BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
In today’s briefing update, we start with the news that the White House has finally released military aid to Lebanon. Students in Iraq remain defiant as the unrelenting protests push on. In Hong Kong, Carrie Lam has said the US ‘human rights’ bill creates ‘instability’.
In Australia, two tourists have been found after two weeks lost in the Australian outback. A third person remains missing.
In the UK, Essex police have arrested a man in connection with a hit-and-run outside of a school that killed a 12-year-old boy. Several others – mostly children- were also injured in the crash.
All this and more in today’s news briefing – A daily roundup of all the news headlines that you need to know, summarised as part of WTX News Briefing.
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Trump administration finally releases military aid for Lebanon without explanation
Fox News the Trump administration has released $105 million in military assistance to Lebanon after months of delay without providing an explanation. 
The money for the Lebanon military has stayed in the Office of Management and Budget since September even after it won congressional approval.
And despite Lebanon falling into anti-government protests after leaders announced new taxes on calls made on social media apps, the Trump administration never gave a reason as to why the aid was not released.
Lebanon’s prime minister Saad Hariri was forced to resign last month over the mass demonstrations.
The funds were released just before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Read the full story on Fox News
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Iraqi’s striking students defiant amid unrelenting protests
Aljazeera reports despite the pressure to return to classes, strikers say they will not stop until anti-government protesters’ demands are met.
Aljazeera speaks to Tiba. She decided to boycott her classes after her friend Amer had been killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces. 
The pair met in October in Tahrir Square. Amer told her he was protesting on behalf of his brother, who had died in a clash with security forces. Just days later, Tiba received the news her new friend had died in the protests.
“When I saw his picture among the martyrs, I knew I had to do something for my country,” said Tiba, a 23-year-old engineering student at Baghdad University. “The best thing I could do was go on strike,” she added.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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‘Most regrettable’. Hong Kong’s leader says US ‘human rights’ bill creates ‘instability’
RT News says Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam slammed a “human rights and democracy” bill recently signed into law by President Trump which backs the Hong Kong unrest. 
Lam said it was “wholly unnecessary,” and could negatively affect business confidence in the city.
“It creates an unstable and uncertain environment,” Lam said in a press conference on Monday adding that Hong Kong will follow Beijing’s example in retaliating to the move with “countermeasures,” though she did not specify what that would entail.
Read the full story on RT News
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Tourists found alive after two weeks lost in the Australian outback
France24 says a man and a woman have been rescued after surviving two week’s in Australia’s arid outback on little more than vodka, groundwater and biscuits. But a third person remains missing, police said. 
The three friends set out exploring near Alice Springs when their car became bogged down in a river bed.
After three days of waiting to be found, the group feared they were running out of supplies. Two of the friends set off in the hope of finding help.
Read the full story on France24
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Loughton school crash: Man held over collision that killed a boy
BBC News says a 51-year-old man has been arrested over a hit-and-run crash outside a school in which a boy died. 
The man was detained on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after the car crash on Monday afternoon in Loughton, Essex.
Two boys, 15, a 13-year-old boy, a girl, 16, and a 53-year-old woman were also injured in the crash.
It is believed all the children injured in the crash are pupils at the school.
Debden Park’s headteacher Helen Gascoyne said she was “devastated” to confirm the boy who died was a student at the school.
“Our thoughts are with the family and all those affected… The school will be open [on Tuesday] with a number of counsellors on hand to support our community,” she said.
Read the full story on BBC News
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UK’s six richest people control as much wealth as poorest 13 million – study
The Guardian says the UK’s six richest people control as much wealth as the poorest 13 million according to research into the gaping inequality in British society. 
The six billionaires have a combined wealth of £39.4 bn which according to the study is roughly equal to the assets of 13.2 million Britons.
The richest six are: Indian brothers Gopichand and Srichand Hinduja are at the top of the table with a 12.8bn fortune; Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with £9.2bn; Micheal Platt with £6.1bn and brothers David and Simon Reuben with £5.7bn each.
At the other end of the scale, the Equality Trust estimates that about 14 million people in Britain live in poverty. Four million of these are said to be more than 50% below the poverty line and 1.5 million are destitute.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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