News 86 - 86% News from around the Globe

The incoming president, Jair Bolsonaro, has promised to end same-sex marriage, leading to a surge in the number of gay weddings before his inauguration. from World https://nyti.ms/2ET7Kjn

Bahrain upholds 5-year sentence for activist Nabeel Rajab over tweets alleging prison torture, criticizing Yemen war from World https://wapo.st/2CGZCRK

Congo’s election officials are counting votes in a presidential election that the opposition and observers say has had numerous irregularities from World https://wapo.st/2TmYgkD

Romanian officials slam European Union officials for treating it as “a second-rate” country as it takes over the EU’s rotating presidency on Tuesday from World https://wapo.st/2CGxcr1

Thousands waiting for New Year’s Eve fireworks were drenched as a huge downpour swept Sydney harbour, accompanied by thunder and lightning More than a million people waiting to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks around Sydney harbour were battered by torrential rain as a thunderstorm swept the city hours before midnight. On Monday morning the Bureau of Meteorology had predicted the “chance of a light shower/thunderstorm” in the evening, most likely in the west of the city. Otherwise, it said, “a warm, partly cloudy night” was expected. But by mid-afternoon thunderstorm warnings for inland areas had been extended to Sydney, the Hunter and the Illawarra, and the city was hit with a succession of huge downpours from about 5pm. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EWIN7D

We cast a look back at the issues that dominated the headlines in the past year, from the devastation in Yemen to the trauma of Rohingya refugees The year was dominated by allegations of sexual abuse and harassment in the aid sector, and anger at the failure of those in power to believe and support those making them. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EZ7mAK

More than 60 years after Paul Strand’s seminal photos of Luzzara, photographer David Maialetti documented the Italian village and its residents. from World https://nyti.ms/2ApcBFW

Russia has reportedly detained an American citizen accused of spying in Moscow. from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2CG2Pkq

Rights group urges Sudanese government to instruct security forces not to use lethal force against protesters from World https://wapo.st/2RhZnET

Tomorrow is a new year, but fresh starts don’t obey the calendar. Here, six photographers reflect on a time when life shifted on its axis Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Qd3QDV

The ruling side says the new budget will reduce inflation, but many doubt it'll deliver on that promise. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2BOq760

Senior Republican senator says president will make sure that withdrawal will ensure ISIL is 'permanently destroyed'. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2QX05bb

Prominent activist loses appeal against 5-year term for criticising alleged prison torture and Saudi air raids in Yemen. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2BTxE3x

Labour accuse government of whipping up migration issue ahead of Brexit vote The home secretary, Sajid Javid, and his French counterpart have pledged to step up joint efforts to tackle cross-Channel people smuggling, as Labour accused the Tories of whipping up concern about the issue. Six Iranian men were found on a beach near Deal in Kent on Sunday morning with a small boat, the Home Office confirmed, bringing the number who have made the perilous crossing since Christmas Day to almost 100 . Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2QdhlUn

Probe could get as close as 2,200 miles from Ultima Thule before beaming back images A Nasa probe will perform the most distant flyby in history in the early hours of New Year’s Day when it barrels past a space rock called Ultima Thule on the outer edge of the solar system. Unless gremlins intervene, the New Horizons spacecraft will zoom by the cosmic body at 5.33am GMT and snap thousands of photographs of the dark, icy body as it speeds on into the void. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EZloCl

Gambia’s journalists, free from 2 decades of deadly dictatorship, now work to win trust from World https://wapo.st/2ApfdDJ

British police say 39 people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing in west London from World https://wapo.st/2SosTWM

Yemen’s factions, militias block delivery of food aid, divert it to fighters or sell it for profit on the black market from World https://wapo.st/2AxIZ9J

The fighters hold the line in the war’s toughest spots, but officials say their brutal tactics are terrorizing the public and undermining the U.S. mission. from World https://nyti.ms/2Szickl

After a former Macedonian prime minister jumped bail and ended up in Hungary, the far-right Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, was accused of helping him escape. from World https://nyti.ms/2BL2qLU

'All they ask is the opportunity to live their lives like any other free human being,' says rescuer Robin Jenkins from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2ApO6Zh

'We left a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it' from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2BTf3o2

Police say at least 17 people were killed during violent clashes on polling day from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2CG00j7

Civil rights activists worry far-right president will introduce anti-LGBT policies when he takes office from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2BM7rUt

