Los Angeles BLM protester to officers earlier in the evening: “If you take that badge off I’ll suck your dick.”

 Chase Caroline Castro, 24, was arrested at the #antifa Portland riot where Molotov cocktails were hurled at people. She's charged w/felony riot & other criminal charges. She was quickly released without bail.

 Arrested at the Portland #antifa riot & released without bail:

Simona Arteaga, 39: third arrest at violent protest; says she's a model https://archive.vn/yem1F Donovan Speed, 19 https://archive.vn/2WwGR John Mulkern, 33, of Olympia, Wash.: felony riot.

 

 KELLY THOMAS JACKSON, 20, was charged in U.S. District Court in Seattle with two counts of arson and two counts of unlawful possession of a destructive device- a Molotov Cocktail- for his alleged role in a riot. His phone had Molotov Cocktail instructions on it

 Portland Police arrested Bryan Michael Kelley, 36. He's accused of using a powerful laser to injure the eyes of cops last month at an #antifa riot. He's charged w/class B felony assault, felony unlawful use of a weapon & more. His bail is $257k.

Syria - Russian strikes on Idlib kill 8 including children

BEIRUT - At least eight people, including five children, were killed Tuesday in Russian air strikes on a school in northwest Syria sheltering displaced civilians, according to a war monitor.

The strikes targeted the village of Jubass near the town of Saraqeb in southern Idlib province, killing civilians sheltering in and near a school, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Since Thursday, regime forces supported by Russian airstrikes have taken control of dozens of towns and villages in the area.

They are now less than four kilometres (two miles) from the strategic city of Maaret al-Numan, the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said.

On Tuesday, jihadist fighters and rebels managed to retake Talmanes and an adjacent village, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources across Syria.

Idlib is dominated by the country's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The region hosts some three million people including many displaced by years of violence in other parts of Syria.

The Damascus regime, which now controls 70 percent of Syria, has repeatedly vowed to take back the area.

Backed by Moscow, Damascus launched a blistering offensive against Idlib in April, killing around 1,000 civilians and displacing more than 400,000 people.

Despite a ceasefire announced in August, the bombardment has continued, killing hundreds of civilians and fighters.

Syria's war has killed over 370,000 people and displaced millions since beginning in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Iraqi protesters mourn dead activist

DIWANIYAH - Hundreds of anti-government protesters marched Wednesday in southern Iraq to mourn a dead activist after a night during which the headquarters of two pro-Iran militias were set on fire, a correspondent reported.

The demonstrators oppose the political class that has run the oil-rich yet poverty-hit country since a 2003 US-led invasion overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein. They accuse leaders of enriching themselves and of being beholden to neighbour Iran.

Thaer al-Tayeb, a prominent activist from the city of Diwaniya, went to Baghdad's Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the unprecedented revolt shaking Iraq, when the rallies started nearly three months ago.

A suspicious explosion hit Tayeb's car on December 15, badly wounding him and fellow activist Ali al-Madani, back in Tayeb's hometown 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Baghdad.

After Tayeb's death in hospital was announced Tuesday, crowds of demonstrators rushed to the two local headquarters of pro-Iran militias and torched them.

First they set fire to the building of the powerful Badr organisation, run by the parliamentary head of the pro-Iran paramilitaries, Hadi al-Ameri.

Then they torched the headquarters of Assaib Ahl al-Haq, a group whose head Qais al-Khazali is subject to sanctions by the United States, accused of "kidnapping, murder and torture".

Protesters also blocked roads with burning car tyres in the southern city of Basra.

Around 460 protesters have been killed since the start of the demonstrations in early October and 25,000 have been wounded.

Rallies have continued despite a campaign of intimidation that has included targeted killings and abductions of activists, which the United Nations blames on militias.

After dwindling in recent weeks following a string of killings, the protest campaign has rediscovered its vigour at a time when political factions are wrangling over a replacement for outgoing premier Adel Abdel Mahdi.

He quit in November in the face of the massive protests, and negotiations to fill his post have remained deadlocked since the latest in a series of deadlines expired at midnight on Sunday.