Hello! Here’s what’s happening on Wednesday.
1. President Donald Trump’s former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen reached a plea deal with prosecutors. Cohen’s lawyer added that his client has information about Trump “that should be of interest” to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Read the court documents here.
2. And minutes earlier, former chairman of Trump’s presidential campaign Paul Manafort was found guilty of fraud. Prosecutors are closing in on those formerly in Trump’s inner circle.
3. Facebook says Iran-backed accounts pretended to be news organizations to spread information and launch cyber attacks. Facebook says it removed 652 Pages and accounts on its services that it linked to Iran.
4. The Australian government is in further turmoil as 10 ministers went to hand in their resignations. As the threat of a new leadership challenge against the Prime Minister grows, there's speculation an early election could be called as soon as this week.
5. Two US airlines cut flights to China. American Airlines, one of the largest US carriers, and Hawaiian Airlines are facing increased competition from state-backed Chinese companies.
6. A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake shook Venezuela's east coast. Large earthquakes in the region are rare, and Tuesday's was the largest in over a century.
7. The Chinese military accidentally tear gassed a town during annual military drills. As the affected city is located near the China-North Korea border, the incident sparked fears and rumors among local residents.
8. Bitcoin spiked after a major trading platform went down. Insiders say the shutdown led to wild trading opportunities.
9. Canada has called out Saudi Arabia again for human rights violations. Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to execute a female rights activist, which could further flame tensions between the two countries.
10. Apple CEO Tim Cook donated nearly $5 million worth of Apple shares to charity. Cook has said previously that he plans to give his entire fortune to charity.
And finally ...
