Little girl calls mom a ‘traitor’ for having a best friend other than her before she was born

Reuters
Iran's Khamenei says toppling of Syria's Assad was result of US-Israeli plan
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was the result of a plan by the United States and Israel. One of Syria's neighbours also had a role, he said. Assad's overthrow is widely seen as a major blow to the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance" political and military alliance that opposes Israeli and U.S. influence in the Middle East.
Associated Press
Philippine vice president skips hearing into threats she made against the president
The Philippine vice president on Wednesday skipped the first hearing into threats she made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying she did not believe the investigation will be fair. Vice President Sara Duterte was subpoenaed to appear before the National Bureau of Investigation but instead sent her lawyer, who submitted a letter saying their client vehemently “denies having made any threat constituting grave threat” under the law. Duterte has tried to walk back her comments in a Nov. 23 online news conference where she publicly threatened Marcos, his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez with death.
Reuters
More than 50% chance of La Nina in coming months, WMO says
There is more than a 50% chance of La Niña developing in the next three months, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday, but if it does it will be relatively weak and short-lived. The La Niña pattern involves the cooling of ocean surface temperatures and could break a spell of high temperatures that are set to make 2024 the world's warmest since records began. Forecasts show that there is a 55% likelihood of a transition to La Niña between December 2024 and February 2025, the WMO said in a statement sent to journalists.
AFP
Syrians explore ousted Assad's Damascus home
Roaming the opulent Damascus home of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Abu Omar felt a sense of giddy defiance being in the residence of the man he said had long oppressed him.They oppressed us in incredible ways," Abu Omar added from the compound of three six-storey buildings in the upscale al-Maliki neighbourhood.
TODAY
I got arrested days before Christmas when my kid was 5. How it changed me
My young daughter didn’t understand why her mom wasn’t there to decorate the tree or bake cookies with her. In that moment, I knew something had to change.
CNN
South Korea’s ex-defense minister attempts to take his own life as presidential office raided in martial law fallout
Former South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun has attempted to end his own life while in custody, the head of the country’s correctional service said Wednesday, as a political crisis from the President’s brief declaration of martial law continues to spiral.
CNN
18,000 Malibu area residents face evacuation as Red Flag fire warnings persist
Red Flag fire warnings are expected to persist in the Malibu area along the Southern California coast into Wednesday afternoon after the Franklin Fire, which ignited Monday, forced evacuation orders or warnings for 18,000 residents.
AFP
Taiwan says 'troublemaker' China expands military drills around island
China has expanded military drills around Taiwan aimed at drawing "a red line" for the next US president, Taipei authorities said on Wednesday, branding Beijing a "troublemaker".The security official said Wednesday that China's plans for the massive maritime operation began in October and were aimed at demonstrating that Beijing could choke off Taiwan and also to "draw a red line" ahead of the next US administration.
AFP
Asian markets mixed ahead of US inflation data, eyes on China
Markets diverged on Wednesday ahead of US inflation data that could play a key role in the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision next week, while traders were also keeping tabs on Beijing hoping for more economic support measures."The holiday season is in full swing, and like countless children around the world wishing for something special from jolly old Saint Nick, equity markets are hoping the US Federal Reserve will bring them a comfy-cosy interest rate cut," said Saira Malik, chief inves
Associated Press
Australian police launch a special operation to investigate increased antisemitic attacks
Australian federal police launched a special operation to investigate an increase in antisemitic threats and violence since the war between Israel and Hamas began last year. Jewish leaders say prejudice against their community has reached unprecedented levels, with most incidents reported in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s largest cities where 85% of the nation’s Jewish population live. The government says only Israel is home to more Holocaust survivors than Australia on a per capita basis.
AFP
Duterte parties as Philippines probes her alleged plot to kill Marcos
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte partied with journalists Wednesday as she thumbed her nose at an official inquiry into allegations she plotted to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos, her estranged ally.Hosting what she called a "thanksgiving" lunch for scores of journalists at her office instead of meeting with government investigators, she accused the government of plotting to have her removed from office and charged in court.
AFP
Malaria mortality returns to pre-Covid levels: WHO
Malaria mortality has fallen back to levels seen before the Covid-19 crisis, the WHO said Wednesday, but called for faster progress against the disease that killed nearly some 597,000 people last year.In 2020, disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic led to a sharp increase in malaria-related mortality, with an additional 55,000 deaths counted that year.
Associated Press
AP photos in 2024 show a Middle East riven by wars, but also moments of grace
An Israeli bomb hangs suspended in air, caught in a split-second image of a suburb in Beirut before it slams into an apartment building, passersby already bracing for the explosion. An Israeli woman grieves, the deep lines of wrinkles stark as she thinks of a man killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel whose body the militants spirited away into the Gaza Strip. Across the Middle East this year, Associated Press photographers froze these moments in time, reflections of the wars and their horrors that have upended life across the region.
AFP
US offers $10 mn reward for wanted Chinese hacker
The United States offered a $10 million reward on Tuesday for information leading to the arrest of a Chinese man and co-conspirators wanted for hacking computer firewalls."The zero-day vulnerability Guan Tianfeng and his co-conspirators found and exploited affected firewalls owned by businesses across the United States," FBI agent Herbert Stapleton said.
Reuters
Malaria cases up again in 2023, African children worst hit, WHO reports
There were around 11 million more cases of malaria in 2023 than in 2022, up to an estimated 263 million, according to a new World Health Organization report, marking another year of negligible progress against the age-old killer. There were 597,000 deaths, a similar total to 2022, the vast majority among African children aged under 5 years old, the WHO said. “No-one should die of malaria; yet the disease continues to disproportionately harm people living in the African region, especially young children and pregnant women,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in a statement.
CNN
Justice Department’s storied Civil Rights Division will fight DEI under Trump
President-elect Donald Trump’s Justice Department is preparing to go on the anti-“woke” offensive against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have been a cause célèbre of the right, two sources familiar with the incoming administration’s plans told CNN.
AFP
Hopes for 'reunification' a fact of life on China's window to Taiwan
Atop rock formations overlooking a vast coastline, groups of Chinese tourists snap pictures and gaze out to sea with binoculars in the direction of Taiwan's main island, just over a hundred kilometres away.At a scenic park on Pingtan -- a Chinese island that is the closest point to Taiwan's main island -- visitors were more concerned with snapping selfies than military manoeuvres.
TODAY
What we know about the suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO's fatal shooting
Luigi Mangione was charged with murder in NYC in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. What to know about the 26-year-old suspect.
AFP
South Korean police blocked from raid on president's office
South Korean police said Wednesday that security guards were blocking a raid on President Yoon Suk Yeol's offices to investigate his brief imposition of martial law.Police said earlier that a Special Investigation Team "has conducted a raid" on the presidential office, on different police agencies and on the National Assembly Security Service.
NBC News
Bankruptcy judge rejects The Onion’s bid to buy Alex Jones’ Infowars
A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday rejected a bid by The Onion’s parent company to buy Alex Jones’ far-right media empire, including the website Infowars, ruling that the auction process was unfair.

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