Video of Dogs Getting Baptized and Having Their 'First Communion' Is a True Gem

USA TODAY
Polls predicted a close race. Trump won handily. Pollster says one thing is 'very clear.'
Trump has outperformed polling predictions in the last three elections. Here are one pollster's takeaways from 2024 election results.
Associated Press
The Latest: Election officials say key Maine race must go to ranked choice counting
Republican leaders are projecting confidence that they will keep control of the U.S. House as more races were decided in their favor Thursday, while Democrats insist they still see a path toward the majority and sought assurances every vote will be counted. The Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate early Wednesday. Maine election officials say a pivotal congressional race in the state must go to ranked choice counting to determine a winner.
NBC News
Why Europe's far right is so happy Trump won
Trump's presidential election win has in Europe delighted Hungary's Vikor Orban, Germany's AfD, the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders, and others on the far-right.
Reuters
South Korea says Seoul-Washington alliance will strike back if North Korea attempts nuclear attack -Newsweek
South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol said the country was prepared in its alliance with the United States to strike back if North Korea attempted a nuclear attack against it, Newsweek reported on Friday. Yoon also said South Korea could rely on U.S. nuclear weapons to defend the country and did not need its own, according to the U.S. magazine. "I believe that it would be irrational for them to decide to wage a nuclear attack against the Republic of Korea and should they do so the nuclear-based ROK-U.S. alliance will immediately strike North Korea with the U.S. nuclear weapon," Newsweek cited Yoon as saying.
AFP
Germany brushes off Musk calling Scholz a 'fool'
German officials on Friday brushed off tech billionaire Elon Musk labelling Olaf Scholz a "fool" on his social media platform X after the dramatic collapse of the chancellor's coalition government. In a comment Thursday above a post about the implosion of Scholz's long-troubled coalition, the world's richest man tweeted in German: "Olaf ist ein Narr" -- "Olaf is a fool".
Associated Press
Trump rebuilds Democrats' 'blue wall' states with red bricks. Especially Pennsylvania
Republicans landed historic victories in Pennsylvania this week, winning the battleground state's valuable presidential electoral votes, posting a two-seat gain in its U.S. House delegation and sweeping all four statewide offices on the ballot, including a U.S. Senate seat. The strong performance means Donald Trump has won Pennsylvania in two out of three tries, after Republicans had lost six straight presidential elections there.
NBC News
Hurricane Rafael moves across Gulf of Mexico as a rare major November storm while Cuba recovers
Rafael was moving west across the Gulf of Mexico Friday morning as the first major hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico in November for almost 40 years, bringing the threat of life-threatening conditions to the southern United States coastline.
Reuters
India's Modi rejects calls to restore Kashmir's partial autonomy
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed his government's contentious 2019 decision to revoke the partial autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, days after the territory's newly elected lawmakers sought its restoration. "Only the constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar will operate in Kashmir... No power in the world can restore Article 370 (partial autonomy) in Kashmir," Modi said, referring to one of the founding fathers of the Indian constitution. Modi was speaking at a state election rally in the western state of Maharashtra, where Ambedkar was from.
Associated Press
Italian President Mattarella meets Chinese leader Xi in Beijing amid complex ties
Italian President Sergio Mattarella met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping Friday on an official visit to China that came as Russia’s full-on invasion of Ukraine pitted Rome's NATO allies against Beijing's support for Moscow. In his opening remarks, Xi referred to the 700th anniversary of Italian adventurer and trader Marco Polo's journey to China that encouraged cultural, economic and religious links between Europe and East Asia.
Reuters
With little water, displaced Lebanese women worry about periods
For Rabab al-Hajj Youssef, every trip to the bathroom to change her sanitary pad is a painful experience. After Israeli strikes displaced her family from their home in Lebanon to a shelter, she shares limited water with hundreds of people. She had fled with her young children from her home in the city of Baalbek, in eastern Lebanon, just days earlier to a school-turned-shelter further west.
USA TODAY
Election 2024 live updates: An updated tally on final House races as they're called
Keeping tabs on the final tally as control of the House of Representatives remains up for grabs with dozens of races still undecided.
Associated Press
Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki continues to unleash towering column of hot clouds
Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano continued to spew towering columns of hot ash high into the air on Friday following the huge eruption that killed nine people and injured dozens of others. Activity at the volcano on the remote island of Flores, in East Nusa Tenggara province, has increased since Monday’s initial eruption, forcing the authorities on Thursday to expand the danger zone. The latest activity has seen the largest column of ash so far recorded at 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) high, Hadi Wijaya, the head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, told a news conference.
AFP
Flood-hit Spain drenched by wettest October on record
Spain was soaked in its wettest October on record last month which culminated in catastrophic floods that have killed 219 people and left dozens missing, the government said on Friday.An average of 147 litres per square metre (147 mm) drenched mainland Spain last month, making it the wettest October since records began in 1961, national weather service AEMET and the ecological transition ministry said.
Associated Press
AP VoteCast shows Trump boosted his level of support among Catholic voters
Among several blocs of religious voters, including his loyal evangelical base, Donald Trump fared roughly as well in his victory over Kamala Harris as he did in his loss to Joe Biden four years ago. One notable difference: He did better this year among Catholic voters, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. In 2020, the Catholic electorate — one the biggest religious blocs in the nation — was almost evenly split, with 50% backing Trump and 49% favoring Biden, a longtime member of the faith.
Yahoo Finance
Stock market today: S&P 500, Nasdaq futures lose grip on records as Trump trade fizzles
Stocks are poised for a downbeat end to a stellar week of gains driven by optimism that President-elect Donald Trump's policies will boost the economy.
Associated Press
Mozambique on edge as army is deployed to help stop post-election protests
Mozambique has deployed soldiers on the streets to help keep order following weeks of protests against the ruling party that has been accused of rigging last month's election to extend its 49 years in power. Mozambique armed forces spokesperson Gen. Omar Saranga made the announcement at a late-night press conference on Thursday, saying the army would support police in keeping order. The country of 34 million people in southern Africa is on edge, with the presidential palace under heavy guard and security forces constantly patrolling the streets.
USA TODAY
Hurricane Rafael tracker: Storm forecast to miss US and move over Gulf after Cuba pummeled
The United States, particularly Florida, should catch a break as the latest forecast from AccuWeather shows that Rafael won't make landfall here.
NBC News
Israeli soccer fans attacked in Amsterdam, authorities say
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that two rescue planes be sent immediately to Amsterdam following “a very violent incident” targeting Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv after a soccer game against Ajax.
CNN
Feeling stressed this week? A walk outside can help
It’s been stressful navigating the country’s fractured political landscape this election year. Here’s how to reduce the impact on your mental and physical health.
AFP
China unveils sweeping local govt debt swap to lift ailing economy
China on Friday unveiled some of its most ambitious plans in years to lift local government debt, following a meeting of lawmakers eyeing the possibility of intensified trade tensions with US president-elect Donald Trump.- Taking stock of Trump - Officials were this week keeping close tabs on the US vote as they gathered in the Chinese capital for a meeting of the country's top lawmaking body.

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