Turkey rejects European Parliament call for sanctions over Cyprus

Turkey on Friday rejected a call by the European Parliament for sanctions against Ankara over President Tayyip Erdogan's recent visit to the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in north Cyprus, calling the demand "disconnected from the realities". On Thursday, the European Union's parliament agreed a non-binding resolution in support of EU member Cyprus urging EU leaders to "take action and impose tough sanctions" against Turkey, a move likely to bolster support for France's push for sanctions on Ankara at an EU summit next month. Turkey is at odds with EU members Greece and Cyprus over hydrocarbon exploration in disputed east Mediterranean waters.

What is Putin’s Endgame With Americans Detained in Russia?

When Avetisyan and his partners attempted to exercise an option on 9.9 percent of Vostochny Bank's shares in 2018, Baring Vostok refused, because of evidence that assets worth billions of rubles had been withdrawn from Uniastrum Bank before the merger. Baring Vostok then filed claims of fraud against Avetisyan for 17.5 billion rubles (around $276 million) in the London International Arbitration Court. In apparent retaliation for the London lawsuit, Avetisyan's partner Sherzod Yusupov went to the FSB in February 2019 with a claim that Calvey and five associates from Baring Vostok had defrauded Vostochny Bank of 2.5 billion rubles ($38 million at the time).

A Trump-appointed judge eviscerated the president's biggest election lawsuit in Pennsylvania, saying the campaign's 'claims have no merit'

A Pennsylvania appeals court on Friday rejected the Trump campaign's effort to block a lower court's ruling that the campaign cannot stop the state from certifying its election results. Judge Stephanos Bibas, a Trump appointee who wrote the ruling for the three-judge panel, did not mince words when rejecting the campaign's appeal. "The Campaign's claims have no merit," he added.

• 
  Appeals court rejects Trump challenge of Pennsylvania election results

  Yahoo News Video
• 
  Appeals court rejects Trump challenge of Pennsylvania race

  Associated Press

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko says he will step down if new constitution is adopted

His security forces have been dispersing and detaining peaceful demonstrators with gusto, fostering a deep resentment against his 26-year-long rule. In a strong indication that he might be considering an exit strategy, Mr Lukashenko during a hospital visit on Friday said that he would “not work for you as a president” if a new Constitution is adopted. Several weeks after the protests erupted, the beleaguered Belarusian leader floated the idea of amending the country's main law to cut presidential powers and boost the country's parliament.

• 
  Belarus leader says he will quit when a new constitution is adopted

  Reuters
• 
  Belarus' Lukashenko says he will leave his post after months of protests, state media reports

  NBC News

Mexico ambush: Arrest over Mormon massacre

Authorities in Mexico have arrested a key suspect in the killing of nine members of a Mormon community. Three women and six children, all dual US-Mexican citizens, were driving through the Sonoran desert when they were killed in an ambush last year. Roberto N is believed to have been the "intellectual architect" of the attack, Mexico's federal attorney-general's office said on Wednesday.

Killing of suspected Iranian nuclear mastermind risks confrontation as Trump exits

An Iranian scientist long suspected by the West of masterminding a secret nuclear bomb programme was killed in an ambush near Tehran on Friday that could provoke confrontation between Iran and its foes in the last weeks of Donald Trump's presidency. The death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who Iranian media said died in hospital after armed assassins gunned him down in his car, will also complicate any effort by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to revive the detente of Barack Obama's presidency. Iran pointed the finger at Israel, while implying the killing had the blessing of the departing Trump.

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson claims that ‘damning’ Hunter Biden evidence was lost in mail

Fox News host Tucker Carlson claims to have acquired incriminating documents about Hunter Biden, son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe – and then lost them in the post. In a bizarre segment on Wednesday night's show, Carlson alleged that his team mailed the documents from New York to Los Angeles after receiving them from a “source” on Monday, but that the bundle never arrived. Without providing any further details or evidence, Carlson said the “damning” documents had “vanished” en route, heavily implying foul play.

