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