Anders Breivik is serving 21 years in prison for killing 77 people in a xenophobia-fueled rampage in Norway in 2011; he lives in a cushy, three-room prison cell with an exercise space where he is allowed to work toward a degree from the University of Oslo. But he thinks he is being treated unfairly, and has sued the state for violating his human rights.
US president Barack Obama announced an executive action on gun control during an emotional speech on Tuesday (Jan. 5), a month after the Republican-held Congress blocked a Democratic attempt to pass tighter restrictions.
The hit true-crime Netflix show Making a Murderer has left some viewers with a rather hostile attitude to their electronic devices over the holidays.
US-Russian relations reached a new low after Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a document that puts the United States on a list of threats to the country’s national security for the first time.
This is a developing story.
As the warmest year on record draws to a close, Donald Trump is lamenting that efforts to fight climate change are depriving him of the hairspray he uses to keep his wispy blonde strands in elaborate formation.
At the end of a year in which more than 1 million refugees and migrants are estimated to have entered Germany, chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of the promise of her country’s welcoming approach, in her televised end-of-year address to the nation.
As any skier will tell you, skiing on artificial snow is not ideal. Skiing on no snow is even less fun. But with global temperatures rising, vacationers in the Alps hoping for fluffy powder and smooth slopes are instead navigating watery slush, concrete-hard fake snow, grassy patches, and the cringe-inducing sound of rocks under your skis.
Warren Buffett had his first bad year in a while.
Update 4:18pm ET
What to watch for today
It’s been quite a year for Russian president Vladimir Putin, who went from international persona non grata for Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine to top dog in decisions concerning Syria’s civil war.
A grand jury has decided not to indict the Cleveland police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice last November, county prosecutor Timothy McGinty said during a news conference on Monday (Dec. 28).
Germany has recruited 8,500 new teachers to teach German to the 196,000 refugees who have entered its education system this year. More than 1 million refugees entered the country in 2015.
This post has been updated and corrected.
Russian president Vladimir Putin told the state-run news agency Interfax on Thursday (Dec. 17) that GOP presidential front runner Donald Trump is “a very bright character, talented, without any question. It’s not our business to assess his qualities, that’s a matter for American voters, but he’s the absolute leader in the presidential race.”
Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli, dubbed ”the most hated man in America” for gouging patients dependent on a drug used for HIV and cancer treatment, was arrested at his home in Manhattan today (Dec. 17) on securities fraud charges related to his past business interests, Bloomberg and Reuters report.
Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy received some direct feedback during a pre-election campaign event in the northern city of Pontevedra yesterday (Dec. 16): a painful-looking punch in the face.
Schools in New York and Los Angeles reacted very differently to bomb threats today, even though both received warning emails from the same IP address.
Russia has crafted new legislation that will give it a legal justification to defy verdicts by international courts—like, say, a recent attempt by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to make Russia pay out $2 billion to shareholders of defunct oil firm Yukos. The new law, signed on Tuesday (Dec. 16) by president Vladimir Putin, enables Russia’s constitutional court to decide whether to adhere to a verdict of an international court.
Update 1:18pm ET
What to watch for today
At this time last week, the far-right National Front was riding high as “the first party of France,” as it called itself. After all, it had just secured the largest share of votes for regional council seats, with 28% of the vote nationwide, and placed first in six of the country’s 13 regions. Its anti-immigration platform played well among fears of terrorism and high unemployment.
This post has been updated.
