NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-26-2024 5AM EST

Episode Date: December 26, 2024

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Noor-A-Ram Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection Hotels, with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at autographcollection.com. Noor-A-Ram Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Ram. Protests have erupted in areas of Syria dominated by the Alawite religious minority.

They came after a video spread online apparently showing militants burning a shrine sacred to the group. NPR's Diya Hadid reports. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the video showed gunmen torching a shrine holy to Alawites and killing five workers and mutilating their bodies. for Human Rights reported the video showed gunmen torching a shrine wholly to Alawites and killing five workers and mutilating their bodies. As the video spread protests erupted across Syria in areas dominated by Alawites posing perhaps the most important security challenge yet for the country's new

rulers. They assumed power after rebels overran Damascus in early December. The rebels were led by a Muslim group known as HTS, leading to fears among Syrian minorities that they'd be vulnerable to persecution. That fear is particularly strong among Alawites because many view the minority as having aided the former regime of Bashar al-Assad, who is also an Alawite. Syria's new information minister blamed quote hidden hands that sought to divide Syrians. De Harid MPR News, Damascus. Commemorations are underway in countries across the Indian Ocean to mark the 20th anniversary of the catastrophic tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people.

The BBC's Mickey Bristow has more. The earthquake, measuring 9.1, ruptured the seabed off the Indonesian island of Sumatra just before 8am local time. It sent a wall of water up to 12 metres high rushing towards land. Most people were caught off guard as the waves swept through coastal towns and villages. In the hours to come, the tsunami caused devastation not just in Indonesia, but also in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India, even as far away as Somalia in East Africa. It shocked the world. Donations flooded in, and tsunami early warning systems were installed in the Indian Ocean for the first time. The BBC's Mickey Bristow reporting.

Japan Airlines says its systems are operating normally again after a cyber attack this morning. Two dozen domestic flights were delayed and ticket sales for departure today were suspended for a few hours. In Washington, a 30-foot menorah was lit on the ellipse last night to mark the first night of Hanukkah. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said everyone can learn from the beauty, joy,

and rituals of Judaism. Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security We can lean into our shared tradition and values as a beacon for what we aspire to. This Hanukkah, let us rededicate ourselves to the light that defines us and the better world we seek to build. The last time Hanukkah began on Christmas Day was in 2005. This is NPR News. Gaza's health ministry said today an Israeli airstrike

hit a vehicle outside a hospital in the central part of the territory overnight. Five Palestinian journalists were killed. The Israeli military says it was targeting fighters from Islamic Jihad. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued his Christmas message yesterday. As Dan Karpenshuk reports, it comes as Trudeau faces intense pressure to step down, even from within his own party. Trudeau wished joy to everyone celebrating Christmas and comfort to those who are suffering.

He said it's a time to gather with loved ones and give thanks and to celebrate the spirit of the season. It's likely Trudeau's last Christmas message as Prime Minister. All the opposition parties have lined up against him vowing to bring down his minority government at the first opportunity. His popularity has plummeted over the past year and Liberal Party insiders say Trudeau is taking the Christmas holidays to reflect on his course of action. An election call is unlikely but he may prorogue Parliament for a couple of months so that the party can elect a new leader to take it into a spring election. But as of now it's looking highly unlikely that he will remain at the helm and take his

chances. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpanchuk in Toronto. NASA scientists won't know until tomorrow if a solar probe survived a close encounter with the sun this week. The Parker Solar Probe came within 4 million miles of the sun's surface on Tuesday, the closest a human-made object ever got to the Sun. It endured extreme heat and radiation and will start sending back data next month. The mission was launched to better understand the Sun, including how to predict solar storms.

I'm Nora Rahm, NPR News.