Tax bill: Trump victory as Senate backs tax overhaul
US senators have passed a sweeping tax cuts bill, paving the way for Donald Trump's first big legislative victory.
The package would mark the biggest tax overhaul since the 1980s. It was passed by 51 votes to 49, after a series of amendments in a marathon session.
Democrats complained it only benefited the wealthy and big business.
The plan sees a sharp cut in corporation tax, but a Senate committee finding has warned it would add $1tn (£742bn) to the budget deficit.
President Trump wants the measures enacted by the end of the year and congratulated Republicans for taking the US "one step closer to delivering massive tax cuts for working families".
The Senate will now have to merge its legislation with that passed last month by the House of Representatives, before it can be signed into law by the president.
Zimbabwe opposition promises push for reform after new cabinet revealed
President Emmerson Mnangagwa gives posts to senior soldiers and party loyalists but opposition politicians lose out
Opposition activists in Zimbabwe have said they will launch a fresh campaign to bring democratic reforms to the impoverished southern African country after the new president announced a fresh cabinet with key roles for veterans of the ruling Zanu-PF party and senior soldiers but no posts for the opposition.
Emmerson Mnangagwa took power after a military takeover and popular protests ousted Robert Mugabe last week, and many had hoped the 75-year-old would give leading opposition politicians significant roles in an “inclusive” government in line with his promises to reach out to all “patriotic Zimbabweans” and build a “full democracy”.
Opposition figures and activists reacted strongly to the announcement. Tendai Biti, a former finance minister and opposition politician, called the move a betrayal.
Refugees face deadly winter on Greek islands as charities call on government to prevent deaths
'The EU and the Greek government need to start putting people’s lives ahead of politics and uphold Europe’s commitment to human rights'
As winter approaches, the Greek government is being urged to act to prevent the possible deaths of refugees trapped in squalid camps.
A dozen human rights organisations, including Oxfam and Human Rights Watch (HRW), have united to highlight the issue, stressing Greece needs the support of EU leaders to end the policy of “containment”, which restricts asylum-seekers to the islands while their claims are processed.
Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has been urged to transfer the refugees to better living conditions on the mainland by the time winter officially starts on 21 December.
Honduras wracked by rioting as election results further delayed
Delayed election results and allegations of fraud have plunged Honduras into further uncertainty and raised the specter of violence. Rioting, looting and protests led the country to declare a state of emergency.
Honduras declared a state of emergency on Friday after the country was gripped by a third day of violent protests over delayed and disputed presidential election results. The opposition has continued to declare the election results fraudulent.
"The suspension of constitutional guarantees was approved so that the armed forces and the national police can contain this wave of violence that has engulfed the country," Ebal Diaz, an official for the council of ministers, said on national television.
The government's cabinet chief, Jorge Hernandez, said some constitutional guarantees would be suspended for 10 days to allow security forces to control the situation. The government declared a national curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Beijing citizens regain their voice and challenge authority
As a double wave of angst swept Beijing, its residents found their voice on social media. Seasoned watchers of China's pervasive censorship haven't seen anything like it for a long time.
The Xu siblings were at home in the dark on Tuesday, sisters Yuanyuan and Tingting struggling to do their maths homework by candlelight. Brother Zhihan, four, wrapped in a padded jacket and blanket, was distressed that his face was cold.
The electricity to the family's 10-square-metre rented room was abruptly cut a week ago. It was the day after fire swept through another crowded apartment block in the suburb of Daxing, killing 19 people.
Shocked by the death toll, Beijing's mayor, Cai Qi, ordered an urgent campaign of fire safety inspections across the city of 22 million. Within a week, whole blocks of buildings that failed the checks were being demolished.
Americans Who Fought ISIS
By Kara Fox, CNN
On a scorching summer afternoon, David Taylor Sr. stands under a tent in his hometown of Buckhannon, West Virginia. He is dressed formally -- his tie, accented with stars and stripes.
Before him, two Marines fold the flag 13 times, as is Honor Guard protocol. As the clouds break, Taylor links arms with his family. The summer rain pings off the red tarpaulin, almost masking the soundtrack of their collective anguish.
They desperately miss their “Bubbie.”
David Taylor II was only 25 when his life ended on the battlefields of Syria.
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