Korean impeachment. Beyoncé’s Halftime Show: NPR

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Today’s top news

South Korea’s parliament today voted to impeach acting president Han Deok-soo. This came less than a month after Congress voted to impeach President Yun Seok-yue for imposing martial law. The two impeachments highlight the seriousness of the political crisis in one of Asia’s major democracies.

🎧 Mr. Han has been cited for refusing to appoint three judges to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court that will rule on Mr. Yoon’s impeachment, NPR’s Anthony Coon tells Up First. Mr. Han claims that he did not appoint him because it is the prerogative of the president and not the authority of the acting president. Choi Sang-mok, vice prime minister and minister of finance, currently serves as acting president. The court has 180 days to decide whether to remove or reinstate Yoon, but the impeachment trial is its top priority. Mr. Yoon has also been charged with rioting.

Israel yesterday launched its most aggressive offensive yet in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Houthis. Airstrikes hit the rebel-held capital’s international airport, damaging the runway and control tower. At least six people were killed and dozens injured in the airstrike, Yemen’s state news agency said.

🎧 Israel attacked infrastructure used as a route for Iranians supporting Houthi rebels to smuggle weapons and for Iranian officials to enter the country, says NPR’s Carey Khan . The head of the World Health Organization was waiting to board a plane at the airport at the time of the strike. Israel claims the attack was in retaliation for missiles fired from Yemen, but the Houthis insist they will not stop their missiles until Israel withdraws from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Houthis will be destroyed, no matter how long it takes.

Georgia is preparing to take the oath of office of a new president who has been a vocal critic of the West. The development follows protests that erupted in the capital Tbilisi last month after the government decided to halt European Union accession negotiations. The country’s incumbent president has refused to step down after the disputed October election.

🎧 Former football player turned Georgian Dream Party politician Mikhail Kaberashvi is scheduled to take office on Sunday. He was chosen by the Electoral College, a first in the country, rather than by popular vote, said Robin Forestier Walker, a reporter who follows Georgia developments. The incumbent president, Salome Zurabichvili, was elected by popular vote in 2018 and claims the recent election was stolen. Tensions are rising in the country as the two presidential candidates assert their legitimacy. With opinion polls consistently showing strong support for Georgia’s membership in the EU, a significant portion of Georgia’s population is calling for new elections.

life advice

Fraudsters are improving their scams with the help of artificial intelligence. Generative AI makes it easier to deceive people by creating more convincing fake text messages and voices to commit fraud. The FBI issued a public service announcement earlier this month warning about AI being used to commit these crimes, especially during the holiday season. Here are some tips to protect yourself.

📱 Phishing is an attempt by malicious parties to obtain sensitive information for fraudulent purposes. If you receive a strange message, check for misspelled words, grammatical errors, or variations in the logo of the company claiming to be contacting you . 📱 Scammers can listen to your voice for just a few seconds to create a clone and try it out. Please use it for your friends and loved ones. Create a secret code with your loved ones to protect yourself from schemes that ask for money. 📱 To prevent identity theft, reduce your digital footprint. Set your social media accounts to private and limit the personal information you share publicly.

Check out more tips to avoid AI fraud.

Weekend recommendations

Check out what you’re watching, reading and listening to from NPR this weekend.

🍿 Movies: This year has been a great year for movies. It includes scenes and performances that captivated audiences months later. NPR’s Aisha Harris breaks down nine such moments.

📺 TV: The new series The Raid is a dark romantic comedy about a woman who discovers that all of her ex-lovers have started dying under mysterious circumstances. As a result, she ends up conducting a sexual audit of their lives in order to warn them of their possible fate.

📚 Book: Photographer Brian Kelly spoke to Morning Edition about his new book, Parks 2, packed with photos, memorabilia, and essays about America’s national parks.

🎵 Music: Considering all the songs, we asked our listeners how they felt and what songs they couldn’t stop listening to this year. Check out our curated playlist of songs selected for the list.

🍍 Food: Canadian pastry chef and food preservation guru Camilla Wynne is the author of a new cookbook, Nature’s Candy. This is an ode to the joy of candiing and baking fruit. Try one of her cake recipes.

3 things to know before you go

Netflix said more than 200 countries watched the Beyonce Bowl and two NFL games on Christmas Day. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans wrote that the platform has proven it’s ready to take on the broadcast industry giants when it comes to providing glitch-free live entertainment. A bird flu outbreak has killed 20 big cats, including four cougars, and placed an animal sanctuary in Washington state under quarantine. Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed away yesterday at the age of 92. He was known as the father of economic reform in the country.

This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.