For subscribers: Exclusive looks inside some of the biggest stories of the week

USA TODAY
Trial for suspect in second Trump assassination attempt delayed
A U.S. judge on Monday delayed a trial for the suspect in the second assassination attempt of President-elect Donald Trump until September 2025.
CBS News
"Desperate" killer who escaped from Mississippi prison is recaptured
Authorities in Mississippi say a "desperate" and "very dangerous" convicted murderer, Drew Johnson, is back in custody after escaping from prison Tuesday.
Associated Press
Clashes between Islamists now in power in Syria and Assad's supporters leave casualties
Clashes between Islamists who took over Syria and supporters of ousted President Bashar Assad's government killed two Islamic fighters on Wednesday and wounded others, according to interim officials. Interim officials in Syria said two fighters were killed from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led the stunning offensive that toppled Assad earlier this month. Syria’s transition has been surprisingly smooth but it’s only been a few weeks since Assad fled the country and his administration and forces melted away.
AFP
Zelensky condemns Russian 'inhumane' Christmas attack on energy grid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced Wednesday an "inhumane" attack from Russia, which launched over 170 missiles and drones on his war-torn country's power grid on Christmas Day, killing an energy worker."I pay tribute to the resilience of the Ukrainian people, and the leadership of President Zelensky, in the face of further drone and missile attacks from Putin's bloody and brutal war machine with no respite even at Christmas," Starmer said.
AFP
38 dead as Azerbaijani jet crashes in Kazakhstan
An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet crashed on Wednesday in western Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, officials said.Azerbaijan Airlines reported that 67 people were on board -- 62 passengers and five crew members.
CBS News
Body discovered in wheel well of plane at Maui airport
A body was found in the wheel well of United Airlines Flight 202, which left Chicago for Hawaii on Dec. 24, the airline said.
AFP
Hamas, Israel trade blame over Gaza truce delay
Hamas and Israel traded accusations on Wednesday over delays in finalising a ceasefire and hostage release deal, after both had reported progress in the latest round of Gaza truce talks.Netanyahu on Monday told a parliament session that there had been "some progress" in the talks, two days after Hamas and other Palestinian groups said a ceasefire agreement was "closer than ever".
Associated Press
Snowy owl rescued from car grille by Minnesota woman who saved another bird hours earlier
Nowl the snowy owl, who she rescued from the grille of a car the day before. Whelan was out with her boyfriend's family Monday in Duluth, Minnesota, when she saw the owl “just hanging out there, literally" after car and bird had collided, she told The Associated Press. The car's owner had already called for help, but the animal rescue organization that the bird needed was closed — so Whelan stepped in, not for the first time that day.
AFP
Syrians protest after video of attack on Alawite shrine
Angry protests broke out Wednesday in the heartland of deposed Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad's Alawite minority, a war monitor and witnesses said, after a video circulated showing an attack on a shrine.- Drug bust - The Observatory said the protests erupted after a video began circulating earlier Wednesday showing "an attack by fighters" on an important Alawite shrine in the Maysaloon district of Syria's second city Aleppo.
AFP
Russian state owner says cargo ship blast was 'terrorist attack'
A "terrorist act" sank the cargo ship that went down in international waters in the Mediterranean this week, the Russian state-owned company that owns the vessel said Wednesday. The ship sank in international waters off Spain in the early hours of Tuesday after having sent a distress call for help on Monday.
CNN
Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashes in Kazakhstan, leaving 38 dead, 29 survivors, officials say
An Azerbaijani airliner carrying 67 people crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing at least 38 who were on board, according to a Kazakh official.
NBC News
Systane eye drops recalled for possible fungal contamination, FDA says
Systane brand eye drops were voluntarily recalled because of possible fungal contamination, the Food and Drug Administration said.
CNN
Manhunt underway for convicted murderer who escaped Mississippi prison on Christmas Eve
Authorities in Mississippi are searching for a prison escapee police have described as “desperate” and “very very dangerous.”
Associated Press
Trial of man accused in Trump assassination attempt in Florida pushed back to September
A man accused of attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in South Florida won't be tried until September 2025, a federal judge ruled this week. Ryan Routh's trial will begin Sept. 8 instead of the previously scheduled Feb. 10, 2025 start date, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said in an order released on Monday. Routh, 58, a Hawaii resident, has pleaded not guilty.
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.
AFP
Suriname ex-dictator and fugitive Desi Bouterse dead at 79
Desi Bouterse, the former dictator and later elected president of Suriname, who became a fugitive of justice for the killing of political opponents, has died at 79, the government said Wednesday.Bouterse left a year later, then was elected president of the former Dutch colony in 2010 and ruled for a decade.
CNN
Biden signs a bill officially making the bald eagle the national bird of the US
The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor on Tuesday: It officially became the country’s national bird.
Associated Press
Japan to maximize nuclear power in clean-energy push as electricity demand grows
A government-commissioned panel of experts on Wednesday largely supported Japan's new energy policy for the next few years that calls for bolstering renewables up to half of electricity needs by 2040 while maximizing the use of nuclear power as the country seeks to accommodate the growing power demand in the era of AI while meeting decarbonization targets. The Industry Ministry presented the draft plan for final review by the panel of 16 mostly pro-nuclear members from business, academia and civil groups. It calls for maximizing the use of nuclear energy, reversing a phaseout policy adopted after the meltdown crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in 2011 that led to extensive displacement of residents and lingering anti-nuclear sentiment.
CNN
Christians protest in Syrian capital after burning of Christmas tree
Protests erupted in Christian neighborhoods of the Syrian capital Damascus after a Christmas tree was set on fire in another town by unidentified men on Monday evening.
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.

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