[World] Russia's upper house approves US adoption ban

Russia's upper house approves US adoption ban
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/9766310/Russias-upper-house-approves-US-adoption-ban.html
The legislation, which is opposed in the country's liberal circles, comes amid strong anti-American feeling among Russia's ruling elite.

High-Ranking Syrian General Defects in New Blow to Assad
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/T0Se5IsLuqG69tEmuH2EdM/Head-of-Syrian-military-police-defects.html
Syria's embattled leadership suffered a new setback on Wednesday with the publicly broadcast defection of its military police chief, the highest-ranking officer to abandon President Bashar al-Assad since the uprising against him began nearly two years ago.

Egyptian government holds first session after new constitution passed
http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/egyptian-government-holds-first-session-after-new-constitution-passed-1.1092006
CAIRO, Egypt -- Egypt's government set legislative priorities for parliament on Wednesday as it convened for the first time since a new constitution was passed, asking lawmakers to focus on setting rules for upcoming elections, regulating the media and ...

Japanese Jawboning Pushes Yen to New Low
http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2012/12/26/japanese-jawboning-pushes-yen-to-new-low/
Markets are eating up any rhetoric from Japan that points to any follow through of promises by new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of unlimited easing and a weaker yen.

Plane crash in Burma leaves 2 dead
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/plane-crash-burma-leaves-2-dead-article-1.1227445?localLinksEnabled=false
A plane packed with foreign tourists made a fiery crash landing in Burma on Christmas Day, leaving two people dead and 11 injured.

Israel fast-tracks plan to build settler units
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1226/breaking5.htm
ISRAEL has advanced the process of building 942 more settler homes in East Jerusalem under a new fast-track plan to tighten its grip on the territory, which the Palestinians claim as the capital of a future state.

UAE arrests suspected terror cell
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/26/257204.html
(CNN) -- Members of a suspected terrorist cell aiming to carry out attacks in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have been arrested, the official Emirates News Agency reported Wednesday.

Racist Israeli Minister Resigns
http://americanfreepress.net/?p=7828
Israeli Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman, a particularly nasty piece of work, was forced to resign on December 18 after being charged with fraud, just weeks before the Israeli elections.