NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-29-2024 5PM EST

Episode Date: November 29, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. Millions of people are packing shopping malls and stores across the nation today to take advantage of deep discounts on this Black Friday. Online shoppers are setting records this year, spending almost 9 percent more this Thanksgiving compared to last year. NPR's Alina Seljuk reports more shoppers are also expected to hit the stores. It's a chilly day in suburban Maryland but this outdoor outlet mall is teeming with cars and pedestrians. In surveys this year more shoppers said they plan to go to physical stores than

they had in recent years. In fact generally more people are expected to shop whether in person or online during this year's long weekend from stores than they had in recent years. In fact, generally more people are expected to shop, whether in person or online, during this year's long weekend from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. Top items are expected to be classics. Electronics, clothes, Adobe Analytics, which tracks online purchases, predicts that top toys will include Legos, Hot Wheels, Barbies and slime kits. For adults, Dice and Hair devices, fitness trackers, gaming consoles and pickleball paddles. Alina Seluk, NPR News, Clarksburg, Maryland. Human rights groups say dozens of people have been killed in heavy fighting today in and around Syria's second largest city Aleppo. NPR's Lauren Frere reports it's the latest

round of fighting that began with Syria's civil war in 2011 and has continued off and on since. Opposition forces have been battling their way toward Aleppo for days and have now entered the city. It's the first such attack since 2016, when insurgents were ousted from the city by Syrian government forces with help from Russia and Iran. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says insurgents blew up two car bombs on Aleppo's western edge and have issued a call to residents to cooperate. State media say insurgents projectiles hit a

university campus killing students and that the government conducted airstrikes in response. This attack coincides with a ceasefire in neighboring Lebanon between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants who are also supported by Iran. Lauren Freyer, NPR News, Beirut. Lawmakers in the United Kingdom have voted in favor of proposals that would make assisted deaths legal in parts of Britain. Villamarks reports the historic vote opens a new route for legislation to address this highly contentious issue. The planned legislation would give terminally ill adults in England and Wales with just

six months left to live the right to request medical help to accelerate their deaths. The government, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has not publicly supported this legislation, which was introduced by an ordinary lawmaker and so faced far less pre-parliamentary scrutiny than many critics have said was necessary for such a seismic shift in society. The legislation could now face several more months of debate in both houses of Parliament before it can take effect. That's Phyllis Marks reporting from London. This is NPR News. A nationwide strike in Italy has grounded dozens of national and international flights. NPR's Ruth Sherlock reports it's also affecting public transport, schools and hospitals across

the country. Many thousands of Italians, including teachers, trash collectors and health care workers, joined dozens of protest marches in cities across the country. The actions were organised by two of Italy's biggest unions, who said 70% of the workers they represent took part in the strike, which came in response to the latest budget by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney. It tries to tighten public sector spending in order to bring Italy's finances in line with European Union rules. But union leaders in Italy say the budget weakens

a wide range of public services, and protesters spoke out against a decline in spending power and persistently low salaries. Ruth Sherlock and Pyonyi's Rome. South Korea has opened up a Starbucks that overlooks the Korean demilitarized zone. The cafe is located on an observation tower at the border with North Korea. Hundreds of customers showed up today

with binoculars in hand to get a glimpse of the border into the north. The Starbucks outlet is one of only a few ways for South Koreans and tourists from other countries to get a look inside North Korea without setting foot there. Stocks on Wall Street traded higher today. The Dow was up 188 points. The NASDAQ rose 157. This is NPR.