Thai pro-democracy protesters warn of possible coup

Pro-democracy demonstrators in Thailand, undeterred by arrest warrants and the possibility of violent attacks, staged another rally on Friday, poking fun at their critics and warning of the possibility of a military coup. Although the incident remains murky and its connection to the rally unclear, it was a reminder that the student protesters are vulnerable, especially because of the passions they inspire among some of their opponents. The protest movement's core demands are for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his government to step down, the constitution to be amended to be more democratic, and the monarchy to be reformed to make it more accountable.

• 
  Thai protesters target would-be coup makers as rumours swirl

  Reuters
• 
  Thai protesters practise 'coup prevention' in latest rally

  AFP

U.S. appeals ruling that barred Postal Service changes before election

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and President Donald Trump late Friday appealed a federal judge's ruling suspending service changes and requiring aggressive steps to ensure ballot deliveries ahead of the November presidential election, the Justice Department said. The government said it was appealing U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan's preliminary injunction orders issued in late September in a pair of legal challenges. Sullivan directed the USPS to take "extraordinary measures" to ensure that millions of ballots were delivered by mail and held numerous hearings on the status of ballots.

The best Black Friday deals to shop at Lululemon

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission. If activewear is on your shopping list this holiday season, the Black Friday 2020 sale at Lululemon is well worth your time (and your money).

• 
  7 of the best TV deals to shop this Black Friday — get up to $700 off

  In The Know
• 
  The Black Friday Deals Even Our Shopping Editors Can't Pass Up This Year

  HuffPost Life

China's top diplomat touts S. Korea ties amid row with US

China's top diplomat on Thursday stressed the importance of bilateral relations while meeting senior officials in South Korea, where there's growing concern the country is becoming squeezed between its biggest trading partner and military ally the United States. After meeting South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that his visit amid a spreading coronavirus pandemic shows how much Beijing values its relations with Seoul. When asked whether Beijing was pressing Seoul to choose a side amid rising U.S.-China tensions over trade, security and other issues, Wang said “America is not the only nation in the world.”

Hyundai, Kia fined for delaying US engine failure recalls

Hyundai and Kia must pay $137 million in fines and safety improvements because they moved too slowly to recall over 1 million vehicles with engines that can fail. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the penalties on Friday. “It's critical that manufacturers appropriately recognize the urgency of their safety recall responsibilities and provide timely and candid information to the agency about all safety issues,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens said in a statement.

• 
  Hyundai, Kia agree to $210 million U.S. auto safety civil penalty

  Reuters
• 
  Hyundai, Kia Fined up to $210 Million over Handling of Engine Recalls

  Car and Driver

Trump erupts at Twitter for suspending Pennsylvania Republican after baseless voter fraud hearing

Donald Trump has raged at Twitter after the platform suspended a personal account belonging to a Pennsylvania state senator who presided over a conspiracy-filled “hearing” among GOP lawmakers to amplify false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The president – in a series of posts tagging One America News Network, which was suspended from YouTube this week for promoting a false Covid-19 “cure” amid its wall-to-wall far-right content – said state Senator Doug Mastriano was “banned” after the platform and “fake news, working together" sought to “SILENT THE TRUTH. He said: "Can't let that happen.

Angry farmers in India clash with police to protest new laws

Thousands of Indian farmers clashed with police in northern Haryana state on Thursday during a protest demanding that the government abolish new farming laws that they fear will reduce their earnings and give more power to corporations. The farmers, who were traveling toward the capital, New Delhi, on tractors and motorbikes, flung police barricades into a river and threw bricks and stones at the officers near Ambala district. Hundreds of police were also deployed at the border between New Delhi and Haryana to block the protesters.

