government in the current parliament.
AFP
Mayotte faces environment, biodiversity crisis after cyclone
Mayotte has changed beyond recognition since a cyclone devastated the Indian Ocean territory, sparking an environment and biodiversity crisis that could last for a decade or more, scientists say.Officially Mayotte has 320,000 inhabitants -- with unregistered undocumented migrants probably adding another 100,000 -- packed into a territory of 374 square kilometres (144 square miles), resulting in a population density eight times that of mainland France.
Reuters
German president dissolves parliament for Feb. 23 snap elections
BERLIN (Reuters) -President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday dissolved Germany's lower house of parliament to pave the way for snap elections on Feb. 23 following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition. "Especially in difficult times, like now, stability requires a government capable of acting, and reliable majorities in parliament," which was why early elections were the right way forward for Germany, Steinmeier said in Berlin. After the elections, problem-solving must become the core business of politics again, added Steinmeier in a speech.
USA TODAY
The holidays can be stressful. Tips for managing the season (and all year long).
Calming techniques for trying times can be useful in 2025 as well.
USA TODAY
2025 climate forecast warns of winter danger – but not the cold kind
Wildfires may be in the news this winter across the southern tier of the US as drought persists and expands across the region, experts told USA TODAY Friday.
Politico
Brian Schatz to Democrats: Talk Like Normal People
As the Hawaii senator charts his path up the Senate hierarchy, he reflects on his party’s major challenges.
CNN
Mother who fought for justice in daughter’s murder case involving Kennedy cousin has died
Dorthy Moxley, the mother who fought for decades to bring her teenage daughter’s killer to justice in a roller-coaster Connecticut murder case that captured the nation’s attention for years, has died. She was 92.
AFP
Desertions spark panic, and pardons, in Ukraine's army
Oleksandr deserted from the front line in eastern Ukraine after watching his fellow servicemen being pulverised by Russian bombardments for six months.It was the final straw for Oleksandr, 45, who had been holding the line in the embattled Lugansk region in the early months of the war.
CNN
South Korean parliament votes to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo
South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach prime minister and acting president Han Duck-soo on Friday, less than two weeks after parliament stripped President Yoon Suk Yeol of his powers over his short-lived martial law order that plunged the country into political disarray.
CNN
Taiwan’s presidential office runs first ‘tabletop’ simulation of Chinese military escalation
Taiwan’s presidential office held a “tabletop” exercise on Thursday simulating military escalations by China, a first-of-its-kind drill involving government agencies beyond the armed forces that highlights Taipei’s urgency in ensuring preparedness against an increasingly assertive Beijing.
AFP
China sanctions US firms over Taiwan military support
China on Friday slapped sanctions on seven US companies after Washington's approval last week of a $571.3 million military aid package to Taiwan, which Beijing said infringed on its "sovereignty and territory".Last Friday, US President Joe Biden authorised the drawdown of up to $571.3 million for defence assistance to the self-ruled island, which China regards as its own territory.
Reuters
Malaysian man publicly caned for Islamic crime of close proximity
A Malaysian man was caned at a mosque in the northeastern state of Terengganu on Friday for the Islamic crime of close proximity with a non-family member of the opposite sex, local media reported, in a rare public sentencing. Muslim-majority Malaysia practices a dual-track legal system, with Islamic criminal and family laws applicable to Muslims alongside secular laws. Mohd Affendi Awang, 42, was convicted of the Islamic crime of "khalwat" and sentenced to six strokes of the cane and a fine after he pleaded guilty to the offence last month.
AFP
Asian markets mostly rise but political turmoil holds Seoul back
Asian markets mostly rose on Friday, with Japanese shares gaining on a weaker yen, although Seoul shares plunged as South Korea's political crisis deepened with a second impeachment vote.In Seoul, the market closed down by 1.02 percent after the won plunged to a 16-year low of 1,480.20 per US dollar on Friday morning.
CNN
China launches new amphibious assault ship in a race to rival US military
China has launched its first next-generation amphibious assault ship, adding a powerful cutting-edge warship to the country’s fast-expanding navy as it races to rival the military power of the United States.

Half this week's top homes pass $1M; top spot sells for $2M

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Suzuki Motor former boss Osamu Suzuki, who turned the minicar maker into a global player, dies at 94

South Korean lawmakers impeach second president in two weeks

Middle East latest: Houthi rebels fire missile at Israel hours after airstrikes on Yemen airport

North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine dies from injuries, South Korea’s spy agency says

Black boxes of downed Azerbaijani jet recovered as questions mount over Russian involvement. Here’s what we know

Baby Jesus figurine stolen from Nativity scene surrendered to fire station with a hilarious note

Germany's president dissolves parliament, sets national election for Feb. 23

Mayotte faces environment, biodiversity crisis after cyclone

German president dissolves parliament for Feb. 23 snap elections

The holidays can be stressful. Tips for managing the season (and all year long).

2025 climate forecast warns of winter danger – but not the cold kind

Brian Schatz to Democrats: Talk Like Normal People

Mother who fought for justice in daughter’s murder case involving Kennedy cousin has died

Desertions spark panic, and pardons, in Ukraine's army

South Korean parliament votes to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo

Taiwan’s presidential office runs first ‘tabletop’ simulation of Chinese military escalation

China sanctions US firms over Taiwan military support

Malaysian man publicly caned for Islamic crime of close proximity

Asian markets mostly rise but political turmoil holds Seoul back

China launches new amphibious assault ship in a race to rival US military