Ten people killed in clashes after prime minister's opponents allegedly jailed from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2BQ1y8V

Russian president on scoresheet during annual Christmas exhibition match in Moscow from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2CGHOWM

President claims he is willing to talk to opposition leaders as thousands march on streets from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2EVblgR

Russian president says relations with US 'most important factor' in international security from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2Ti6YjM

Massachusetts senator has limited support despite efforts to build links with black leaders, strategists say from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2EXnORm

All four crew members killed as flight to save injured man turns to disaster from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2LEI8Iy

Glendale Police awaiting coroner's report on cause of death from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2Rk6oVH

Spending plan approved by MPs amid concern in Brussels over populist government's expensive policies from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2BMpV7k

'He owed us a lot of money, and he was offering ways to pay if back,' Victor Boyarkin says from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2QWAKOp

Jermain Massey accused The DoubleTree Hotel in Portland of racially profiling him from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2BRS2Ce

Lawyer for five immigrants says New Jersey state attorney officials and FBI agents met with him to discuss allegations from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2EZYASv

For the past several months, the government of President Ashraf Ghani has been caught between competing domestic and international pressures in deciding when to hold the presidential poll, in which Ghani is expected to seek reelection for another five-year term. from World https://wapo.st/2RnaNqF

He saved more than 350 children during World War II, helping them cross into Switzerland. from World https://wapo.st/2CG4Cpz

The election presents this enormous country with its first chance at a peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from Belgium in 1960, but the process in some areas only deepened doubts of the vote’s fairness from World https://wapo.st/2TdkW6w

Election proceedings in the capital Kinshasa only deepened doubts of the vote’s fairness. from World https://wapo.st/2TdkW6w

Many had urged the delay to protect peace talks with the Taliban from political interference. from World https://wapo.st/2RnaNqF

Bangladesh’s ruling alliance has overwhelmingly won the country’s general election, allowing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to govern for a third straight term despite allegations of intimidation and the opposition disputing the outcome from World https://wapo.st/2CFQE7l

Flickering candles and white flowers adorn a makeshift altar in a simple wooden home in Guatemala, remembering 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo, who on Christmas Eve became the second Guatemalan child to die while in U.S. border custody from World https://wapo.st/2GPq1ki

Congo voters barred over Ebola outbreak vote anyway, by the thousands, in makeshift election from World https://wapo.st/2Vjwffy

Kim Jong Un shocked the world in 2018 by transforming his image from nuclear-armed tyrant to global statesman. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2SsAROF

Stay calm. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2VhUI4D

At least 15 people were killed in election-related clashes in Bangladesh on Sunday, local police officials told CNN. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2CDgIzG

from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2EU4rbK

Last year Ifeanyi Ugokwe was arrested and locked up for weeks. His crime: he tried to take his own life. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2Tg2k64

Officials said the storm known as Usman, which struck the region of Bicol on Saturday, had left at least 61 dead, while 18 others were missing. from World https://nyti.ms/2EX7UGz

A spokesman for President Rodgrigo Duterte said later that the remarks were intended as a joke to expose the hypocrisy of the Roman Catholic Church. from World https://nyti.ms/2CG6P4z

Let us help you start your day. from World https://nyti.ms/2QW653K

The consultancy’s report became key evidence in a battle over the extradition of a powerful Ukrainian oligarch charged in a scheme to help Boeing. from World https://nyti.ms/2Thbtv5

A glut of unwanted apartments gets part of the blame for a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy. In some places, homeowners are taking to the streets. from World https://nyti.ms/2GOhm1p

A commemorative stamp for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings showed American troops on a beach in Asia, instead of Normandy. from World https://nyti.ms/2ESoo3q

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has fostered booming economic growth and better social development. But voters are wary of her authoritarian tendencies. from World https://nyti.ms/2GGSU1Y

Authorities warn number of victims to increase as thousands are forced from their homes by the bad weather. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2StUQMO

Officials declare massive victory for alliance led by PM Sheikh Hasina's party, while opposition dubs polls 'farcical'. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2QdDnpQ

Footage shows Saudi hit team carrying bags believed to contain body parts of murdered journalist, Turkish reports say. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2TlwLIa

A multitude of man-made disasters marked year 2018 on the Christian calendar. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2CHUZH1

Here are the latest developments related to the Saudi journalist's murder inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2LG4F7N

