**Top Stories**
* **US and China to hold high-level talks on rising tensions**
* **Russia fires missiles at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure**
* **Qatar’s World Cup: A tale of two halves**
* **Twitter poll: Elon Musk to step down as CEO**
* **Britney Spears and Sam Asghari expecting first child**
**News in Brief**
**US and China**
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi are set to meet in Zurich, Switzerland, amid escalating tensions between the two countries. The meeting comes after a series of provocative actions by China, including military exercises near Taiwan and the firing of missiles into the South China Sea. The US has condemned China’s actions as destabilizing and has vowed to defend its allies in the region. (**Source: CNN**)
**Russia-Ukraine War**
Russia has launched a new wave of missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing widespread power outages. The attacks have targeted power plants and other critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities. Ukrainian officials say that the attacks are part of a deliberate campaign by Russia to terrorize the Ukrainian people and cripple the country’s economy. (**Source: Reuters**)
**World Cup 2022**
The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar has been a tale of two halves. The first half of the tournament was dominated by upsets, with several highly ranked teams being eliminated in the group stage. However, the second half of the tournament has seen the emergence of some of the world’s best teams, including Brazil, Argentina, and France. The quarterfinals are set to begin on Friday, with eight teams remaining in contention for the title. (**Source: BBC**)
**Elon Musk and Twitter**
Elon Musk has launched a poll on Twitter asking his followers whether he should step down as CEO of the company. The poll came after a series of controversial decisions by Musk, including the suspension of several journalists and the reinstatement of previously banned accounts. The poll results showed that a majority of respondents (57.5%) voted in favor of Musk stepping down. Musk has not yet announced whether he will abide by the results of the poll. (**Source: The Washington Post**)
**Britney Spears and Sam Asghari**
Pop star Britney Spears and her husband, actor Sam Asghari, have announced that they are expecting their first child together. Spears made the announcement on her Instagram account, posting a photo of herself holding a positive pregnancy test. Spears and Asghari got married in June 2022 after dating for five years. This will be Spears’ third child, as she has two sons from her previous marriage to Kevin Federline. (**Source: People Magazine**)
**Additional Headlines**
* **Winter storm brings snow, ice, and power outages to the US**
* **Apple unveils new MacBooks and Mac mini**
* **James Webb Telescope captures stunning images of Jupiter**
* **Scientists develop new vaccine for malaria**
* **World Health Organization declares end of COVID-19 pandemic**.
