World

Videos show scattered protests during Iran’s fire festival

Videos show scattered protests during Iran’s fire festival 1

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranians have held scattered anti-government protests during an annual fire festival with ancient roots, according to videos circulating online. The videos appeared to show protesters in different cities chanting against the country’s ruling clerics and…

US and Russia ratchet up rhetoric over downing of drone

US and Russia ratchet up rhetoric over downing of drone 3

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia and the United States ratcheted up their confrontational rhetoric Wednesday over a U.S. surveillance drone that encountered Russian warplanes and crashed near Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin has illegally annexed. At the same time, the…

US alert as Cancun taxi drivers block road, harass Uber cars

US alert as Cancun taxi drivers block road, harass Uber cars 5

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory for Mexico’s resort-studded Caribbean coast Monday after medallion taxi drivers started harassing and attacking drivers from the ride-hailing app Uber and their clients. Taxi drivers even blocked one of…

UN official says world body committed to Cyprus peace deal

UN official says world body committed to Cyprus peace deal 11

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The United Nations remains committed to helping rival Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots reach an agreement remedying the island nation’s ethnic cleave that has been the source of instability in the east Mediterranean for decades, a senior…

UN chief insists on special armed forces as Haiti spirals

UN chief insists on special armed forces as Haiti spirals 13

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.N. Secretary General António Guterres on Monday insisted on the deployment of an international specialized armed force to Haiti and called on governments to consider halting deportations as the country’s situation spirals. The recommendations were…

UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine

UN-backed inquiry accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine 17

GENEVA — Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, according to a report from a U.N.-backed inquiry released Thursday. The sweeping human rights report,…

UN aid chief seeking to reverse ban on Afghan women workers

UN aid chief seeking to reverse ban on Afghan women workers 19

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. humanitarian chief and leaders of two major international aid organizations are in Afghanistan following last week’s visit by a delegation led by the U.N.’s highest-ranking woman with the same aim – reversing the Taliban’s crackdown…