IFJ says 94 journalists and media workers died in targeted killings, bomb attacks and crossfire incidents this year. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2rZj2Lk

North Korean leader expected to give annual address on Tuesday laying out country's top priorities for year ahead. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2EVRVZj

Code of conduct negotiating draft seen by Reuters shows Hanoi wants Beijing's blockades and island building outlawed. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2SrzsYp

Minister Jumana Ghuneimat was pictured last week stepping on Israeli flag when entering trade union complex in Amman. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Q9gSCA

Voting in three cities delayed by electoral commission until March 2019 over Ebola outbreak and ethnic violence. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2EY8VOL

Gowher Rizvi, adviser to PM Sheikh Hasina, says opposition claims of intimidation and arrests need to be corroborated. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2GO5m09

The delay is to allow time to fix problems that surfaced in October's parliamentary polls, electoral official says. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2ViZWgJ

PM Sheikh Hasina has been accused of silencing her critics, and now her decade in power is being put to the test. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Q9gVhK

Hasina, who has promised to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income nation by 2021, is set to be PM for the fourth term. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2VigDJ0

Prosecution asks for 'terrorism' probe of suspects linked to beheading of two female tourists in Atlas Mountains. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2LHK2Ia

Written by Turkish journalists, the book purports to shed light on events that led to Khashoggi's murder and aftermath. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2s0EShB

Syrian state media says Iraqi forces can now attack ISIL targets inside Syria without getting approval from Damascus. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2BOxPwS

Israeli leader claims Brazilian president told him that embassy relocation from Tel Aviv is a matter of 'when, not if'. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Ang6Nf

Successive governments are structurally unable to organise coherent system of child protection, experts say. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Ajylmv

Hacking attack appeared to originate outside the US, experts said, but it was unclear if a state actor was involved. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2AmjJTA

Minister says 'internal and external actors' were responsible for threats to President Ivan Duque's life. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2SuZ1YI

Hayemin Hehadash, or 'New Right', will be a partnership between right-wing secular and religious politicians. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2EXOTEG

Number of migrants making the risky crossing from France to UK in small boats since October continues to rise. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2EZkMw1

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appeals 'for calm and restraint' while calling for government probe into deaths. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2CHvOnX

"It's an extreme case and perfect example of an unjust system." View Entire Post › from BuzzFeed News http://bit.ly/2QUMdhs

The raids are the latest in a Chinese move against unregistered religious institutions. View Entire Post › from BuzzFeed News http://bit.ly/2EWZdvU

No one in the Calais region is sure what has prompted the rise in crossing attempts or whether it will last UK and France pledge drive to tackle people smuggling in Channel Wahid has tried twice so far. Both times, the small inflatable boat that he and about a dozen others were riding in was intercepted by a French coastguard vessel maybe an hour, perhaps two, after it pushed off from the beach. He is a bit vague on the details, for which he apologises. “It was cold, very cold. The sea was calm, flat, but it was frightening. A dark night and, of course, no lights. Dangerous. We all knew it was dangerous. We could die. Instead, we’re back here.” Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Qf84eq

The number of British citizens applying for Irish passports has doubled since vote to leave European Union The number of British citizens applying for Irish passports rose by 22% in 2018, Ireland’s foreign office said on Monday, more than doubling the total of annual applications since Britain voted to leave the European Union. Almost 100,000 eligible Britons sought to hang onto their EU citizenship via a passport from their nearest neighbour this year, up from 81,000 last year and 46,000 in 2015, the year before the Brexit vote led to a sharp rise in applications. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Qb4Bxp

Fatalities have occurred in the first three days of the country’s ‘Seven Dangerous Days’ Authorities in Thailand are braced for a record number of road deaths over the holiday period as the country’s highways lived up to their official status as the most lethal in south-west Asia. The annual spike in dangerous, often alcohol-fuelled driving, saw 182 deaths reported between Thursday and Saturday last week, up from last year’s count of 167. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EX5eZx

Scramble to find survivors after suspected gas blast at apartment building in southern central city Rescue teams are scrambling to find survivors after a suspected gas blast caused the partial collapse of a high-rise apartment building in the Russian city of Magnitogorsk, killing at least two people, news agencies reported. News outlets in the city, which is 1,700 km (1,050 miles) east of Moscow in the southern Urals, said it was unclear how many people were trapped in the debris, but cries for help could be heard from beneath the rubble. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2RnIpVu

