Communist cadres must promise to refrain from belonging to or even visiting these “hotbeds of extravagance and corruption”
Christmas in Tacloban: Filipinos Celebrate Amid the Wreckage
A stripped-down, subdued celebration has taken hold in the typhoon-battered regions of the Philippines
Freed Member of Pussy Riot Calls for Boycott of Russia’s Winter Olympics
The singer railed against Russia’s prison system, calling it a “totalitarian machine”
Mikhail Kalashnikov, Soviet Inventor of the AK-47, Dies at 94
Mikhail Kalashnikov, the Soviet general who designed the ubiquitous automatic weapon that now bears his name, died on Dec. 23 at the age of 94. Iterations of the gun he invented now exist in the tens of millions, making it the …
Thanks, Putin, But No Thanks: Few Are Grateful for Russia’s Pre-Olympic Amnesty
Russian President Vladimir Putin grabbed international headlines last week with a pre-Christmas amnesty that included the release of a number of prominent dissidents. Those freed aren’t exactly glowing with praise for Putin, though
South Sudan Rebel Leader Says He’s Ready to Negotiate
Demands release of political prisoners in return for peace talks to end 9-day conflict
American Jailed For Video Mocking Dubai Teenagers
Four other men are in jail, too.
Freed Pussy Riot Members Call Putin’s Amnesty A ‘PR stunt’
The band sentenced to two years in prison for hooliganism in 2012 was released early under a new Russian amnesty law. The move has widely been interpreted as a charm campaign as the country prepares to host the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
In Latest North Korea Trip, Dennis Rodman Went Horseback Riding But Did Not Meet Kim Jong-un
The former NBA star helped train a North Korean basketball team for an exhibition next month for ruler Kim Jong Un’s birthday. While the visit came just weeks after the execution of Kim’s uncle, Rodman continued to insist he’s no diplomat.
Leader Says Iran Wants to Repair Relations With U.S.
But vows never to give up right to nuclear energy
Israel Bans Christmas Tree Display in Parliament
Speaker of Parliament nixes Christmas tree idea
In Japan, Okinawans Brace Themselves for Futenma Air-Base Verdict
After 17 years of protests, Okinawa prefecture governor Hirokazu Nakaima is poised to decide the fate of the controversial U.S. air base — certainly angering either local people or his government in the process
Tazreen Factory Owners Charged With Murder Over Fatal Blaze
Lack of emergency exits led to the death of 112 workers in November last year