Syrian Christians attend services, schools reopen a week after Assad’s overthrow
DAMASCUS/LATAKIA, Syria — Syrian Christians attended regular Sunday services for the first time since the dramatic overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad a week ago, in an early test of assurances by the new Islamist rulers that the rights of minorities will be protected.
South Korea’s acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
SEOUL — South Korea’s acting president, Han Duck-soo, moved on Sunday to reassure the country’s allies and calm financial markets a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached and suspended from his duties over a martial law attempt.
Israel plans to double population on occupied Golan, citing threats from Syria
JERUSALEM— Israel agreed on Sunday to double its population on the occupied Golan Heights while saying threats from Syria remained despite the moderate tone of rebel leaders who ousted President Bashar al-Assad a week ago.
Sen. Schumer pushes for increased surveillance to hunt drones in NY, NJ
Sen. Chuck Schumer wants expanded surveillance and drone detection systems for the tristate area following numerous reports of the unmanned flying vehicles disturbing residents.
Indigenous People in Canada Weigh Costs of a Gas Windfall
KITAMAAT, British Columbia — With her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, her arms and legs covered with 20 tattoos, and her compact frame fitted out in athleisure, Crystal Smith, the elected chief of the Haisla people, looked more like the hometown basketball star she once was than the fossil fuel exporter she’s about to become.
South Korea’s Yoon defiant after impeachment over martial law bid
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed on Saturday to fight for his political future after he was impeached in a second vote by the opposition-led parliament over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, a move that had shocked the nation.
Pelosi has hip surgery after suffering injury during Europe trip
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had successful hip replacement surgery Saturday and is “well on the mend” after suffering an injury during a congressional trip to commemorate a World War II battle against Nazi Germany, her spokesperson said.
US spoke directly with Syrian rebel government, Blinken says
The U.S. has had direct talks with the rebel group that took power in Syria, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday in Jordan, as he wrapped up a Middle East trip focused on the way forward after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime.
Lawmakers in Georgia elect hardline critic of West as new president
TBILISI — Georgian lawmakers elected Mikheil Kavelashvili, a hardline critic of the West, as president on Saturday, setting him up to replace a pro-Western incumbent amid major protests against the government over a halt to the country’s European Union accession talks last month.
US appeals court judge rescinds retirement after Trump’s win
A U.S. appeals court judge has taken the rare step of revoking his decision to retire from active service on the bench, depriving Republican President-elect Donald Trump of the ability to fill a judicial vacancy.
N.Korean troops join Russian assaults in significant numbers, Kyiv says
Russia has begun using North Korean troops in significant numbers for the first time to conduct assaults on Ukrainian forces battling to hold an enclave in Russia’s Kursk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.
Russia hits Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a renewed assault
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched a missile attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure early Friday, in an assault that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as “one of the largest strikes” on his country’s power facilities.
Monarch butterflies are recommended for protected status
Federal wildlife officials proposed Tuesday that monarch butterflies receive protection as a threatened species.
Uber and Lyft found a loophole in a driver pay law. Drivers pushed back.
NEW YORK — New York City was the first place in the United States to mandate minimum pay rates for drivers for companies such as Uber and Lyft. But after the companies found a loophole that made it much harder for some drivers to get by, the city is looking to change its law, prompting dueling pressure campaigns as both sides seek to influence the outcome.
McKinsey to pay $650 million in opioid settlement with Justice Department
McKinsey &Co. has agreed to pay $650 million to settle a Justice Department investigation of its work with opioid maker Purdue Pharma. A former senior partner, Martin Elling, has also agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying internal company records in connection with that work.
Kennedy’s lawyer has asked the FDA to revoke approval of the polio vaccine
The lawyer helping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pick federal health officials for the incoming Trump administration has petitioned the government to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine, which for decades has protected millions of people from a virus that can cause paralysis or death.
Yellen won’t rule out sanctions on Chinese banks, curbs on ‘dark fleet’ oil tankers
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters on Friday that the U.S. is looking at further sanctions on “dark fleet” tankers and will not rule out sanctions on Chinese banks as it seeks to reduce Russia’s oil revenue and access to foreign supplies to fuel its war in Ukraine. Yellen said in an interview that the U.S. and its allies also could consider lowering their $60-per-barrel oil price cap on Russian oil, which prohibits Western insurance and maritime services on cargoes above that level. The Treasury has already sanctioned individual tankers and their owners for operating above the price cap and can do more in this area, Yellen added, suggesting additional measures in the five weeks before she leaves office.
Trump’s deportations could shake up the restaurant industry, but Wall Street isn’t worried
Sweeping deportations pledged by President-elect Donald Trump could pose an economic shock for the restaurant industry in ways that echo the pandemic: pricier menus, rising wages, and shuttered storefronts, economists and some restaurateurs worry.
South Korea’s Yoon faces second impeachment vote over martial law bid
A defiant South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a second impeachment vote on Saturday over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, a move that shocked the country, split his party and imperilled his presidency half way through his term.
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after injury in Luxembourg
Former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi was injured on a trip to Luxembourg and has been admitted to a hospital for evaluation, her office said in a statement on Friday.