Clover Moore says the NSW government should not be making money from what is meant to be a free event Sydney’s lord mayor, Clover Moore, has called ticketed New Year’s Eve events around the city’s harbour an “outrageous” money-making exercise by the state government. Of the 51 official harbourside events on the City of Sydney’s website, 19 are ticketed, including at prices as high as $335 – not including alcohol – to watch the fireworks from the Royal Botanic Gardens. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2GKqJ23

The lion escaped from a locked area and killed staff member as enclosure was being cleaned A lion has killed a worker at a wildlife conservatory in North Carolina after it escaped from a locked space, the center said. The lion was shot and killed after it attacked an employee of the Conservators’ Center in Burlington in an enclosure that was being cleaned, the center said in a statement. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2rZ7fg5

The storm struck the Philippines shortly after Christmas, with the number of fatalities expected to rise The death toll from a storm that struck the Philippines shortly after Christmas rose to 68 with the number of fatalities expected to climb even higher, civil defence officials said Monday. Fifty-seven people died in the mountainous Bicol region, southeast of Manila, while 11 were killed in the central island of Samar, mostly due to landslides and drownings, the officials said. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2QXQNvw

Case of David Dragicevic, who was found dead in March, has focused frustration at corruption and weak rule of law Special police forces have dispersed protesters demanding the resignation of Bosnian Serb interior minister Dragan Lukac over a student’s death, detaining several people in the north-western town of Banja Luka. Thousands of protesters gathered on Sunday to accuse Lukac and police officials of covering up the truth behind the death of 21-year-old David Dragicevic. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EWnyls

Amphibian expert says toads were trying to mate with python, as thousands of the invasive pest are flushed out by rising waters in Kununurra A huge storm in Australia’s north on Sunday flushed out a sight which either fascinated or horrified those who saw it – 10 cane toads riding the back of a 3.5m python. Paul and Anne Mock were at home with their daughters in the remote West Australian town of Kununurra, when a large storm dumped almost 70mm of rain into their dam. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2St3U4t

The administration’s base-level awfulness has made this a competitive category but some weeks stood out as truly dire It would be safe to say Donald Trump hasn’t had the best year. From his longtime adviser flipping on him, to inside revelations about the level of his ineptitude, to being named in court filings as having allegedly directed illegal campaign payments, the president has faced a barrage of scandals. Trump also lost the House of Representatives, held a number of bizarre press conferences and demonstrated his lack of familiarity with umbrellas . The president did, however, score one recent success, when his neologism “smocking” proved popular. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2SsV5rz

Incident on Fulham Palace Road in Hammersmith leaves man in his 30s seriously injured Nearly 40 people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing in west London. A man in his 30s was left seriously injured after the incident on Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, in the early hours of Monday morning. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EWKZff

Election passes off mostly peacefully, but many Congolese still queuing at poll-closing time Opposition leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo have accused electoral authorities of deliberately blocking people from casting their ballots in an election on Sunday marred by widespread logistical problems. Observers hope that the election, which passed off mostly peacefully, will bring about the vast central African country’s first ostensibly democratic transition of power in its troubled history and chart a road to a better future. Others fear renewed instability if the opposition rejects the results and calls for protests. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2LGfs1L

The Israeli prime minister said Jair Bolsonaro, who takes office on Tuesday, told him the move was inevitable Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Brazil’s president-elect Jair Bolsonaro told him that it was a matter of “when, not if” he moves his country’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. The far-right Bolsonaro, who takes office on Tuesday and is hosting Netanyahu and the leaders of other countries for his inauguration, has said he would like to follow the lead of US president Donald Trump and move the embassy . Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EYRAFs

It's the crossover event no one asked for ... A huge storm in Australia’s north on Sunday flushed out a sight which either fascinated or horrified those who saw it – 10 cane toads riding the back of a 3.5m python. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2F0CGOZ

The year began with the Oxfam scandal and ended with a withering verdict on the food we eat. What do you remember? Allegations of harassment at aid agencies and charities were frequent in 2018. Which organisation was branded 'a boys' club' by one employee? UN Women UNAids Oxfam GB ActionAid Students in Cape Town scored a world first by creating a bio-brick from which substance? Human saliva Cow's milk Horse manure Human urine Which singer came out in support of a Brexit-beleaguered Theresa May, suggesting the PM's gender made her a target for unfair criticism? Lady Gaga Paloma Faith Kate Bush Rae Morris In a report condemning the 'diabolical state' of our diets, nutritionists found that more than four in 10 children worldwide consume what daily? Chocolate Cake Crisps Sugary drinks Researchers at Harvard University believe it may be possible to protect countries in the global south from climate change using what? A gigantic sunshade in t...

