South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for his roles in the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite”, “The Handmaiden”, and “The Wailing”, was found dead in a car in a Seoul park on Wednesday. Police are investigating the incident, and tributes have been pouring in from fans and colleagues. Lee's family reported he left home after writing a message similar to a suicide note earlier Wednesday.
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A major winter storm has caused hundreds of airport delays and cancellations, as well as hazardous driving conditions and whiteout conditions in the central United States. The National Weather Service has warned people to stay off the roads if possible and to check the latest forecasts and advisories before traveling. The storm is expected to move eastward over the next few days, bringing further disruption to the region.
On December 24th, a woman was stopped from bringing a loaded handgun onto a plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia. The TSA found the firearm on an X-ray machine and confiscated it, citing the woman on a weapons charge. The TSA reminds travelers that firearms must be declared and placed in checked baggage and encourages them to check the rules and regulations for the items they are bringing with them before arriving at the airport.
Former Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry was convicted in 2019 of making false statements to the FBI about a campaign contribution, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the conviction on Tuesday, ruling that the trial should not have taken place in Los Angeles as the crime was not committed in that state. The court noted that Fortenberry should have been tried in either Nebraska or Washington, D.C., and reversed his conviction, allowing him to be retried in a proper venue.
Key takeaways: A CLEAR Alert has been issued for a pregnant Texas teenager who went missing a day before she was scheduled to be induced.…
On Christmas Day, a mother and her four young children were found dead in their home in Meaux, France. The 35-year-old mother and two daughters had been stabbed to death, and two boys were suffocated or drowned. The primary suspect is the children's 33-year-old father, who was arrested on Tuesday. The tragedy has left the community in shock and mourning, and authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward.
In the U.K., a legal change has criminalized slow walking, a tactic used by protesters to block traffic. This has been accompanied by the introduction of new laws that restrict the right to protest, with some protesters facing up to two years in prison for holding signs. The Conservative government has defended the laws, but many have argued that the sentences handed down to protesters are too harsh.
The Biden administration has declined to veto a ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that bans imports of certain Apple Watch models due to a patent dispute brought by Masimo. The dispute is over the pulse reader feature of the Apple Watch, which measures the level of oxygen in the user's blood. Apple has not yet commented on the ruling, but is likely to appeal the decision. Masimo is likely to be pleased with the outcome, and it remains to be seen how Apple will respond.