The 10 most important things in the world right now

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The 10 most important things in the world right now

indo tsunami

Dasril Roszandi/NurPhoto via Getty

A view of damaged buildings in Banten, on December 23, 2018, after the area was hit by a tsunami on December 22 following an eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano. - A volcano-triggered tsunami has left at least 280 people dead and hundreds more injured after slamming without warning into beaches around Indonesia's Sunda Strait, officials said on December 23, 2018 voicing fears that the toll was set to rise.

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Hello! Here's everything you need to know on Christmas Eve.

1. Here's what you missed this weekend: Well, the US government is still one quarter shut down, another major US military official has had a rift over policy with Trump, and a tsunami has devastated parts of Indonesia.

2. Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin has had a serious phone call with top US bankers. The extraordinary call around comes amid increasing anxiety and rising turmoil in money markets.

3. Trump is forcing out Defense secretary James Mattis by New Year's day. Mattis was originally staying on for another 2 months.

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4. The latest Indonesian tsunami death toll has already hit 280. Médecins Sans Frontières reports the count will, in all likelihood, keep rising for several more days.

5. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is back up and working.The stalwart 85 year-old Supreme Court Justice is only a few sleeps from her Friday surgery for lung cancer.

6. Meet Patrick Shanahan, the former Boeing executive nicknamed 'Mr. Fix-It.' 'Mr Fix-It' is the former deputy of, and incoming replacement for, General James Mattis as Defense secretary

7. One more Facebook public relations implosion before Christmas? Why not. The tech giant reportedly stopped a project to encourage healthier political discussions after a key exec thought conservatives would not be happy.

8. London Police have released 2 people arrested in the Gatwick drone investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and now the Gatwick airport is offering a £50,000 reward.

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9. Tesla has gone and done something nobody in the auto industry thought was possible: It's a brand new minopoly and its all Tesla's.

10. Out of time, ideas or both? We have a pretty definitive hack for your last-millisecond shopping spree. Not quite gift-wrapped, but this mega-list has options for every budget.

And finally...

Here's what legendary Marine General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis is really like, from people who served with him.

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