Three years and 90,000 gun deaths since Sandy Hook, appetite for change builds
Hundreds of vigils for gun violence victims are to be held across the US, and organisers sense a change, saying people are coming together like never before
Holding candles aloft and singing This Little Light of Mine with verve, about 500 people held a national vigil for victims of gun violence on Wednesday and spoke of a social movement gathering momentum across America.
There was standing room only at the St Mark’s Episcopal church on Capitol Hill, Washington, for the biggest of hundreds of vigils planned across the US this week, spurred by recent deadly shootings from Colorado to California.
On a night of tears and solemn determination there was testimony from survivors and families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, as well as prayers, music and speeches from politicians, while the names and faces of victims were projected on to a big screen throughout.
This is democracy – Marine Le Pen deserves the test of French power
Personally, I was surprised the Front National did not do better
The second and last stage of this weekend’s regional elections in France is being viewed with trepidation. The fear is that the results will confirm a sharp turn to the right in French national politics that makes the leader of the Front National, Marine Le Pen, a credible presidential contender in 2017.
And while France’s chattering classes agonise over what this might mean for the future of their country, those elsewhere ponder the impetus that a victory in France might give to the centrifugal forces already gathering in Europe. A Le Pen presidency plus a British vote to leave the EU could summarily end the 20th-century European dream.
Before despair overtakes all those of us who delight in France and stubbornly hope that the European Union can flourish, however, it is worth looking more closely at what the latest French vote really says. Is the future as black as it is being painted?
The West's Dilemma: Why Assad Is Uninterested in Defeating Islamic State
By Christoph ReuterIn the fight against Islamic State, the West is considering cooperating with the Syrian army. There's a hitch though: Assad's troops aren't just too weak to defeat IS -- they also have no interest in doing so.
Sunday, Nov. 29, was market day in Ariha, a small city located in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib. In May, various rebel groups had taken control of the town, which is legendary for its deep-red cherries. Ariha is located far from the front, and even further away from areas under the control of Islamic State (IS). But the Russian air force bombed it anyway.
The people shopping at the market didn't stand a chance. Just seconds after the roar of the approaching Russian Sukhoi fighter jet first became audible, the first bombs struck. They killed passersby, vegetable sellers and entire families. "I saw torn up bodies flying around and children calling for their parents," said a civil defense rescuer hours after the attack.
Will China protect Kim Jong Un from international justice?
Updated 0528 GMT (1328 HKT) December 10, 2015
The United Nations Security Council will discuss the human rights situation in North Korea on Thursday, as defectors and victims of torture complain that not enough has been done since the publication of a landmark report in 2014.
The report by a U.N. panel found human rights abuses on a scale "without parallel in the contemporary world," comparable to the atrocities of Nazi Germany, and recommended sending the case and those responsible to the International Criminal Court.
Any discussion by the Security Council will take place over the strong opposition of permanent member and veto-holder China, which has worked behind the scenes to block the debate, according to diplomatic sources.
FIFA postpones decision on Qatar World Cup stadiums
By David Harding
FIFA has delayed a decision on finalising the number of stadiums to be used during the 2022 Qatar World Cup until next year, tournament officials in the Gulf confirmed Wednesday.
A final decision was expected before the end of this month, but following a meeting in Doha of the Qatar 2022 Local Organising Committee (LOC), the body overseeing preparations for the controversial tournament, that number will be fixed in January.
"There was an agreement about deciding the number of stadiums for the World Cup by the end of this year but because of the importance of this matter, we decided to postpone the decision," said Nasser al-Khater, the assistant general secretary of Qatar's 2022 organising committee.
Talking to invited local media at a press briefing on Tuesday, he added that the decision would be taken in "January".
Argentina's Fernandez blasts incoming leaders in final presidential speech
Argentines on Wednesday said goodbye to President Cristina Fernandez, who lauded her government's achievements while blasting the incoming administration.
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — Tens of thousands of supporters jammed Argentina's most famous square Wednesday night to say goodbye to President Cristina Fernandez, who lauded her government's achievements while blasting the incoming administration in the same withering tones she aimed at opponents throughout her eight years in office.
As blue and white Argentine flags waved and people cheered on a balmy night, Fernandez gave a speech that was both a recap of her years in power and a clear sign that she does not plan to make things easy for President-elect Mauricio Macri, who will be inaugurated Thursday.
Fernandez addressed the crowd on Plaza de Mayo in downtown Buenos Aires amid widespread criticism for her decision not to attend Macri's inauguration.
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