| Need to Know |
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| Mass Shooting in Thailand |
At least 26 people were killed and 57 injured after a gunman opened fire in a popular mall northeast of Bangkok in what is the worst mass shooting in Thailand's history. According to reports, the shooter was a soldier in the Thai military who fled to the mall after killing his commanding officer and stealing weapons and a vehicle from a nearby military base. Gunfire was exchanged for more than 17 hours before the attacker, who officials said may have been angry over a financial dispute, was shot and killed by police. The violence was livestreamed, following a disturbing trend where mass shooters relay the attack in real time for an online audience. It was Thailand's second high-profile mall shooting in a month, following a robbery during which three were killed, including a toddler, and four injured.
Despite (or possibly due to) the frequency of such incidents, the news cycle around mass shootings has been short-lived. |
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| 'Parasite' Wins Big |
South Korean thriller "Parasite" made history at last night's Academy Awards, becoming the first foreign film to take home the coveted Oscar for Best Picture. The film beat a field that included war epic "1917" and Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker," the latter of which entered the night with 11 nominations; it marked the fifth straight year an underdog won the top award. Phoenix did take home Best Actor for his performance in the brooding drama and Renée Zellweger won Best Actress for her role in "Judy," while Brad Pitt won his first Oscar for an acting role, getting the nod for Best Supporting Actor for "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood" (see all winners here). Streaming giant Netflix had a rough night, entering with 24 nominations but leaving with just two wins, while its "The Irishman" became one of the most snubbed films in show history, winning in none of the 10 categories it was nominated for. See the best from the red carpet here.
Rapper Eminem made a surprise appearance that left some scratching their heads. |
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| Elections in Ireland |
Ireland's longstanding centrist government was upended over the weekend after the left-leaning Sinn Féin party surged in national elections, capturing almost a quarter of the vote. The party's success forces a virtual three-way tie with the center-right Fine Gael and the centrist Fianna Fáil (see 101 on the country's political parties), the country's two major parties who've held control for more than a century. Observers said Sinn Féin was able to successfully tap into young voters' frustration with rising housing costs and an inefficient healthcare system, but the party suffers from its past association with the Irish Republican Army, particularly during the period known as The Troubles. The gains raise the specter of new elections if no party can build a coalition, though the country's transferrable vote system means the total number of seats won by each party won't be known for a few days.
Elsewhere around the world, Swiss voters supported extending antidiscrimination laws to include sexual orientation. |
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| The best, worst last-minute Valentine's gift! |
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| In the Know |
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| Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
| > Former PIMCO CEO Douglas Hodge sentenced to nine months in prison in college admission scandal, the harshest penalty given to date for a parent swept up in the probe (More) |
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| > Sports Roundup: An estimated 3.3M viewers tuned in to first XFL football game (More) | Former MVP Mookie Betts trade to Dodgers finalized (More) | NCAA tournament committee reveals top 16 teams in early look at March Madness bracket (More) |
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| > “The Wild Wild West” star Robert Conrad dies at 84 (More) | Orson Bean, veteran actor and comedian, struck and killed by car at 91 (More) |
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| Science & Technology |
| > Scientists pinpoint molecular "switch" that controls chronic inflammation, opening new path to treating age-related degeneration and diseases (More) |
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| > Department of Justice drops antitrust probe against automakers who agreed to meet California's strict fuel economy standards; administration's challenge to state's ability to set its own standards still in court (More) |
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| > European Space Agency launches Solar Orbiter, which will travel 75% of the distance to the sun; craft will take closest-ever solar images including the first photos of the sun's poles (More) |
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| Business & Markets |
| > US economy added 225,000 jobs in January, surpassing expectations; unemployment rate remains at 3.6% as hourly wages grew 3.1% over last year (More) |
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| > CEO of Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse resigns after employee spying scandal (More) |
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| > Jeff Bezos sells $4B in Amazon shares, still holds 11% of company worth more than $110B (More) | Amazon to build tower in Seattle suburb Bellevue, to create 15,000 jobs (More) |
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| Politics & World Affairs |
| > White House to release 2021 budget proposal today (More) | Why the proposal is just a starting point (More) | National Security Council official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland dismissed from respective roles following impeachment testimony (More) |
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| > Coronavirus death toll rises to 909, all but two in China, with more than 40,000 cases worldwide; death toll passes 2003 SARS epidemic but experts say outbreak may be leveling off (More) | See image of cell infected with the virus (More) |
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| > Two NYPD officers injured, suspect in custody after two separate ambushes at the Bronx precinct headquarters; officials call attacks "assassination attempts" (More) |
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- Shirley Temple |
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