Dec 27 Past decade has seen human rights ‘backlash,’ UN official says By Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press The outgoing assistant secretary-general for human rights said the regression of the past 10 years hasn’t equaled the advances that began in the late 1970s — but it is serious, widespread and regrettable. Continue reading
Dec 27 Russia will appeal 4-year Olympic ban By Associated Press Next year's Olympics in Tokyo will be the third consecutive edition of the games preceded by a legal battle over Russian doping issues. Continue reading
Dec 27 Israel’s Netanyahu shores up base but obstacles remain By Joseph Krauss, Associated Press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a landslide primary victory announced early Friday, but he will need a big win in national elections in March if he hopes to stay in office and gain immunity from prosecution on corruption charges. Continue reading
Dec 27 Syrian opposition calls on the world to aid rebel-held Idlib By Associated Press Opposition leader Nasr Hariri told reporters in Istanbul that the international community "should turn on the red lights because there is a humanitarian catastrophe inside Syria."… Continue reading
Dec 27 12 killed, dozens hurt after jetliner crashes in Kazakhstan By Daria Litvinova, Vladimir Tretyakov, Associated Press The Bek Air aircraft, identified as a 23-year-old Fokker 100, hit a concrete wall and a two-story building soon after departing from Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city and former capital, airport officials said. Continue reading
Dec 26 Watch 3:57 News Wrap: Hong Kong protesters target shopping malls for 3rd straight day In our news wrap Thursday, businesses in parts of Hong Kong were at a standstill as anti-government protesters targeted shopping malls for a third consecutive day. Riot police stepped up their presence, at times confronting crowds and escorting people out… Continue watching
Dec 26 Watch 8:19 Why Iraq’s government has been unable to find a new prime minister Months-long protests in major Iraqi cities have led to the prime minister's resignation, but leaders have been unable to secure a replacement, and those demanding reform remain as animated as ever. Lisa Desjardins reports and speaks to the Atlantic Council’s… Continue watching
Dec 26 Watch 9:49 How climate and corruption have combined to create Zimbabwe’s food crisis Continue watching
Dec 26 Netanyahu declares victory in primary election By Joseph Krauss, Associated Press Official results were expected later Friday. Continue reading
Dec 26 Iraq’s president offers to quit after rejecting PM nominee By Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press President Barham Saleh said in a statement issued by his office that he would not name the governor of the southern Basra province, Asaad al-Eidani, as the country's next prime minister “to avoid more bloodshed and in order to safeguard… Continue reading