Good morning! The weekend edition is 764 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Australia bans social media for kids under 16

• Indian police find 100+ missing children

• Crypto entrepreneur eats $6.2M banana art

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Today’s Big Story

Starbucks Opens Shop Near Demilitarized Zone

Starbucks opened a new cafe near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in South Korea.

• Located near Gimpo, about 30 miles from Seoul, the cafe is part of an observatory where visitors can use telescopes to see the North Korean border town of Kaepung, less than 1 mile away. The DMZ remains a popular tourist attraction despite rising tensions between the two Koreas.

• Both countries are still technically at war. They signed an armistice to suspend fighting during the Korean War in 1953, but no official peace treaty has been signed since.

• Recent tensions have escalated with North Korea sending balloons filled with trash into the South and destroying inter-Korean roads and rail lines. In response, South Korea warned that any nuclear action from the North would lead to the end of the North Korean regime.

• Gimpo’s Mayor Kim Byung-soo believes the new Starbucks can help change the border area's reputation from "dark and depressing" to a more positive and welcoming tourist destination.

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• Three Americans detained in China — Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung — have been released in a prisoner swap. Swidan faced a death sentence for drug charges, and Li and Leung were held on espionage charges. The US released Xu Yanjun, an officer of China’s Ministry of State Security, and Ji Chaoqun, a Chinese national. (More)

• Britain's parliament approved a new bill that could make assisted dying legal. The proposed law, called the "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life)" bill, would allow mentally capable adults in England and Wales who have less than six months to live to choose to end their lives with medical help. It heads to the House of Commons next. (More)

• Islamist rebels breached Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, on Friday, clashing with government forces after detonating two car bombs. It is the first rebel siege on Aleppo since 2016. The escalation follows a surprise offensive on Wednesday, during which rebels captured nearby towns and villages, disrupting years of calm since a 2016 ceasefire ended intense fighting backed by Russia and Iran. (More)

• Thousands of Amazon workers worldwide went on strike Friday, demanding higher wages and better conditions during one of the company's busiest weekends. UNI Global Union and Progressive International organized the protest in over 20 countries, including the US. The organizers aim to hold Amazon accountable for labor abuses, environmental harm, and threats to democracy. (More)

• Australia became the first country to ban social media for kids under 16. Platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, and Instagram could face fines up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) if they fail to stop users under 16 from creating accounts. The law was approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, with overwhelming support from lawmakers. (More)

• Walt Disney Animation’s Moana 2 pulled in $28 million on Thanksgiving alone. Rival studios predict it could hit $200 million domestically by the end of the weekend. So far, it has earned $85.5 million in the US. It also set a new Thanksgiving box office record, beating Frozen II’s $15 million opening. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• Colombia has officially banned child marriage with no exceptions after its Senate passed the law last week. The legislation protects the rights of minors by outlawing marriages and unions for anyone under 18. (More)

• In response to Bangladesh’s water contamination crisis, 17-year-old Zabeer Zarif Akhter invented a solar-powered water purifier made entirely from electronic waste. His system removes harmful pathogens from drinking water, which has gotten more toxic from recent flooding. (More)

• St. Paul, Minnesota is erasing $40 million in medical debt for 32,000 residents. The city used American Rescue Plan funds and partnered with Undue Medical Debt and M Health Fairview to help those with the highest need, based on income and debt levels. (More)

• In just 9 months, Delhi police officers Seema Devi and Suman Hooda have reunited 104 missing children with their families. They traveled across northern India and many obstacles, sometimes searching door-to-door to find the kids. (More)

Extra Credit

⛪️ Video: Take a look inside the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral.

🏔️ A hiker survived over a month lost in the Canadian wilderness.

📸 Photographer captures orcas wearing dead salmon as hats.

🍌 A crypto entrepreneur who bought banana art for $6.2M, ate the fruit.