Dec 23 N. Korea fires 2 ballistic missiles after U.S. and S. Korea drills By Hyung-Jin Kim, Associated Press South Korea's military says North Korea has fired two ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters, its latest weapons demonstration that came days after U.S. and South Korean warplanes conducted joint drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal. Continue reading
Dec 23 After abrupt reopening, China faces COVID-19 spiral By Aniruddha Ghosal, Huizhong Wu, Dake Kang, Associated Press Nearly three years after the coronavirus was first identified in China and an unyielding "zero-COVID" approach, it is now spreading through the country after an abrupt reopening on Dec. 7 caught the nation under-vaccinated and short on hospital capacity. Experts… Continue reading
Dec 23 Brazil’s Lula’s promises to end deforestation face challenges from traditional rubber tappers By Fabiano Maisonnave, Tatiana Pollastri, Eraldo Peres, Associated Press Brazil's incoming president has promised to eliminate all deforestation by 2030, which would be a complete change of course for Brazil compared to the last four years. But the parts of Amazon region, with its legacy of rubber tappers, have… Continue reading
Dec 23 Suspect arrested in shooting that killed 3 at Kurdish center in Paris By Angela Charlton, Jade le Deley, Associated Press A man who was charged last year with attacking migrants shot and killed three people at a Kurdish cultural center Friday in Paris in an assault that appeared to be specifically aimed at foreigners, authorities said. Continue reading
Dec 22 Watch 8:11 Putin pushes to rebuild Russia’s military as its invasion of Ukraine grinds on By Geoff Bennett, Teresa Cebrian Aranda President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned to Ukraine after meeting with President Biden at the White House and receiving thunderous applause during his address to Congress. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin said Russia will beef up its military and continue its invasion of Ukraine. Continue watching
Dec 22 Russian mercenary group bought arms from North Korea, says White House By Aamer Madhani, Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press The White House said Thursday that the Wagner Group, a private Russian military company, has taken delivery of an arms shipment from North Korea to help bolster its forces as it fights side-by-side with Russian troops in Ukraine. Continue reading
Dec 22 Watch 8:12 Skyrocketing methamphetamine use poses new security threat in Iraq By Simona Foltyn The Middle East has long been plagued by conflicts, but now a crisis of a different sort is taking hold. The narcotics trade poses new security threats and risks forever changing societies whose conservative norms had usage in check. Special… Continue watching
Dec 22 Why Zelenskyy’s D.C. visit took months to coordinate By Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Zelenskyy had indicated to President Joe Biden the U.S. was the first country he wanted to visit when the time was right for him to travel. Finally, on Dec. 11, Zelenskyy told Biden the time had arrived. Continue reading
Dec 22 Taliban’s higher education minister defends ban on women from universities By Associated Press The minister of higher education in the Taliban government on Thursday defended his decision to ban women from universities — a decree that had triggered a global backlash. Continue reading
Dec 22 Fiji police mobilize military following disputed election By Nick Perry, Associated Press The military move came after Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s Fiji First party refused to concede, despite rival Sitiveni Rabuka’s party and two other parties announcing they had formed a majority coalition and would serve as the next government. Continue reading