Friday, November 29
A family gathering in Largo, Florida on Christmas Eve took a devastating turn when a 23-year-old woman was fatally shot by her 14-year-old brother during an argument over Christmas gifts. The altercation occurred while the siblings were Christmas shopping and later gathered at their grandmother's house. The woman intervened to stop the argument between her younger brothers, but it escalated when the 14-year-old shot her. In response, the 15-year-old brother shot the 14-year-old. The 14-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder, while the 15-year-old has been charged with attempted first-degree murder.
China's ministry of state security warned military enthusiasts that posting photographs of military equipment online could lead to up to seven years in prison. The ministry expressed concern that these images can compromise national security by revealing sensitive information about the progress of construction on warships and aircraft, as well as operational and technical specifics of Chinese military hardware. The warning specifically mentioned China's newest carrier, the Fujian, which is seen as a competitor to the US Navy's carriers.
A Pakistan high court on Thursday halted until January 11 the ongoing trial of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his close aide ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case for allegedly leaking state secrets and violating the laws of the country. The Islamabad High Court judge, Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb, issued the order while hearing the petition of 71-year-old Khan against an in-camera trial going in the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi. The Special Court started fresh proceedings against the accused earlier this month and indicted them on December 13.
The U.S. will provide up to $250 million in arms and equipment to Ukraine in the final package of aid this year to help Kyiv in its war with Russia. President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide another $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but Republicans are refusing to approve the assistance without an agreement with Democrats to tighten security along the U.S.-Mexico border. The latest aid package includes air defense munitions, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, artillery ammunition, anti-armor munitions, and over 15 million rounds of ammunition, covering Ukraine's most pressing needs.
KFC China's parent company opened its 10,000th restaurant in China last month. McDonald's is planning to open 3,500 new stores in China over the next four years. And Starbucks invested $220 million in a manufacturing and distribution facility in eastern China. At their annual investors day gathering this month, McDonald's executives noted that 70 million of the 150 million customers active in its customer loyalty program are in China. KFC China says growth in its new outlets has averaged more than 22% over the last five years.
Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly blocked entrance roads to airports in New York and Los Angeles, snarling traffic and forcing some travelers to bypass the jammed roadway on foot. The demonstrations demanded an end to the Israel-Hamas war and expanded rights for Palestinians. In New York, activists locked arms and caused a 20-minute standstill on the expressway leading up to the airport. In Los Angeles, protesters shut down a major thoroughfare leading to the airport, impacting traffic for roughly two hours. The number of arrests in Los Angeles was uncertain.
Starting in March, Texas will allow police to arrest migrants who enter the state illegally and give local judges the authority to order them out of the country. Civil rights organizations have sued to stop the new law signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, calling it an unconstitutional overreach. The arrests have been a cornerstone of Abbott's nearly USD 10 billion border mission known as Operation Lone Star. Kristen Etter, an attorney, said the majority of their clients were allowed to stay and seek asylum.
Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Shah Mahmood Qureshi was re-arrested by police upon release from prison in Rawalpindi. Qureshi, former foreign minister, was granted bail in the cipher case by the Supreme Court. The Rawalpindi deputy commissioner issued a detention order under the public safety law. He was taken back into custody on suspicion of involvement in an attack on the army's general headquarters during protests against Imran's arrest in an alleged graft case. Qureshi accused the government of politically victimizing him and called it a mockery of the Supreme Court's order.
On foot or riding donkey carts loaded with belongings, a stream of people flowed into Deir al-Balah — a town that normally has a population of around 75,000. It has been overwhelmed by several hundred thousand people driven from northern Gaza as the region was pounded to rubble. Because UN shelters are packed many times over capacity, the new arrivals set up tents on sidewalks for the cold winter night. Most crowded onto streets around the town’s main hospital, Al-Aqsa Martyrs, hoping it would be safer from Israeli strikes.
