An Army general who investigated the abuse of prisoners 20 years ago at Iraq’s infamous Abu Ghraib prison has testified that a civilian contractor instructed prison guards to “soften up” detainees for interrogations.

U.K. lawmakers have called for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The fatal stabbing of a British lawmaker has cast fresh doubt on the continued viability of what he had called “the great British tradition” of parliamentarians readily meeting voters.

The British government may require National Health Service workers to be inoculated against COVID-19 _ a controversial proposal that was immediately criticized by opposition leaders as counterproductive.

She stayed up all night, watching and worrying at her home in Delhi as the chaos unfolded many time zones away. Both have to play their role with decency and responsibility so that democracy itself remains the winner,” Merkel said. Iran, which faces routine U.S. criticism over violations of human rights and democratic values, jumped on the chaos as proof of American hypocrisy. Ally after ally expressed shock, followed by affirmations that U.S. democratic institutions would withstand the turmoil. “American democracy is obviously limping on both feet,” said Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee in Russia’s upper house of parliament.

More than 70 female MPs from across the political spectrum put their names to the open letter on Tuesday. Opposition Labour parliamentarian Holly Lynch told CNN affiliate ITV that she received a phone call from the duchess earlier on Wednesday while at Westminster. "It was Buckingham Palace asking me was I available to speak to the Duchess of Sussex," Lynch said. "She was calling to thank myself and other women MPs for standing with her." We really want to welcome her to our society and I'm afraid not all of the articles in our national press really reflect that and it's time that that stops."

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, visits Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, during their royal tour of South Africa on Sept. 24, 2019, in Cape Town, South Africa. Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in SouthLONDON - Seventy-two female MPs have written to the Duchess of Sussex to express their solidarity with her in the face of the "outdated, colonial undertones" which appear against her and her family in the press. Lynch posted the letter on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon, writing that women MPs from all parties had put aside their differences "to stand in solidarity with the Duchess of Sussex." Their comments come after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke of the strain press coverage was causing them in an ITV documentary earlier this month. Both Harry and Meghan have recently brought legal proceedings against British newspapers.

There are 244 Labour MPs, but a handful of them voted for Theresa May's deal and might vote for Boris Johnson's. So let's say around 240 Labour MPs vote against -- although Johnson will actually be hoping to persuade more to swing to his side. There are only 10 of them, led by Arlene Foster, but they're a disciplined bunch so if they say they won't vote for it, they probably won't. Then there's a ragtag bunch of independents -- including some former Labour MPs who owe little to their former leader, Jeremy Corbyn. As the hours tick down towards Saturday's vote Johnson's fixers will be in overdrive, trying to convince the undecideds, of whom there seem to be anything between a dozen and two dozen.

"He tried to thrust his war medals into my hands, [saying] 'take them back, give them back to the Prime Minister, I don't want them,'" before going into an aggressive spiel about Brexit, Allen told CNN. Since the 2016 referendum, MPs have faced abuse on social media and in person for their stances on Brexit. "Many of us in this place are subject to death threats and abuse every single day. Brabin told CNN, however, that Johnson's language was helping "fuel hatred" and because anxiety is high among constituents, "the voice of panic and fear is heard louder." "I don't think it's just Brexit," Allen said.

What is a no-deal Brexit? Can a no-deal Brexit be avoided? An election could certainly change the course of the Brexit process, if it swings Parliament further behind or against a no-deal. And Johnson could still secure a deal with the EU in the coming weeks, which -- if passed by Parliament -- would avert the need for a no-deal Brexit. But with options dwindling each passing day, a no-deal Brexit -- and with it a new, more unpredictable round of chaos in British politics -- is looking increasingly likely.

LONDON - Boris Johnson's surprise decision to suspend the British parliament in the runup to the next Brexit deadline appears to have had its desired effect. Minutes earlier, another senior Conservative, George Young, resigned from the front bench in the House of Lords in protest at Johnson's suspension of Parliament. In his resignation letter, seen by CNN, he said Johnson's decision risked "undermining" the role of Parliament at a "critical time" in the country's history. Challenges to Johnson's decision were also filed in separate courts by a cross-party group of 70 MPs and peers and the prominent anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller. While it is common for governments to suspend Parliament in the run-up to a Queen's Speech, critics have been irked by the timing of Johnson's move.