Dec 29 Watch 2:49 Russia launches one of its biggest air attacks on Ukraine in nearly 2 years of war By Stephanie Sy, Solveig Rennan Russia unleashed a massive, 18-hour aerial assault on Ukraine, killing at least 30 people and wounding more than 140 others. The barrage comes as Ukrainian officials are urgently pleading for more air defense systems from their Western allies. Stephanie Sy… Continue watching
Dec 29 An associate of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is sentenced to 9 years in prison By Associated Press Ksenia Fadeyeva, a regional legislator who headed a local branch of Navalny's organization in the Siberian city of Tomsk, was convicted and sentenced on Friday on charges of organizing an extremist group. Continue reading
Dec 29 World population up 75 million this year, standing at 8 billion on Jan. 1 By Mike Schneider, Associated Press The U.S. added 1.7 million people and will have a population on New Year's Day of 335.8 million people. If the current pace continues through the end of the decade, the 2020s could be the slowest-growing decade in U.S. history. Continue reading
Dec 29 The Biden administration once again bypasses Congress on an emergency weapons sale to Israel By Matthew Lee, Associated Press Such determinations are rare, but not unprecedented, when administrations see an urgent need for weapons to be delivered without waiting for lawmakers' approval. Continue reading
Dec 29 Russian poet receives 7-year prison sentence for reciting verses against war in Ukraine By Associated Press The OVD-Info rights group says that between late February 2022 and earlier this month, nearly 20,000 people in Russia have been detained for speaking out against the war. Continue reading
Dec 29 South Africa launches case at top UN court accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza By Mike Corder, Associated Press South Africa has launched a case at the United Nations' top court accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and asking the court to order Israel to halt its attacks. Continue reading
Dec 29 Hong Kong activist flees country, seeks political asylum in Britain By Kanis Leung, Associated Press Tony Chung was among the first people convicted under the Beijing-imposed law introduced after the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Continue reading
Dec 29 Poland says ‘everything indicates’ Russian missile briefly crossed country’s airspace By Monika Scislowska, Associated Press The defense forces said the object penetrated about 40 kilometers into Poland’s airspace and left it after about three minutes. Continue reading
Dec 29 Tens of thousands of Palestinians flee south amid intensifying Israeli offensive on central Gaza By Najib Jobain, Samy Magdy, Associated Press The war has already killed over 21,500 Palestinians and sparked a humanitarian crisis that has left a quarter of Gaza’s population starving. Continue reading
Dec 29 Russia launches 122 missiles, dozens of drones in deadly Ukraine attack By Illia Novikov, Hanna Arhirova, Associated Press Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his official Telegram channel that it was "the most massive aerial attack” since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Continue reading