Dec 27 Congo police fire bullets, tear gas amid protests over presidential election delay By Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro, Associated Press Police in eastern Congo fired live ammunition and tear gas on Thursday to disperse more than 100 people protesting a presidential election delay, blamed on a deadly Ebola outbreak, that means more than 1 million votes will not count. Continue reading
Dec 27 Pope Francis’ early blind spot on sex abuse threatens legacy By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press It has been a wretched year for Pope Francis, whose blind spot on clergy sex abuse conspired with events beyond his control to threaten his legacy and throw the Catholic hierarchy into a credibility crisis not seen in modern times. Continue reading
Dec 27 Trump is the third American president to visit Iraq President Donald Trump made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Wednesday to meet U.S. troops. It's the sixth time that a U.S. president has visited Iraq. Continue reading
Dec 27 White House and congressional Democrats see no deal on shutdown By Juliet Linderman, Darlene Superville, Associated Press Chances look slim for ending the partial government shutdown any time soon. Continue reading
Dec 26 Wall Street makes holiday rebound with its best day in 10 years By Alex Veiga, Associated Press The Dow Jones Industrial Average shot up more than 1,000 points — its biggest single-day point gain ever — rising nearly 5 percent as investors returned from a one-day Christmas break. Continue reading
Dec 26 How the government shutdown compared to every other since 1976 By Gretchen Frazee, Lisa Desjardins The most recent 35-day government shutdown marked the 21st time the federal government has shuttered in 42 years. Continue reading
Dec 26 Visiting troops in Iraq, Trump defends Syria withdrawal By Darlene Superville, Associated Press The U.S. presence in Syria was not meant to be "open-ended," the president said, adding that other wealthy nations should pay for rebuilding the country. Continue reading
Dec 26 Koreas break ground on modern railways, but sanctions stall project By Kim Tong-Hyung, Associated Press Without progress in nuclear negotiations, regular trains won't be crossing the border anytime soon. Continue reading
Dec 26 Japan to resume commercial whaling, but not in Antarctic By Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press Japan announced Wednesday that it is leaving the International Whaling Commission to resume commercial hunts for the animals for the first time in 30 years, but said it would no longer go to the Antarctic for its much-criticized annual killings. Continue reading
Dec 26 After the holidays, partial government shutdown to gain impact By Darlene Superville, Associated Press Wednesday brings the first full business day after several government departments and agencies closed up over the weekend due to a budgetary stalemate between President Donald Trump and Congress. And there is no end in sight. Continue reading