NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-26-2024 12AM EST

Episode Date: December 26, 2024

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Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. The new Interior Ministry of Sirius' 14 members of its forces have been killed and ten others injured in clashes with Alawite supporters. They're members of the same religious group as the ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the violence erupted in Tartus after security forces tried to arrest a former officer thought to be connected to the notorious prison. Protests have also sprung up across several cities after an attack on an Alawite shrine.

The BBC's Lina Sinjab in Damascus explains. There has been several protests almost in every area or town or city where there is a number of the Alawite community, even here in Damascus where we've seen protests taking place there. The timing of these protests is really intriguing because they are protesting this vandalizing the shrine that happened nearly ten days ago when rebels entered the city of Aleppo. And also there has been some reconciliation with the local community about this vandalizing issue but a video released today provoked tension again. The Taliban says that Pakistani forces conducted airstrikes over Afghanistan this week, killing

46 people. And officials say more casualties are under the rubble, as NBR's Diya Hadid reports. Taliban officials say the strikes occurred through the night in a poor area known as Barmal, near the Pakistan border. The same area was struck by Pakistani aircraft in March, killing five women and children. There was no official confirmation from Pakistan, but a Pakistani official told Reuters that the strikes targeted a camp of a militant group known as the TTP. It's an offshoot of the Taliban that are seeking to overthrow the

Pakistani state. The airstrikes came after an attack by the militant group killed 16 Pakistani forces earlier this week. Pakistan accuses Taliban of harboring the militant group and allowing them to conduct cross-border attacks. Dee Hadid, NPR News. A man accused of attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in South Florida will not go on trial until at least next September. US District Judge Haleyne Cannon says Ryan Ruth's trial will be on September 8th. It had been previously scheduled to start on February 10th. Ruth has pleaded not guilty. Ruth's attorneys had asked that the trial be delayed until December so they can determine

whether to enter an insanity plea. A convicted felon is now in custody following a series of Christmas Eve shootings in Oxford, Michigan. Tom Binkowski heard one of those shootings. We were just sitting inside watching a holiday program and we heard four very quick gunshots. I mean, it's pretty distinctive when you hear a gunshot. Police say that one person was killed and two others were hospitalized in that series of shootings.

Shares in Tokyo and Shanghai closed lower today. They were two of only a handful of markets open on Christmas Day. Oil prices, meanwhile, finished the day higher. You're listening to NPR News. Anyone cuddling their pup this holiday season knows we humans have a close relationship with our dogs. But how far back can that bond be traced? NPR's Emily Kwong reports on the latest findings from the world of archaeology. The animals known as canids, that includes wolves and dogs, were likely domesticated in Eurasia.

And people who crossed the Bering Strait thousands of years ago likely had canines by their side. New evidence from bones found in Alaska supports this theory. Specifically, a 12,000-year-old leg bone excavated in Fairbanks that was filled with fossilized salmon protein. Salamans are not naturally available in big quantities in a place like Fairbanks. Lead author Francois Lanois, based at the University of Arizona in Tucson, says it's more likely this wolf was fed salmon at the hands of its human companions. For MPR News, I'm Emily Kwong. President Biden told the Defense Department today to continue its increase of weapons

supplies to Ukraine. The request follows Russian crews and ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Christmas Day. Russia also attacked several Ukrainian cities. King Charles III used his annual Christmas message to praise the selflessness of those who cared for him and the Princess of Wales. He and Kate were both diagnosed with cancer. The 76 year old King said he and his family are continually impressed by those dedicated who have dedicated themselves to helping others. The broadcast was the King's third Christmas speech since he ascended to the throne after his mother

Queen Elizabeth II died. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News.