Sister Lucia’s doctor recounts moving story of Fátima conversion

A new short film, “The Heart of Sister Lucia,” and testimony from her longtime physician, Dr. Branca Pereira Acevedo, highlight the life and mission of Fátima visionary Sister Lucia dos Santos as the Church marks the centenary of the Pontevedra apparitions with a jubilee year. Speaking in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, Pereira recounts how 15 years of caring for Sister Lucia at the Carmelite convent in Coimbra, Portugal, coincided with her own return to Catholic practice. The film premieres in Spanish on YouTube on Dec. 10 at 9:30 p.m. Spain time.

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Bam Aquino raises alarm over alleged education budget cut in bicam

The Philippine Senate on Tuesday agreed in a caucus to oppose any move in the bicameral conference committee to cut the proposed P1.38-trillion education budget for 2025, Senator Bam Aquino said. Aquino, who chairs the Senate committee on basic education, reported that senators formed a consensus to defend the Senate-approved funding levels for the Department of Education, state universities and colleges, and related agencies. The Senate plans to instruct its bicameral panel members to resist any reduction in education appropriations as it works with the House of Representatives to finalize the 2025 General Appropriations Bill.

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Eileen Higgins ends 30-year drought with Miami mayoral win

Eileen Higgins wins the Miami mayoral runoff with 59% of the vote, defeating former city manager Emilio Gonzalez and ending a 30-year absence of Democrats in the office. The new mayor pledges to focus on housing affordability, climate resilience, and rebuilding public trust at City Hall, with plans for infrastructure upgrades, transparency measures, and expanded affordable housing efforts as Miami confronts rising costs, sea level threats, and ongoing development pressures.

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PH embassies pressed to locate Zaldy Co after passport cancellation

Philippine embassies worldwide have been urged by Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco to locate former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co and help bring him back to the country after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the cancellation of Co’s passport. Tiangco said he had long pressed the Department of Foreign Affairs to revoke Co’s passport following the filing of charges linked to an alleged flood control corruption scandal. He vowed to monitor the investigation and emphasized the role of foreign posts and concerned agencies in enforcing the implications of the passport cancellation.

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DOJ closes probe, stops tracking illegal dumping issues in Houston

The U.S. Department of Justice ended its monitoring of Houston’s response to illegal dumping after a civil rights investigation into conditions in a historically Black neighborhood. The agreement that followed the probe required the city to improve complaint tracking, cleanup response times, and surveillance in areas with chronic dumping. City officials report that they continue to use the enhanced procedures, while community advocates and residents say dumping has persisted and response times have slowed since federal oversight ended. The article details the investigation, the terms of the agreement, city actions, and advocates’ ongoing monitoring efforts.

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Trump unveils $12 billion aid package for U.S. farmers

President Donald Trump announced a $12 billion aid package for U.S. farmers aimed at offsetting losses tied to tariffs and trade tensions, particularly with China. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will administer the program through direct payments, commodity purchases and trade promotion efforts, focusing on producers of soybeans, corn, pork, dairy and other key crops. Farmers, lawmakers and analysts are examining eligibility rules, timing and potential effects on exports, prices and rural economies as the federal government rolls out this temporary relief measure.

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