• 
  Indian police agree to allow protesting farmers into capital

  Associated Press
• 
  Protesting Indian farmers clash with police

  Reuters Videos

The Biden Presidency Already Has Its First Conspiracy Theory: The Great Reset

The Great Reset is a hodgepodge of one-world-government fears that has gained steam in the wake of Biden's win. It's been fed by right-wing media personalities who have told their audiences that Biden is bent on launching said reset by using the coronavirus pandemic to ban religion, crush small businesses, and turn humans into something like robots—or replace them with actual robots. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has declared that the Great Reset is “up in your grill,” while talk radio host Glenn Beck said the Great Reset is a plot to institute Nazi-style restrictions on American citizens.

Explainer: Can Trump pardon his associates — or himself?

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, kicking off what is expected to be a string of pardons during the final weeks of the Trump administration. Trump has granted clemency to supporters before, most notably earlier this year when he commuted the criminal sentence of Roger Stone, who was sentenced to prison after being convicted of lying under oath to lawmakers. In 2018, Trump even said he had the "absolute right" to pardon himself - a claim many constitutional law scholars dispute.

• 
  Trump pardons former adviser Flynn

  Reuters Videos
• 
  Michael Flynn: Trump pardons ex-national security adviser

  BBC

Trump approves huge Taiwan arms deal in latest blow to China relations

The US State Department has approved the sale of advanced weaponry systems to Taiwan, in a deal worth some $1.8bn that includes sensors, missiles and artillery, the Pentagon said. Among the weapons systems in Wednesday's deal were 11 truck-based rocket launchers made by Lockheed Martin Corp, known as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), at an estimated cost of $436.1m. The deal also includes 135 precision-guided cruise missiles, as well as mobile light rocket launchers and air reconnaissance pods that can be attached to fighter jets.

Navajo school, students fight to overcome amid COVID-19

Then there's the high school senior who spends six hours most days doing homework in a car next to a school bus turned Wi-Fi hotspot – the only way some kids on the Navajo Nation can get assignments to their teachers. These kids share a dream: to graduate high school, find a way to go to college, get a degree, land a dream job – get out of their small town, succeed and soar. Even in the best of times, that dream is harder for Native American students to attain.

SpaceX's giant Starship rocket will have its first big high-altitude test next week, says Elon Musk

SpaceX's Starship rocket is scheduled to have its first high-altitude flight test next week. CEO Elon Musk said there was a lot that could go wrong, and gave the rocket a 1-in-3 chance of landing in one piece. Next week, Elon Musk's space-exploration company SpaceX will take a big step forward in its quest to fly people to Mars.

Appeals court rejects Trump challenge of Pennsylvania race

President Donald Trump's legal team suffered yet another defeat in court Friday as a federal appeals court in Philadelphia roundly rejected the campaign's latest effort to challenge the state's election results. Trump's lawyers vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court despite the judges' assessment that the “campaign's claims have no merit.” The case had been argued last week in a lower court by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who insisted during five hours of oral arguments that the 2020 presidential election had been marred by widespread fraud in Pennsylvania.

• 
  Appeals court rejects Trump challenge of Pennsylvania election results

  Yahoo News Video
• 
  U.S. appeals court rejects Trump campaign's Pennsylvania election case

  Reuters

Strictly Come Dancing: Bruno Tonioli to miss 2020 final in person

Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli will miss being at this year's final in person, as he is unable to fly back to the UK from his US home amid Covid concerns. The Italian choreographer has appeared on the show on a Sunday via video link, and had hoped to return in person for next month's final. Previously, Tonioli has commuted between the shows every week, but for this series of Strictly Come Dancing, he has watched it on television rather than in the studio.

No Pardon Can Save Trump’s Terrible Thanksgiving

I hereby give thanks that from Jan. 20, 2021 on, the only stories I will be reading with the name Trump in the headline will be the cheesy ones about his bankruptcy or divorce filings, his depositions and tax returns (when that audit's finally over, which I'm guessing will be soon), and any tabloid speculating on whether Ivanka is going to the Met Gala or jail, or into exile in the Xanadu she and Jared are building at the Trump golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey with four new pickleball courts, a relocated heliport, a spa and yoga complex, and an expanded “cottage” comparable to the gilded mansion they will be leaving behind in Washington.