PM Narenda Modi weakened after Rahul Gandhi’s Congress ends 2018 with string of regional victories The world’s largest exercise in democracy looms in 2019. In the beachside towns of Kerala state, the mountain villages of the Himalayas and across the dusty cities of the Gangetic plain, an estimated 850 million people will cast their votes in India’s national election sometime between March and May. And the race just got competitive. A few months ago the prime minister, Narendra Modi, looked invincible. His party had followed its thumping national election win in 2014 with a run of victories in India’s largest states. The Congress party, which ushered India into independence 70 years ago and had been its default ruler since, was reduced to a rump, with leaders from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) boasting the country would soon be “Congress- mukt ” (Congress-free). Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2QeupIW

Alfred Mupenzi's journey from asylum seeker to PhD makes him uniquely qualified to discuss the challenges facing refugees as they attempt to start new lives in Australia. He has spent the past four years studying the resilience of refugee students in higher education. Mupenzi grew up in refugee camps in Uganda and lost both his parents before turning 12. He is seeking asylum in Australia after facing persecution by the Rwandan government. Mupenzi argues against blind sympathy for newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers, but rather to empathise and engage with them as human beings who have much to contribute to Australian society Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2CFZIJ3

Problems in the run-up to the Congolese presidential elections have included torrential rain, broken voting machines, missing voter lists and complaints of harassment. Authorities cancelled the vote  in three opposition strongholds, citing health risks from an ongoing Ebola outbreak and ethnic violence Congolese finally go to the polls amid fears over fraud Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EXAurt

The Canadian author visited her parents’ homeland thinking she would find her home. She left feeling less Ghanaian than ever I was 27 years old when I took my first and only trip to Ghana. My grandmother was old – rumoured to be 103 – and in fact she died the following year. I visited the noisy markets of Accra and the clean, palm-treed avenues of the national university; I visited the slave forts of Cape Coast and Elmina, desolate with their old horrors; I visited my mother’s birth city of Kumasi, with its cluttered, numberless streets; and I visited the miracle of Anomabo beach, where I was chased away by fishermen who did not want to be photographed. I also met my grandmother: ancient in her white robes, frail, her eyes whitened by cataracts and glaucoma. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2SznkEI

Trouble erupts after reports teenage girls were raped and sheep slaughtered in front of visitors from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2TkUmbW

Kim's letter comes days before he is expected to announce major policy decisions and goals in a New Year's speech. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2CF6vTk

Taliban refuses to hold formal talks with the 'Western-backed' Afghan government next month in Saudi Arabia. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2AoOSWv

Navy divers join forces in the desperate search to find a group of miners missing in the Indian state for two weeks. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2SufoVh

Bucharest accused of seeking to reverse democratic reforms as it takes charge of rotating presidency Romania’s government has been accused of seeking to turn the clock back on years of democratic reforms as it prepares to take charge of the European Union’s rotating presidency for the first time on 1 January. The European commission warned the government in November that it was backtracking on progress made since joining the EU in 2007, while the European parliament passed a resolution voicing “deep concerns” at legislation that has the potential to weaken the rule of law. MEPs also condemned “the violent and disproportionate intervention by police” in Bucharest in August, when police used water cannons and teargas to disperse anti-corruption protesters . Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2GJXUmB

Minister says security services believe Venezuelans were linked to plot to kill conservative leader Colombian authorities are investigating an alleged plot involving Venezuelans to assassinate President Iván Duque, a senior official has said. The foreign minister, Carlos Holmes, said Colombia’s intelligence services had heard of an alleged plan to kill the conservative Duque. Holmes said the recent arrests of three Venezuelans in possession of assault weapons had increased authorities’ concern. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EWz4NC

The United Nations has cast doubt on the claims by Yemen’s Shiite rebels to have withdrawn from the port of Hodeida, saying such steps can only be credible if all other parties can verify them from World https://wapo.st/2SrmfyZ

Donald Trump is a contentious topic in Botswana, where the government is uneasy over a former leader’s harsh criticism of the American president from World https://wapo.st/2AnJCm2

Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump spoke by telephone on Saturday, discussed possible trade deal. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2Rq4m6q

Trump’s decision to pull US troops out leaves the opposition stranded This year is ending on a note of triumph for the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Donald Trump has announced a rapid troop withdrawal from Syria , shocking everyone including his own generals and diplomats. Last week, the United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Damascus, which it had closed as part of a campaign of multinational pressure against the regime in 2011. Bahrain followed suit and other countries, including Kuwait, are expected to re-establish ties in the coming year. The Arab League is reportedly poised to re-admit Syria, seven years after expelling it. Related: Beyond Syria: the Arab Spring’s aftermath Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EW0mUz

Ten people were injured and three Vietnamese tourists and an Egyptian tour guide were killed when a bomb blast hit their bus near the famous pyramids of Giza. from World https://nyti.ms/2BKHZ1B

What began as a response to rising food prices has become a full-blown revolt against Omar al-Bashir’s rule Marching at night, the demonstrators raised their hands in the air. “Peaceful, peaceful,” they chanted. Their slogan has become a familiar refrain in Sudan over the past 10 days as the vast north-east African nation that for 25 years has been ruled by the same man, President Omar al-Bashir, is rocked by protests. What started this month as a demonstration against the tripling of the price of bread in the eastern city of Atbara has spread across the country as thousands of people take to the streets to vent their anger – and not just over food prices. Protests have taken place in the capital, Khartoum, and Atbara, Port Sudan and Madani over the past week, with those involved vowing not to stop until the country’s rulers are overturned. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2ETOof3

As survey puts surprise frontrunner ahead in DRC, many expect violence if government rigs the vote Millions of voters in the Democratic Republic of Congo will cast their ballots on Sunday in an election that will mark the first democratic transition of power in the vast central African country’s troubled history. Optimists hope the DRC’s third presidential poll since the 2002 end of a civil war that killed around 5 million people will mark a turning point. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2GMFtgW

The outlook is bleak for key countries including Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya Just over eight years ago, Tunisian fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in a bitter one-man protest outside a government office against the government. Within hours, demonstrators took to the streets of his small town, Sidi Bouzid. By the time he died in hospital just overtwo weeks later, protests had spread across the country, would soon topple the president and spill beyond Tunisia, in a regional convulsion dubbed the Arab Spring. Related: Syria: Assad has decisively won his brutal battle Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2EVZHCz

Two days of torrential rain in northern Syria caused major flooding in Idlib and Aleppo. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2BMP55D

Authorities say suspect is involved in recruiting Moroccans and sub-Saharans to carry out attacks. from Al Jazeera English http://bit.ly/2QWS4Tx

In its quest to become a global superpower, China has regularly become entangled in territorial disputes with its neighbors, butting up against international law. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://cnn.it/2Vg1tUF

Seventh week of protests sees fewer demonstrators on streets but violence still flares from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2EXDy7s

Police say there are 'no indications of a terrorist background' from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2TbSQZA

President claims migrants would not try to enter US if they knew there was a wall in the way from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2Qc2Rnu

Investigators claim he 'indoctrinated' group suspected of the murders from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2EWSUt0

Animals can become disoriented and scared by displays from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2EUjYZT

Exclusive: Social media giants 'enabling criminal activity' by traffickers who entrap victims who are unaware of dangers they face, according to UN migration agency from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2EXDhRv

Inquiry finishes 'not with a bang, but with a Friday, buried-in-the-holidays whimper', senior Democrat says from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2rVAIHQ

Families from impoverished region bribe officers to let their underage sons join army, with children making at least 20 per cent of units, according to fighters from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2Vpf24q

Nathaniel Lewis reportedly charged with counts of attempted homicide and aggravated assault from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2EUTHLd

Exclusive: Almost two-thirds of Brits see Russia as a threat to UK following Salisbury attack from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2QYKPdS

Government accuses 'terrorist elements' of planning attacks targeting state institutions and tourism industry from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2BOfIak

James J Grazioplene accused of years of abuse by daughter that spanned numerous military assignments and locations from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2AfJMfd

Peak of Anak Krakatau brought down by more than 200m after explosion that triggered waves killing more than 420 from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2s2jgkI

President prepares to undo Obama-era rules limiting output of pollutants that can cause birth defects and respiratory diseases from The Independent - World https://ind.pn/2Qc65r8